How to Make Corn Tortillas

4.50 from 2 votes

Learn how to make corn tortillas with 3 ingredients, with or without a tortilla press for fresh, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and oil-free corn tortillas from scratch.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 139kcal

Author: Denise Perrault

Ingredients

2 cups masa harina see notes
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
½ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine 2 cups of masa harina and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Stir in 1 cup of warm water. Using your hands, start kneading the dough. Add the rest of the warm water. Test the dough by making a small ball and pressing it. If it crumbles, you need more water. If the ball melts with extra water, add more masa harina.
Roll the dough into a tube, then cut it into 12-18 pieces, depending on how large you want the tortillas. I made 16 that are about 4 inches across.
Form balls about the size of a large walnut. Cover the balls with a cloth to keep them moist.
Cut two pieces of parchment paper to cover the bottom of the tortilla press and the top of the dough ball. Alternatively, place a plastic bag over the top plate of the press and lay another over the bottom.
Place a dough ball in the center of the tortilla press, lay the parchment paper over the top, and press. (If using plastic, you don't need parchment paper).
If you don't have a tortilla press, roll the dough between parchment or plastic or use a glass pie plate or casserole dish to make a flat tortilla.
Preheat a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add a tortilla. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes, checking for a few brown spots. Flip and cook on the second side for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
Transfer each fresh tortilla to a plate and cover or wrap it in a dry cloth. Stack the tortillas as you cook them to keep them warm.

Notes

Look for authentic masa harina - corn flour or cornmeal won't work for this recipe. However, this recipe works for white, yellow, or blue masa harina.
Store masa harina in a cool, dry place. I usually add it to an airtight container or put the bag in a sealed bag. This keeps it fresh for next time.
Store corn tortillas in an airtight container, sealed plastic bag, or foil. They last 2 days at room temperature or 5 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze tortillas, separate them with parchment paper and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze for 3 months.
For soft tortillas, wrap them in foil and reheat them in the oven. Add tortillas directly to a heated oven rack for crispy tortillas or tostadas.
or crispy taco shells, fold tortillas over the slots in the oven rack and heat them for a few minutes.
Nutritional information is based on 2 tortillas and a yield of 12 tortillas in total (6 servings).

Nutrition