Everything you need to know about making corn tortillas at home! What you need, step-by-step process from start to finish and how to keep them warm. They’re easy to make and perfect for taco night!
There are a handful of foods that my family eats every single day and corn tortillas are one of them!
Homemade corn tortillas are one of my favorite foods ever. They’re extremely versatile and can be eaten in so many different ways – as a taco, fried or baked to make homemade tortilla chips or as a simple side that’s perfect for soaking up delicious saucy dishes like my chile verde.
They’re way better than store bought tortillas, are healthy (depending on how many you eat, of course) and are a great naturally gluten-free option for those that can’t have flour tortillas.
The first thing you need in order to make corn tortillas at home is masa harina.
Masa harina is a special corn flour made up of just two things – ground up corn and lime. Because the corn is treated and processed differently, corn meal or regular corn flour cannot be substituted for masa harina.
Masa harina can be found in the ethnic food aisle of larger grocery stores or sometimes next to all the other flours in the baking aisle. If you can’t find it in those areas, you may want to take a look at the gluten-free section of your store.
If all else fails and you simply can’t find masa harina in your local area, you can always find it on Amazon. I personally use Bob’s Red Mill masa harina because they’re a reputable brand that I trust, but there are others out there as well. Larger grocery chains sometimes carry MASECA brand and Quaker even has it’s own masa harina.
How to make corn tortillas
Once you’ve got the masa harina, it’s time to make the tortillas.
In a large bowl, mix together masa harina and salt. (photo 1)
Then add olive oil and hot water. (photo 2)
Mix the dough together with a spoon until all the water has been absorbed. (photo 3)
Next, form the dough into a large ball, place it inside the bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. (photo 4)
Next comes the fun part – flattening the dough! Place a large gallon-size Ziploc bag that’s been cut at the seams over your open tortilla press (here’s the tortilla press that I have and recommend from Amazon). Place a ball of dough on the center of the tortilla press bottom. (photo 5)
Close the tortilla press and flatten the masa harina in between the Ziploc bag using the handle. (photo 6)
Open the tortilla press and gently remove the tortilla from the Ziploc bag by peeling away the bag onto the palm of your hand. (photo 7 & 8)
Cook on a griddle or nonstick skillet that’s been preheated over medium-high heat for 20 seconds, then flip it over and cook the other side for 20 more seconds. This will help seal in the heat. (photo 9)
Flip it over again and cook for about 40 seconds or so, until the tortilla begins to puff up/bubble and beautiful brown marks form. Flip it over one last time and cook for a few more seconds until that side has beautiful brown marks. (photo 10)
That’s it! It may seem like a lot of steps at first, but I promise it’s not difficult at all. And once you taste homemade corn tortillas, you’ll never go back to store bought. The time it takes to make them is so worth it!
Don’t have a tortilla press?
Another option is to flatten the dough balls with a large casserole dish like a clear Pyrex dish. Simply place the ball in between two sheets of parchment paper and press down on the handles of the casserole dish as evenly as possible.
How to keep your tortillas warm
To keep your corn tortillas warm and pliable when serving, place them inside a tortilla warmer like this or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and place them inside a large gallon-sized Ziploc bag to help them retain heat and moisture.
To this day, tortillas are a staple at my parents house and I always have some when I visit. It’s like a big warm hug from my family.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my recipe for Homemade Flour Tortillas.
Looking for some tortilla fillings? Take a look at these recipes:
- Easy Chicken Tacos
- Carne Asada
- Pork Carnitas
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Easy Ground Beef Tacos
- Easy Steak Fajitas
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 2/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups hot water, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon olive oil*
Instructions
- Add 2 cups masa harina and 2/3 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups hot water and 1 teaspoon olive oil into the bowl and mix together until all the water is absorbed. Using your hands, form the dough into a big ball. The dough should be firm and springy when touched, not dry or super sticky. If the mixture is too dry, add more water in small amounts until the dough is springy and holds together.
- Place the dough ball in the bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This will help ensure that all the water gets absorbed.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball with the palms of your hands and place them in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap to keep the balls moist while you're working.
- Preheat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Open the gallon-sized Ziploc bag and cut the seams on each side so that it makes one large rectangular piece of plastic. Open the tortilla press and lay the plastic inside of it so that it covers the upper and bottom parts of the tortilla press.
- Place one dough ball in the middle of the tortilla press, close the top and gently press to flatten it out. Open the tortilla press and peel back the Ziploc bag to transfer the tortilla to your hand.
- Place the flattened tortilla onto the hot skillet and cook for 20 seconds. Flip it over and cook for 20 more seconds to seal in the heat. Flip it over again and cook for about 40 seconds or so, until the tortilla starts to bubble or puff up and beautiful brown marks form. Flip over one last time and cook until beautiful brown marks form.
- Remove the tortilla and place it in a tortilla warmer or in a clean kitchen towel that's placed inside a large Ziploc bag to keep it warm.
- Continue cooking the remaining tortillas.
- Serve immediately or store in a large Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Video
Isabel’s Tips:
Nutrition Information
This recipe was originally posted in 2017 and was updated in April 2019 with new photos, helpful tips and a slight recipe change.
Hi there! I made these not with water, but homemade bone broth. I followed the measurements to a T and had the tortillas fall apart in the pan 🙁 by fall apart, I mean it broke apart. Any ideas as to what I did wrong? Do you think the dough is too dry? It presses fine and was springy when I had let it rest.
I was hungry and decided to make a pupusa with some of it lol. Tasted great 🙂 just not a tortilla.
Hi Becca! That’s interesting, sometimes that can happen if there’s not enough oil, so maybe try adding 1/4 tsp extra. Also make sure that the bone broth is warm when you added it in!
I’ve tried several different tortilla recipes over the years. This is The Best – the others always stuck to the plastic wrap. I think it’s the oil that made the difference.
I used to use a glass pie pan to flatten them, but my husband saw a wooden tortilla press being used in our favorite Mexican restaurant and made me one like it, which works perfectly!
Hi Linda! There’s nothing like fresh tortillas. We’re glad you enjoyed them!
Finally I have found a recipe that is easy to follow and I was successful with. I tried making these before and failed even using a YouTube video to follow. I decided since I loved all of the recipes I’ve tried so far that I will give it another shot and it came out great!
Thank you so much, Andrea!
Hi Isabel- I am going to try Bob’s Red Mill, but I am always chasing that DEEP corn flavor and yellow color in the Mexican tortillas we used to get when I lived in Texas. Will Bob’s be the answer? The masa we get in Miami is just too light and lacks that deep corn flavor that makes any recipe stunning. Any suggestions?
Hi Liza! That one is a good brand! MASECA makes a yellow corn masa that also might have the flavor you’re looking for.
I made them tonight and they came out beautifully. A little thick even with as much pressure as I could apply with a heavy frying pan to flatten them but still quite wonderful. The tacos with them were sensational!
I started with medium heat cooking them and figured out real quick you want a very hot pan. When I adjusted they cooked perfectly!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ll never eat store bought tortillas again!
I wonder if these fresh, homemade corn tortillas might be too fragile to use for enchiladas? Perhaps the enchilada process that involves shallow frying the plain tortillas in oil and then dipping them in the sauce before filling will firm them up enough that they retain shape and don’t disintegrate while rolling or baking? I’d welcome any thoughts, suggestions, or advice. Thank you!
Hi Kaye! These corn tortillas should work great with enchiladas. If you’re worried about them being too thin and potentially breaking, you can make them slightly thicker by not pressing down so hard on the tortilla press until they’re your desired thickness.
Came out beautifully, thank you!
Yay I’m glad! Thanks for following up!
I made these corn tortillas this week. (I have never made
corn tortillas before). You’re right! They’re easy and WAY better
tasting than store bought tortillas. My family is hooked!!
Thank you!!
Hi Mary! Thanks. Aren’t they the best? They never last long in my house!
I’m excited to have found your site! And to try your recipe for corn tortillas! I was reminded that I had made corn tortillas many years ago, and they were well worth the time and effort: Absolutely Delicious! I’m planning to do that tomorrow, and I intend to send you my rating and response 🤗👋
Thank you, Connie!
What is the easy way to divide the ball into 12 equal amounts?
Thanks
Bill
Hi Bill! The way I like to do it is divide the dough into fourths, and then those individual fourths into thirds. The dough balls might seem small but once they’re pressed they’ll be a standard size tortilla.
Hello! I am having a taco birthday party and since this is a lot to do, what steps would you recommend if I were to do this the night before the event? That way I’m not making tortillas all day during the party? Please help!!
Hi Samantha! You can definitely make them the night before. Just follow the recipe as is and then store all your tortillas in a plastic storage bag in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to eat them, reheat them in a skillet or griddle over high heat until fully warmed through. To reheat in the microwave, wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and place on a plate. Microwave on high in 10-second increments until fully warmed through. I hope this helps!
I was very pleased with how easy the tortillas are to make, how well they held together while moving the uncooked ones from press to pan etc and how delicious they are!
Thank you Isabel!!!
Can you store the tortillas in the freezer either cooked or uncooked?
Hi Rob! Yes, we recommend storing them in the freezer after they’re cooked.
Where I live, I only have GF available. Will GF alter the tortillas? It’s my first time making them so just wondering if I should find masa harina with gluten.
Hi Danielle! We haven’t tried this with gluten free carina so I’m not too sure, but I think it should be okay! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!