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–+ servings
A stack of corn tortillas next to a tortilla holder and decorative kitchen towel.
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5 from 15 votes

Corn Tortillas

Make your own delicious Corn Tortillas at home. It’s a lot easier than you think! With or without any fancy kitchen gadgets, you can make this Mexican food staple for you and your loved ones. Perfect for tacos, taquitos, enchiladas and more.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12
Calories: 52kcal
Author: Maggie Unzueta

Equipment

  • Tortilla Press (or glass pie plate)
  • Plastic Wrap (or large gallon-size plastic bag)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups masa harina
  • 1 ¼ cup water warm (as as much is needed to form the dough)
  • ½ tspn salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine the masa harina, salt, and water. 
  • Mix well until the water is absorbed and a ball of dough forms. 
    Only add the water that is necessary. 
  • Let the masa rest for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the griddle (or heavy skillet) to medium heat. 
    You want the griddle to be ready when you begin flattening the tortillas. 
  • Knead the dough slightly. About 2 minutes. 
  • Form a small ball from the dough, the size of a golf ball. 
  • Open the tortilla press and add a large piece of plastic wrap.  You can also use a cut up large gallon-size Ziploc bag.  
  • Place the ball into the center of the tortilla press  (or a pie dish), between the two pieces of plastic wrap. 
  • Cover the ball with the other half of the plastic wrap. 
  • Close the tortilla press. 
  • Flatten the ball to shape the tortilla. 
  • Carefully peel the tortilla to remove from the plastic. 
  • Place the tortilla for 30 seconds on the hot griddle. 
    The edges should begin to dry out. 
  • Flip and cook the tortilla for 30-40 seconds more. 
    You will see brown patches begin to form. 
  • The tortilla will begin to puff up. Tap carefully and gently the top of the tortilla for the puffing to be occur evenly. 
  • Remove from the griddle and continue until there is no more dough. 
  • Store in a tortilla holder or clean kitchen towel.

Video

Notes

To form the dough: You only want to use the water necessary to form the dough. You might be left with extra water.
If the dough is too wet, add a little more masa harina. If the dough is too dry and has cracks, add a little more water. 
To make things go faster: Have the balls formed and the griddle heated up before flattening the tortillas. 
To make the tortillas puff up: Turn the tortilla when the top is still not fully cooked.
Once flipped tap the top of the tortilla carefully with your fingers so it can puff up evenly. 

Nutrition

Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 37mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg