Homemade Corn Tortillas are so easy to make, and once you try a batch, you’ll never buy them from the store again.

Ready in 30 minutes, these two-ingredient corn tortillas will make taco night your favorite night of the week. Making tortillas from scratch is easy; once you try it, you’ll never return to store-bought ones.

homemade corn tortillas stack

It took a while to muster up the courage to try making corn tortillas from scratch, but just like my Best Ever Flour Tortillas recipe, once you make these at home, you’ll never want to repurchase store-bought.

I was inspired to make my own after our 7-day Mexican Riveria Princess cruise, where I had the BEST tacos I’ve EVER had. Since then, I have been dreaming about tacos.

photo of the princess cruise ship in the water during sunset

We’re already planning our next cruise adventure, but until then, this recipe for homemade corn tortillas will have to get me through and you can bet we will be making them weekly. They’re too easy and have taken our taco nights to the next level.

You Only Need Two Ingredients

  • Masa harina
  • Water

Masa harina is a gluten-free flour made from corn that is soaked in an alkaline agent and then processed into fine flour. Cornmeal is different and tastes different because it doesn’t get the same treatment as alkaline. So, be sure to use masa harina to make your tortillas. It’s also used to make tamales, too.

Tools You’ll Need

You will need a bowl to mix the dough, and I also recommend using a cookie scoop to divide it. This makes it easy to portion the dough so all of your tortillas are the same size.

The key to making the best corn tortilla is using a cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have one, that’s okay, but the taste and texture, when made in the cast iron skillet, are the best.

You can roll them out with a rolling pin, but a tortilla press makes it much more manageable. Plus, you get perfectly round tortillas with the proper thickness each time.

Whether you roll them out by hand or use a press, you will also need parchment paper. This ensures the raw tortillas don’t stick. You can also use plastic wrap, but parchment works well for me.

row of folded homemade corn tortillas next to a stack of tortillas

How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas

In a medium bowl, mix with a wooden spoon masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined.

Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it is too dry, sprinkle it with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.

photo of hands kneading the tortilla dough on the countertop

Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. I use a cookie dough scooper and generously scoop – sometimes, I get under 15.

photo showing tortilla dough in a glass bowl with a dough scoop

Use a press or roll out the dough with a rolling pin. If you roll them out by hand, place the dough between two sheets of parchment. If you use a press, line both sides with the parchment as I show in the photo here:

photo of an open tortilla press with both sides lined with plastic wrap, with a ball of dough in the middle

Preheat a cast-iron skillet or skillet to medium-high.

Immediately place the tortilla in a preheated pan and cook for approximately 30 seconds or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn it over to brown on the second side for approximately 30 seconds more and transfer to a clean towel. Repeat the process with each ball of dough.

overhead photo of a raw corn tortilla in a cast iron skillet on the counter

Keep the cooked ones covered with a towel. I just fold the towel in half place them on one half, and cover it with the other. This allows them to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

How To Store Corn Tortillas

  • We love these corn tortillas freshly made, but they will keep longer as long as they are correctly stored in an airtight container.
  • Refrigerator: Keep them tightly wrapped, and they will keep them in the fridge for one to two weeks. Warm them up, place them between paper towels, and microwave them for 30 seconds.
  • Freezer: fully cool them and then tightly wrap them in plastic wrap. Place the stack in a freezer-safe bag or container, and they will keep in the freezer for a few months. Thaw them at room temperature and warm them in the microwave.
photo of a stack of tortillas wrapped in a towel

I cannot wait for our next cruising adventure, but I am thrilled that I can make corn tortillas that are as delicious as the ones we had in Mexico. I’m so excited to share them with you, too.

More Mexican Recipes to Try

Pin This To Your Favorite Pinterest Board.

collage image of corn tortillas

Corn Tortillas

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 15 tortillas
Calories: 48 kcal
Homemade Corn Tortilla recipe is so easy to make and once you have a batch ot fresh, homemade tortillas you will never buy them from the store again.
photo of a stack of tortillas

Ingredients
 

  • 1 3/4 cups masa harina
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot tap water

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, mix together with a wooden spoon masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. 
  • Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If the dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if too dry, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes. 
  • Preheat a cast iron skillet or skillet to medium-high heat. 
  • Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls, I use a cookie dough scooper and generously scoop, sometimes I get less than 15.
  • Using a tortilla press, I have one but you can just roll out with a rolling pin, I use parchment paper not wax paper but everyone else I know uses plastic wrap or Ziplock bags, use what works for you. 
  • Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on the second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a clean towel and Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with the towel, I just fold the towel in half and place it on one half and cover with the other. This allows them to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.
Serving: 1tortillaCalories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gPotassium: 34mgVitamin A: 30IUCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg
photo of a stack of tortillas
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you think!

Similar Posts

45 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I can’t wait to make these! It will make taco night so much better! They look so delicious and easy! Can’t wait!

  2. What *size* (# of Tbls.) dough scoop are you using? Or alternatively, what is the gram weight of each dough ball?

    I’m asking because I need to make 6″ corn tortillas, and it seems every recipe I’ve looked at uses different comparisons/methods for determining the size of each dough ball: “golf ball”, “ping-pong ball”, 3″ in diameter, “dough scoop”, etc.

    It’s annoyingly inconsistent (none of those are the same size as the others).

    The problem with dough scoops is they’re available in an entire range of sizes.

    If 6″ is the diameter of your finished tortillas, what size dough scoop are you using to make that size?

    I wish I could find a recipe specifying the weight of the dough balls to make a 6″ tortilla, but I haven’t been successful (so far) in finding a recipe stating that information.

    1. The dough scoop used is about 3 tablespoons, but we haven’t ever weighed the dough or measured the tortillas as it can vary by how much water added or how thin you like the tortillas so I can’t say for sure. Your best bet would be trial and error, as it doesn’t hurt to mix the dough back in until you get the right weight for what you’re looking for.

  3. I am definitely going to try this recipe. I buy the best corn tortillas I can find every time I go to the store. I freeze leftover tortillas. Will these do well if frozen and later thawed?

    1. I haven’t tried freezing these, but it should be fine if you wrap them in plastic wrap and put in a tightly sealed freezer bag or container. You can also freeze the uncooked tortillas, placing parchment in between each and then thawing for 30 minutes or so before grilling. I hope you enjoy them!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating