Making corn tortillas from scratch is an incredibly simple process with the help of a tortilla press. And I promise it is 
worth the effort because freshly made corn tortillas absolutely blow away the store-bought bagged version. All you have to do is take a warm homemade tortilla out of the hot pan, sprinkle a little shredded Monterey Jack cheese inside, fold the tortilla over so the cheese can melt, and dig right in with a big bite to know exactly what I am talking about. Yum! And trust me – do not try to take shortcuts by making these without a tortilla press (pictured below) because as far as I’m concerned rolling them out by hand is an impossible task. I’ve tried it several times only to fail miserably so I just want to save you the trouble.
The key ingredient to corn tortillas is “masa harina.” Even though this corn flour does not say “whole grain” on the package I’ve been told it is an exception to the rule. According to the Whole Grains Council, masa harina is not labeled “whole grain” because of the process that’s used to make the flour. Manufacturers start by soaking the corn kernels in an alkali solution; next the liquid is poured off; then the corn is dried and the remaining whole kernels are ground into flour. The thought is that some of the corn is lost when the liquid is drained, but the Council says the loss is so minimal that the end product is very close to a whole grain flour.
- 2 cups masa harina (whole corn flour that is found in the baking aisle – not to be confused with corn meal)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Between 1¼ cup and 1⅓ cup warm water
- Oil spray, tortilla press, and preferably a cast iron skillet for cooking
- Blend the masa harina and salt with a whisk or fork.
- Pour in the warm water. I heat my water in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Stir together the mixture with a wooden spoon until dough starts to form…not too sticky and not too dry. Add more water or flour if necessary. Finish mixing the dough with your hands. You can also mix the dough in a Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough blade.
- Make a log out of the dough (pictured). Cut it into twelve equal pieces by first cutting down the middle, then cutting each piece in half again, then cutting the remaining pieces into thirds until you have twelve pieces.
- Roll each piece into a round ball. Flatten each ball onto a cutting board then cover the entire board (and dough) with plastic wrap.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over med-high/high heat. It is important to let the pan heat up thoroughly before you start cooking the tortillas. So let the empty pan heat up while the dough rests under the plastic wrap for 10 – 15+ minutes. By the time I am ready to cook my tortillas my pan is smoking a little.
- Flatten the dough balls into tortillas with a tortilla press by doing the following (pictured below)…1. Cover the inside of the top and bottom of the press with plastic wrap,
2. Place one dough ball at a time on the bottom of the press, and 
3. Close the top and push down on the handle as hard as you can. 
To ensure the dough is pressed evenly you can flip the tortilla around 180 degrees and press again. It’s that simple! - Spray some oil onto the hot smoking cast iron skillet and then toss in the first tortilla. It only takes a minute to cook on each side (be sure you flip it once). You don’t want the tortilla to cook too much longer than a minute or two because it will start to become stiff.
Keep the tortillas warm and covered until all of them are done.
Note: Check out my new weekly syndicated newspaper article in today’s Miami Herald! http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/25/2184132/avoiding-sugar-during-a-real-food.html
Related posts: Whole-Wheat Tortillas, Chicken Enchiladas
I am looking for a replacement for store bought crispy chalupa/tostada shells. I used to buy store tortillas and just crisp them in the oven. Could I do the same with these??
Hi Ashley. I have not tried it but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Give it a try. Let us know how it goes. Jill
oh wow. my husband, who is an absolute Mexican food *snob* tasted these and said “I’m hooked.” He was worried that he wouldn’t enjoy our 100 Days of Real Food pledge, or that it would mean giving up way too much, but it’s been completely fun learning how to make awesome foods that are real and with these corn tortillas – you’ve absolutely made his day. They’re a permanent addition to our cooking repertoire.
I might have missed this but can the tortilla press be used to make the whole wheat tortillas in your recipe list as well?
Hi Felicia. Yes, it can be used to start them, but, it won’t get them quite thin enough so you’ll still have to do some rolling by hand. Jill
I’m wondering about gmo in masa harina. Is this a concern?
I was concerned about GMO’s, too. So, when I looked into it, I found that Bob’s Red Mill brand is a good one. However, they don’t label it as Non-GMO as there are no guarantees that a GMO plant hasn’t infiltrated their non-GMO corn fields. Don’t we all wish that those darn GMO’s would stay contained and not contaminate others’ crops! Anyway, I like Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina and I personally get it from Azure Standard, though I’m sure you can find it elsewhere, as well.
Hi everyone! First of all – thank you so much, Lisa for posting this. I made this and it was amazing! I can’t wait to experiment.
For those of you without a tortilla press, this is what I did. Granted, I didn’t have BPA free Ziploc bags or Organic PAM, but that’s the next step:
Items needed:
1) Two Ziploc bags (plastic baggies, if they’re BPA free, then that’s great)
2) The bottom of a plastic Tupperware container (again, bonus if it’s BPA free)
3) Cooking oil spray (Organic PAM)
4) A cutting board
Steps:
1) Place one Ziploc bag on the cutting board. Spray PAM on the side facing up.
2) Place dough ball on bag.
3) Spray one side of the second bag.
4) Place sprayed side on top of the dough ball.
5) Grab the container and press down.
6) Your tortilla is ready for the pan!
I found it super easy and didn’t miss the tortilla press at all!
I made these tonight and they were fantastic! I think I will use this recipe along with your green eggs recipe to make some breakfast wraps soon. Thanks!
[...] mix from Quick Cooking 2002 on page 96. I also make my own tortillas using the recipe from here and also their cornbread recipe. The chicken from Saturday is also being used in the jambalaya [...]
I made these for the first time tonight. I bought the same tortilla you have, right off your link. Mixed feelings. Not bad for my first time. A tad frustrating that after the 3rd tortilla, the handle broke completely off my tortilla press. Not cool. They didn’t stick to press and didn’t seem too soggy or flaky. They just still weren’t quite thin enough (prob because my press broke) and most cracked. I followed instructions exactly. I guess it takes practice and I need to play with cooking time maybe. Not sure if I didn’t cook long enough or too much? I’ll try again after getting a replacement press.
Thanks for sharing recipe!
Hi Julie. So sorry to hear your press broke. Hope you were able to try them again with better success. I have found with recipes like these that it definitely takes practice to get them right. Jill
We have some leftover tortillas. Do you have a recommendation how to store them?
Hi Amy. You can store them for a day or 2 in your refrigerator. After that, I would suggest putting them in your freezer if you are not going to use them right away. Jill
I was wondering if you have a suggestion on how to make your own tortilla chips with these? Thank you so much!
Hi April. I have not tried that. I’m not sure if you could maybe cut them into tortilla shapes and try baking them? Just an idea. Jill
[...] Tortillas (I make my own using this recipe.) [...]
how do you store the extras? Will them be ok another day or two?
Hi Jennifer. I store mine in the refrigerator for a day or two…after that I freeze mine. Jill
I made these without a tortilla press once (on a camping trip, no less) by putting a cutting board on a bench (the floor would probably be ok) and putting the dough ball between two slightly damp kitchen cloths, then sitting a heavy, flat bottomed skillet on top and sitting on it!
Great success!!!
Are these easily freezable? I am JUST starting out, a bit overwhelmed and thought it might be best to take a day to do some prep.
Yes, Kristina, you can freeze these. You may just want to line some parchment paper between them when you layer them. Jill
Kristina, I just wanted to let you know that I, too, am just starting out. I am a bit overwhelmed as well. I am just trying to slowly transform my pantry. I have gotten rid of a lot of my processed foods, but not all. I have purchased a food processor as it seems many recipes need one and I have ordered/bought a few basics like ww flour, pastry flour, etc. It can be overwhelming, but i am trying to take it a day at a time and my goal is to by the end of the year have transformed our eating habits drastically!
Would a pancake griddle work ok so we could cook several at once.
Hi Jennifer. Yes, I think that might work. Just make sure it’s hot enough. Jill
I made these last night and my whole family LOVED them! I was glad to have a tortilla press. I borrowed one from a friend. I was not able to find one at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Walmart, or Target. I did find out that a local Mexican store has them, and I will be purchasing one there soon. Thanks!!!
Any particular brand to get for masa harina? GMO free? Would gluten free work to make corn tortilla’s?
Hi Tara. Here is an option for the masa harina: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Harina-24-ounces/dp/B001HTIT9C. And, I’ve not tried these with gluten free flour but would love to know how they turn out if you try. ~Amy
I made these last night, and while the flavor of them was good, I could’t quite get the tortillas pressed or cooked right. Now, granted, I did not have a press or cast iron skillet, but I also don’t want to purchase these items for just these tortillas. Also, I put the tortillas in 12 equal size pieces and they came out very small. (Again, it could be because I didn’t have the press) Any suggestions on how to get these pressed well without the tortilla press?? Thanks.
Hello Aarica. They do turn out best if they are pressed. Several readers roll them out a bit with a rolling pin after they press them. These tortillas come out soft taco size vs burrito size. Hope that helps. ~Amy
[...] 1 ½ recipes whole-grain corn tortillas [...]
Made these today and then cut them into 1/4 pieces sprayed with our misto with evoo and sprinkled with sea salt and broiled them for about two mins per side and ate them with some yummy homemade salsa for a snack…my kids ate them up!