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.
Easy Whole-Grain Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina, whole corn flour that is found in the baking aisle – not to be confused with corn meal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup water, warm (you may need 1 1/3 cup instead)
- olive oil, in a sprayer
Instructions
- 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 as follows)
Cover the inside of the top and bottom of the press with plastic wrap. Place one dough ball at a time on the bottom of the press
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Close the top and push down on the handle as hard as you can.
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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.
Recipe Notes
Special equipment needed: tortilla press, and preferably a cast iron skillet for cooking
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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For convenience: The best store-bought snacks II
Can these be rolled without breaking?
I’m not sure what you mean by “rolling” but if they’re warm they can fold over for a taco.
I’ve never made tortillas before. If making for later, do you cook in the skillet, or put the dough in the fridge/freezer after pressing?
We would recommend making them ahead of time, and then keeping them in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to three months. Just thaw them out and then heat on the skillet when you’re ready to use them. – Nicole
I’ve started making my own chips to avoid the constant disposable plastic I end up with when buying from the store. Now I’d like to try making them with my own tortillas. Is there a way to do this without the plastic wrap? I suppose the plastic over the cutting board is just to keep the dough from drying – so maybe I could just cover it with a large bowl or tupperware?
What is the plastic on the tortilla press for? Will it stick to the press otherwise? Maybe I could just oil the press instead?
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Joe, Lisa uses the plastic on the tortilla press so they don’t stick. You could possibly use wax paper but it’s not as cooperative as plastic. – Nicole
If you freeze them…how do you warm them without them becoming hard?
Hi Michelle, thaw these out in the fridge overnight and then toss them on the skillet to warm them up! – Nicole
Can you make a batch and refrigerate or freeze them for future use?
They can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and frozen for up to three months. – Nicole
What is the brand name of your tortilla press? Thank you so much.
Hi Jennifer,
You can find the tortilla press that Lisa uses here.
Your tortilla press link (the first one in this article) is broken. I’ve never made tortillas at home, but I’m interested in buying a press so I can make them.
Thank you. I fixed it. :)
I can’t find non-GMO masa harnia. Do you use it? Any suggestions to find non-GMO masa would be great!
I think Bob’s Red Mill has a certified non-gmo?
I don’t have a tortilla press. Can I roll them out with a rolling pin?
You can. :)
Do they need to be refrigerated? Can you freeze these?
I do and freeze them beyond just a few days.
Can you make these hard shell by putting them in the oven?
Hi. I’ve hardened them up in the oven for taco pizzas but have not tried to make them into something as crispy as, say, baked chips.