Made with yellow cornmeal or maize meal, these Homemade Corn Tortillas are perfect for burritos, enchiladas, or any filling or topping of your choice. Really easy to make and so much better homemade.
Authentic corn tortillas are made with masa harina, a ground corn flour made from corn that's dried, and cooked in water with lime from which it gets this distinct flavour. It is then ground and dried again.
Since masa harina is not readily available in many countries, a great substitute like cornmeal/maize meal works its magic just as well in these Homemade Corn Tortillas
Making the Homemade Corn Tortillas
In this recipe, I use a combination of yellow cornmeal (polenta) / maize meal and cake or all-purpose flour. The cornmeal gives the tortillas a sweet toasty flavour and the flour makes it softer and easier to handle and holds the fine corn together.
If you do not or cannot get yellow cornmeal, then go ahead and use the white cornmeal/maize meal. This works just as good and has the same great texture and flavour.
The cornmeal and flour are mixed with the oil. Water and salt are then added and combined to form a soft dough. Avoid over kneading, just gather the ingredients together to form a soft dough.
Cover with a towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Leave to rest for about 20 minutes. Resting the dough helps the flour to absorb the water making it easier to roll out.
The dough is then divided into 10 pieces, rolled out and cook for 20 to 30 seconds on each side.
The tortillas may feel stiff as you cook it, but they will soften as you cook and stack with the rest of the tortillas. It is important to cover the cooked tortillas so that they remain soft and pliable. Fill or top with your favourite ingredients and serve.
These Tortillas are easy to reheat and soften
Assuming that you do have leftovers, they are easy to warm and soften. To reheat and soften leftover tortillas, just place in a microwave-safe bag or cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and warm for about 15 seconds.
You could also heat it on the stove on a pan for 30 seconds on each side and place into a sealed container. The heat and steam will help soften the tortillas.
Another great idea, if you have a few leftovers tortillas, is to cut them into wedges and place in the oven set at 180°C/350°F and bake for 7 to 10 minutes until crisp. This can be served with your favourite dip or sauce.
So now you can skip the store-bought corn tortillas and give these a try. Using a few simple and basic ingredients, you can have a delicious stack of homemade corn tortillas in under an hour.
Enjoy ♥
Want a delicious recipe to use with your homemade corn tortillas? Then give these Vegetarian Enchiladas a try. It makes a great weekday dinner idea.
VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups / 320 g cake or all purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cup / 226g yellow cornmeal or maize meal SEE NOTE 1
- 8 Tablespoons / ½ cup / 125ml oil
- 1 cup / 250 ml hot water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt and oil. Using your fingertips, rub the oil into the flour and cornmeal.
- Pour the hot water into the flour and oil mixture and mix together until a soft dough forms. SEE NOTE 2
- Cover with a towel to prevent the dough from drying out and leave to rest for 20 minutes SEE NOTE 3
- Divide into 8 to 10 equal portions and roll out the dough into disks.
- Cook the tortillas on a heavy based or cast iron pan for about 30 seconds on each side.
- Keep the tortillas covered as you cook and stack them. Covering helps trap the steam and keeps the tortillas soft and pliable.
- Serve warm or reheat leftovers SEE NOTE 4
Notes
- If you do not or cannot get yellow cornmeal also known as polenta, then go ahead and use the white cornmeal/maize meal. It works just as well and has the same great texture and flavour.
- Avoid over kneading, just gather the ingredients together to form a soft dough.
- Resting the dough helps the flour to absorb the water making it easier to roll out.
- To reheat and soften leftover tortillas, just place in a microwave-safe bag or cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and warm for about 15 seconds. You could also heat it on the stove on a pan for 30 seconds on each side and place into a sealed container. The heat and steam will help soften the tortillas.
neil@neilshealthymeals.com says
A homemade corn tortilla recipe is one that I don't have. Thanks Ashika! Also I'm looking forward to seeing what your amazing recipe is that you've got coming up on Thursday! 🙂 Hope you are well!!
The Gardening Foodie says
Thank you Neil, I hope that you get a chance to try this tortilla recipe out as well.
Have a great weekend 🙂
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats says
Oooooh I like I have yellow cornmeal in my pantry! If so, I am making these today!! Love any kind of tortilla and these sound super easy to make! PINNED!
The Gardening Foodie says
That is great Kelly, oh yes they are so easy to make.
Thank you for pinning as well 🙂
heather (delicious not gorgeous) says
these look so awesome! i used to think i didn't like corn tortillas because crispy tacos are so messy to eat, but give me alllll the soft corn tortillas please (:
The Gardening Foodie says
Thank you Heather, I am sure that you will love these...definitely not messy but soft and crispy at the same time 🙂
Maria | kitchenathoskins says
I love all your homemade breads Ashika!! You not only are a master in making all the store bought flatbreads but also make it look so easy. These corn tortillas look perfect and with your step-by-step pictures, I'm motivated to attempt at home.
The Gardening Foodie says
Aww thank you for your kind words Maria. I hope that you get a chance to try these, they are super easy to make and so delicious too 🙂
Kylea says
Hi there,
Can I use cornmeal flour instead of all purpose?
Please and thank you
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Kylea, yes you can use finely ground yellow flour to replace the all purpose flour. In addition, remember to add the extra 1 1/3 cup of cornmeal (the second ingredient specified in the recipe) as well. However the texture of your tortillas will not be as soft as when adding all purpose or cake flour.
The purpose of the all purpose or cake flour is to add a softer texture to your tortillas, preventing breaking or cracking.
I hope this helps 🙂
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
I've never tried making my own tortillas but I think I need to. Yours look just perfect!
The Gardening Foodie says
Aww Thank you so much Kelsie 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
I love making all components of my meal, myself! I've never tried my hand at corn tortillas, but now I must try it!!
The Gardening Foodie says
Thank you Katherine, these are so easy to make, I hope that you give it a try too 🙂
Ron says
Ashika, we too are hard pressed to find Masa Harina up this way, so your recipe lands well in my in-box. Just a quick clarification please; when you say cornmeal is it fine like four or coarser? We have majsmjöl (corn flour), which is similar in grain size to wheat flour. We also have polenta cornmeal which is coarser. Not sure which would work best.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Ron, I am glad that you like this recipe and will be able to use it as well. In this recipe I used the yellow polenta cornmeal. It is coarse, but works well with the flour which holds it well together. I hope this helps 🙂 I would love to know how it turns out when you do make it:)
Ron says
Thanks Ashika, I'll let you know how they turn out.
Ash says
Can we substitute whole wheat flour for all purpose flour ?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Ash, yes whole wheat flour will work fine in this recipe as well 🙂
Megan says
Could one use melted butter instead of oil? Or maybe coconut oil?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Megan, Sorry, I have not tried using melted butter or coconut oil. However if you do use it in the recipe, it might alter the taste and texture of the tortillas.
Ritika Bhandari Parekh says
Hi Ashika
Planning to try this and I have cornmeal and whole wheat flour.. just wish to know if one needs to add baking soda?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Ritika, No, there is no need to add baking soda 🙂
Crysta N Welch says
Could you make tortilla chips with these?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Crysta 🙂 yes you can make tortilla chips with this recipe.
After cooking, just cut into pieces and either fry or bake
To fry: Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Fry the corn tortilla wedges in small batches until crisp. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Add seasoning to taste while still warm.
To bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C). Brush both sides of the tortillas with the oil. Cut into wedges. Spread the chips out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and season as preferred. Bake until golden brown and crisp, rotating the baking sheets once, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Tracy says
This recipe is so good. Made it to turn into nachos, but ended up eating a tortilla by itself. Did turn the rest into nachos (my partner said best nachos as they didn't fall apart with the toppings) and had enough spare to munch on for days after. It's so delicious, thanks so much for sharing!
Racquel Robinson says
This is a really good recipe. The texture is good and the tortilla bubbles well. Guaranteed bubbles. I give it 4 stars because the primary purpose I wanted these for were tortilla chips. I made them and made the chips. If you WANT A GOOD CORN TORTILLA RECIPE this is a great option. For TORTILLA CHIPS I give them a 4 stars because they're on the airier, crisper size rather than crunchy but still work well enough.
Lana Cresswell says
This is amaaazing! Thank you so much for this!
Have always wanted to make tortillas with more of a corn taste but never had the genuine masa harina.
This is a great blend!
We make this regularly now.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Lana, thank you and you are welcome. I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe too 🙂
Lincoln Neilson says
I’m in the middle of making these, just set them down to rest. My dough looks a little different than yours, but I think that my cornmeal is a bit more coarse. I’m sure that it will turn out fine though. I’m going to bake them to make them hard shell, do you have any tips?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Lincoln, thank you for giving my recipe a try 🙂 I would love to help out with a few tips here: After cooking the tortillas on the pan, preheat the oven to 356F (180C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Spray both sides of each cooked tortilla with cooking spray or brush with a neutral flavoured oil like sunflower or canola. Drape the tortillas over two bars of the oven rack and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until crispy. These can be seasoned with taco spice, cayenne pepper or a peri spice.
I would love to know how these turn out for you 🙂
Lin says
Hi Ashika,These look so good but I was wondering what flour would be best if I tried to make them gluten free, Thanks so much, Lin
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Lin, Thank you 🙂
To answer your question: I have not tried these tortillas as a gluten-free recipe, and unsure of taste and texture when made this way.
However, you can try using gluten-free flour and gluten-free cornmeal if you have it at home. It is also available in some grocery stores or health stores.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
bill billamberg.com/ says
hi, we made these here in Somerset UK yesterday for a Mexican themed party for my daughters 21st and they were perfect! Thank you. We did not have any Masa here but used corn [maize] flour as a substitute, they worked very well all consumed with huge smiles. i made a simple tortilla press from a cook book i have which worked well too, making a consistent and even disc which helped with the cooking. thanks again
bill
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Bill, First, A very happy 21st Birthday to your daughter 🙂 I am sure that she had a fantastic day.
Secondly...Wow, you made your own tortilla press? That is impressive! So much quicker than rolling out the dough
Thank you for including my recipe in your menu in what must have been an amazing Mexican themed party. I am so happy you all enjoyed the tortillas 🙂
Radka says
Hi Ashika,
I wonder how would you freeze them?
I am planning on making some tomorrow 🙁
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Radka, To freeze the cooked tortillas, place a sheet of parchment/wax wrap between each cooked tortilla. Place the stack of tortillas in a ziplock or airtight container and into the freezer.
Defrost in the fridge or microwave for a few seconds. Keep them covered loosely with a kitchen towel while in the microwave. This will keep the tortillas pliable.
Avoid moving the tortillas back and forth between frozen, to thawed and then frozen again as this can negatively impact the texture of the tortillas.
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂
Henry says
I like adding a bit extra salt 😉
Sylvia says
Hi, which type of oil do you use?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Sylvia, I use either canola, sunflower or vegetable oil.
Angela LaPrise says
I made these tonight for the family, and they came out wonderfully! Thank you 😊
kate says
This is a great recipe. Thank you!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Kate, Thank you, and you are welcome 🙂
Marlena says
This looks like a great recipe! I have a question. Do you put oil into the frying pan before you heat it up, or do you not need oil? I am just worried about the tortillas sticking to the pan.
Thanks!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Marlena, thank you:)
To answer your question: If you have a really good non stick pan, then you do not need any oil in the pan.
However if you are worried about the tortillas sticking, spray your frying pan with non stick cooking spray.
Alternately you can drop a bit of oil on a paper towel. Then wipe the inside of the pan with the oiled paper towel.
In this way you are not using too much oil. You are just creating a non stick barrier between the tortillas and the frying pan.
I hope this helps answer your question:)
Happy cooking 🙂