Easy Homemade Corn Tortillas Recipes

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the lard. Stir in the water. Mix to incorporate. The dough should be slightly wet. Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Place a little water on the hands and form the dough into golf ball-size balls. Take 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap from a plastic bag and cut them to the shape of the surface of the tortilla press. Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of waxed paper on the press. Place the masa ball in the center. Place another piece of waxed paper over the masa ball. Gently close the press and press down, until the dough has spread to 6-inches in diameter.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or a large nonstick skillet on high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, hold a tortilla in your hand, carefully removing the wax paper on each side. Allow the tortilla to rest half on your hand, and half hanging down, and gently lay the tortilla down on to the hot skillet. Start working on pressing the next tortilla. Cook the tortilla on the hot pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. The tortilla should be lightly toasted and little air pockets forming.
• Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a heavy-bottomed medium skillet until it reaches 370 degrees F. Add the tortillas, 1 at a time and fry, turning once with tongs, until crispy, about 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and lightly season with salt.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Add 2 cups Masa Harina and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the warm water and stir until the water is absorbed. Add the rest of the water incrementally until the flour melds into a dough. Use your hands to knead the dough into a cohesive ball.
• If the dough is sticking to your hands simply add a few sprinklings of Masa Harina to dry it out. Conversely, if the dough is still crumbly then you can add splashes of water until it becomes cohesive.
• Separate the dough into golf ball sized chunks, this will make tortillas approximately 4 inches across.
• Flatten the dough balls using a flat bottomed pan or a tortilla press. Be sure to line each side of the dough ball with plastic or Ziploc pieces. I usually just cut off the top of a gallon sized Ziploc bag and then make slits down the sides, leaving it connected at the bottom.
• Heat a skillet or comal to medium-high heat. (Lately I use a tad over medium heat on my stove and this will have brown spots forming in about 60 seconds.)
• Add a tortilla to the skillet and flip it after 10 seconds. Then cook each side for about a minute or until light brown spots are forming on the underside.
• Continue cooking the rest of the tortillas. I usually put one in the skillet and flatten the next one to expedite the process. Once cooked you can keep them warm by wrapping them in a tea towel or using a dedicated tortilla warmer. Serve immediately.
• Store leftovers tortillas in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and crispy.

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.
• Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.
• 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 second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix masa, salt, and oil with your fingers, working oil into flour. Slowly add 3 cups water; stir with your hands to combine. Knead dough until it comes together in a smooth ball and no longer sticks to your hands. If it's too dry or wet, add water or masa by the tablespoon.
• Cut two 6- or 8-inch rounds (matching your press size) out of a plastic bag (to keep dough from sticking when you press it). Heat a nonstick griddle or cast-iron pan over medium, 10 minutes.
• Roll a golf-ball-size piece of dough between your palms; gently press flat. Place one plastic round on the bottom of the press and the other on top of dough; press firmly. (Or roll dough between plastic rounds with a rolling pin.) Remove top plastic, slip tortilla into one hand, then flip onto other hand. Peel off bottom plastic and flip dough onto griddle.
• Cook tortillas until golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip; cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; keep covered. Repeat with remaining dough. Tortillas can be refrigerated in a resealable bag. To reheat, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave until warm.

GRANNY'S CORN FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and cornmeal. Add baking powder and salt, and mix together well. Stir in water to form a crumbly dough. Work dough with your hands until it holds together.
• On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 10 to 12 pieces. Roll each into the shape of a ball. Cover lightly with saran wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Flatten each piece of dough by hand, then roll into a 8 to 9 inch round.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease the hot pan, and place one tortilla in the pan. Cook tortilla until light brown, turning to ensure equal browning. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Cook 1/4 cup of batter on a skillet, 2 minutes on each side.

ALMOST-FROM-SCRATCH CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the masa and salt in a bowl; stir in the oil. Slowly stream in the water while mixing with your hand or a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a ball.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is smooth and elastic - just a minute or two. Wrap in plastic, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours.
• Break off pieces of the dough (you're shooting for 12 to 16 tortillas total), and lightly flour them. Put them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and press them in a tortilla press, or roll them out or press them with your hands to a diameter of 4 to 6 inches. Begin to cook the tortillas as you finish pressing or rolling them.
• Put a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Cook the tortillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until brown spots appear on the bottom, about a minute. Flip, and do the same on the other side. Wrap the cooked tortillas in a towel to keep them warm; serve immediately, or cool and store tightly wrapped in the fridge for a few days.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine masa harina and water; mix well with your hands. When dough forms, begin kneading in the bowl. Continue adding water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough becomes smooth and thick; it should be the consistency of Play-Doh. Roll dough into a ball slightly smaller than a golf ball (1.5 oz or 40 g). Set aside on a baking sheet, covering with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• Preheat a comal or skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut freezer bag along either side to create a large plastic sheet; prepare the tortilla press by covering the bottom plate with half the sheet. Place a tortilla ball in the center of the bottom plate and flatten slightly with your hand; then cover the ball with the other half of the plastic sheet. Lower the press firmly so that the dough is sandwiched between the two plates. Open the press, flip the circle of dough (still sandwiched in plastic), and press again. Remove the flattened tortilla: it should be about 6 inches in diameter and an even thickness throughout.
• Test the comal by splashing a few drops of water on the surface; they should sizzle immediately. Remove raw tortilla from plastic and gently place onto the center of the comal. Watch for the edge of the tortilla to begin to dry out and turn opaque, 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side until the tortilla turns opaque and blistery, 1 more minute. Flip back to the first side and let it cook for a final 30 seconds. It will puff up like a balloon when it's cooked through. If the edges of the tortilla look grainy and dry, mix 1 tablespoon of water into the dough; make another dough ball and repeat the process of pressing and cooking.Once you've made your first "perfect" tortilla, you know the consistency is correct. Turn the rest of the dough into dough balls, lining them up on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a damp towel throughout the pressing and cooking process.
• Line a basket or bowl with a dry towel and store the cooked tortillas in a stack, covering as you go. Wrapped up, they should stay warm for about an hour. (Alternatively, microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds.) Use cooked tortillas for Chef Cámara's Baja-Style Fish Tacos and Tinga de Pollo Tacos. For her Egg-Stuffed Tortillas and Deep-Fried Cheese Quesadillas, you will need to begin with uncooked tortillas.