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Homemade corn tortillas have a way of turning any ingredients into bites of happiness. Fill them with chicken, fajitas, carne asada, rice, beans, grilled veggies, cheese, or just butter; one bite will have you swooning for more! And they are so easy and affordable to make.

And tortillas even have adorable nursery rhymes and songs that celebrate their goodness. My favorite is "Tortillas Para Mamá." One of my favorite tortilla-making memories is the day I made tortillas with my son's preschool class. The looks on their little faces as we mixed the masa with their hands and sang were priceless!

And I know that any recipe that requires you to use your hands to mix masa(dough) screams, "I'm fun, and you're going to love me!"

Plus, you can use the leftovers to make chilaquiles and homemade tortilla chips!

You’ll need to use a special corn flour called masa harina. It comes in blue, yellow, white, red, and more varieties. They all have their unique flavor and texture. You can purchase the masa harina online or in Latin markets. Double-check the bag and ensure that you purchase the masa harina for tortillas, not tamales.

I hope this recipe fills your tables with joy and becomes a family favorite.

Happy Cooking!

Molé Mama

Homemade Corn Tortillas (Tortillas de Maíz)

Tools

• Tortilla Press

• Tortillas Warmer/tin foil

• Kitchen towel

• Comal or skillet

• Large bowl

• Cutting board

• 1-gallon plastic storage bag (can substitute plastic wrap or wax paper)

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

Ingredients

• 1 cup masa harina (any variety, blue, yellow, red, etc.)

• 1 cup warm water

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

  
  
  

Directions

Step 1 Prepare tortillas press - line the inside with plastic

• Ensure the tortilla press is clean and dry

• If using a plastic storage bag, cut and remove the zip-top from a 1-gallon freezer bag. Cut two opposite sides of the bag, leaving the bottom intact so that the bag can open and close like a book.

• Open the tortilla press and line the inside of the tortilla press.

Step 2 - Prepare tortilla masa(dough)

• Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well with your hands or a large spoon.

• Add water slowly and mix well with your hands until the masa is free from any lumps and all masa forms into a giant ball, and the bowl is free from any masa harina, etc.

• Using your hands, break the masa into pieces and form into small balls approximately 1 1/2" in diameter.

• Place the comal on the stove and begin to warm using medium heat.

Step 3 - Make tortillas.

• Place each ball onto the tortilla press and use the handle to press into round tortillas (approximately 7 inches in diameter)

• Open the tortilla press and gently place the tortilla on your open palm, so it is plastic-side up, and peel the plastic off the second side.

Step 4 - Cook tortillas

• Place a raw tortilla onto the comal and turn it every 30 seconds, and cook until done, approximately 90 seconds.

• Remove the cooked tortilla from the comal, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, and place it inside the tortilla warmer or wrap it in tin foil.

• Serve tortillas warm

Step 5 - Store and reheat leftover tortillas

• Store in the refrigerator in a clean plastic storage bag or tin foil

• Reheat on comal. Heating in the microwave will make the tortillas get hard.

• Leftover tortillas are the perfect ingredient for chilaquiles or homemade corn chips.