I am a big fan of Mexican food, but feel as though I know very little about it. After our visit to San Miguel, I was reminded of this fact once again and decided that it is time for me to learn more about it. Here, what I mean by learning is to start from the basics and build on it as I gain more knowledge in time.

The first morning of our San Miguel de Allende trip, we went to our hotel’s restaurant for breakfast. As lovers of Mexican food, both Dwight and I had one thing in mind; experience the local food and flavors as much as possible. Luckily, we were at the right place. The hotel’s restaurant 1826, offered a buffet full of food made with traditional Mexican ingredients.
In addition, there was a corner where a lady was making fresh corn tortillas using a traditional tortilla press. Me being the foodie I am, I immediately made friends with her and sat on the table next to her tortilla station so that I could watch her while she was making delicious corn tortillas.

After several mornings of watching her, I was encouraged to try it in my own kitchen. I do not even know why I thought making corn tortillas is difficult.
While still in San Miguel, we went to the Mercado de Artisanias – the artisan market and bought a wood tortilla press (like this one – affiliate link) similar to the one that they use in the hotel.
After we came back home, I started reading about making corn tortillas from other fellow bloggers’ websites and books that I could get my hands on. The more I read, the more I realized it was so much easier than I thought, as long as you know a couple tricks. I thought it might be helpful to share my new knowledge of how to make con tortillas here on the blog.
The best part of this experience was the fact that my father, who was visiting from Turkey, helped me demonstrate it through photographs. As you’ll see in the pictures, it ended up being a memorable experience for both of us.


Below you will find a detailed explanation for everything you need to know to make the best corn tortilla recipe at home. So here are 8 things you need to know to make delicious corn tortillas in your very own kitchen:
The Ingredients to Make Corn Tortillas
To make homemade corn tortillas, you can use either fresh masa or masa harina and water. Some people prefer to use a little bit of salt as well. However, the ladies at the hotel told me that they only use fresh masa and water. So I stuck to their original recipe.
Most literature on corn tortillas says that using fresh masa is the best. However, as I live on an island with limited resources, I only have access to masa harina – Maseca brand (this White Maseca Corn Flour, in particular). So for the sake of my version of foolproof corn tortillas, I used masa harina and water.


What is Masa Harina and Where Can I Find It
In his book named “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen” , Rick Bayless, the famous Mexican food chef, writes the following:
“… To understand what masa is, I think it is best to talk first about what it is not. It is not “cornmeal dough”, as so many American’s call it, since using the word “cornmeal” easily conjures up visions of a dry powdery something that is mixed with liquid.
Rather, it is dough made from dried, starchy, decidedly unsweet field corn, the same that is used for cornmeal, hominy, and grits.”
Nowadays, most supermarkets sell Maseca brand masa harina. You can also find it online. This White Maseca Corn Flour is what I used in this recipe.
How To Make Corn Tortillas
To make corn tortillas, all you have to do is to mix masa harina with warm tap water. Allow it to wait for 20-30 minutes, and then work in some cool water, one tablespoon at a time, until it has a soft texture without being sticky, similar to Play-doh.
Here, keep in mind that the dough for corn tortilla is a very forgiving one. If it gets too dry, you can add a little more water. And if it gets too wet, you can add a little more masa.
That being said, as you are pressing and cooking the tortillas, make sure to cover the dough with a dry kitchen towel to prevent them from drying.




Do I Need A Tortilla Press To Make Corn Tortillas
The answer is yes and no.
While I was reading through different sources, I saw that some people press out the dough in between two flat surfaces like dinner plates or large and heavy books. Some even feel comfortable patting out tortillas in between their two hands. Though from what I understand, getting a thin corn tortilla by using your hands require quite a bit of experience.
I personally think that it is much easier to use a tortilla press. If you do not have access to a wood and heavy one like the one we have (or a similar one like this one – affiliate link), most kitchen equipment stores and various online sources sell aluminum or cast-iron corn tortilla press (like this Tortilla Press) for less than $20. Therefore, if you are serious about making corn tortillas at home, I think it is a good investment.
How Do You Shape Corn Tortillas Using a Tortilla Press
First, you will need medium-heavy plastic to fit over the both plates of the press. I used a large (gallon-size) Ziploc bag. I cut each sides of it to make it a large rectangular piece.
Second, you lay it on the tortilla press, making sure that it covers both the upper and bottom parts of the press.
Third, you roll each piece (this recipe yields 15 corn tortillas) out by placing it on the bottom part of the press. Then you cover it with the top of the Ziploc bag, close the press and push it down. Then, you gently peel back the tortilla from the plastic and transfer it to your hand.
How Do You Cook Corn Tortillas
To cook corn tortillas, you can either use a griddle or a cast iron skillet. I used my cast iron skillet, because I don’t own a griddle.
Before starting to cook the tortillas, I recommend warming it up in medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Then place the first tortilla on the pan. First, it will stick, but then in 15 seconds or so it will release itself, which is when you need to flip it. Once you flip it, it should take around 30 to 45 seconds for it to cook. At this point, you may have to adjust the temperature to prevent it from drying.
According to Rick Bayless, a perfect tortilla is one that balloons up like a pita bread after the second flip.
Here, one thing most resources suggest is to use your fingers to flip instead of a spatula, because the edges will curl up as the heat cooks the tortillas. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable flipping it with my hands, but towards the end, with a little practice, I was more comfortable with it. Still, a spatula works just fine.
How Do You Get Soft Corn Tortillas
One thing that is so important to note here is that the cast iron skillet (or griddle) only cooks the outside of the tortilla. In order for it to cook thoroughly, you need to cover them with a kitchen towel and place it on a plate, preferably with a lid. The heat from the growing sack will continue the cooking process resulting in softer and completely cooked corn tortillas.
So, as you can imagine, the softest one is the one at the very bottom. Therefore, when you are ready to serve, it is best to start from the very bottom of the stack.

What is The Best Way To Store Corn Tortillas
To find out the best way to store tortillas, we made two batches of this recipe. We kept the first batch outside (on the kitchen counter) wrapped with a clean kitchen towel. It was still tasty on the second day, but we saw some mold on it on the third day.
For the second batch, after it came down to the room temperature, we placed it in the fridge wrapped with a towel. It kept its freshness for 4 days. However, it had gotten much harder requiring a quick warm up on the skillet before serving.
Once you get a hang of the process, you can make the most delicious corn tortillas in your very own kitchen in less than 20 minutes. And after that, I can almost guarantee you that you will never want to go back to buying them from the supermarket.
Other Mexican Inspired Recipes You Might Like:
- Mexican Corn On The Cob
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Mexican Quinoa Recipe
- Vegetarian Chili Recipe
- Brisket Tacos Recipe
- Black Bean Corn Salad
- Mexican Pasta Salad with Corn
- (The Best) Chicken Chili Recipe
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (9.5 ounces) masa harina for tortillas, (I used the Maseca brand)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water
- 2 tablespoons water at room temperature
Instructions
- Using a wooden spoon, mix masa harina and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water in a large mixing bowl. Cover it with stretch film and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Begin working the masa harina and water mixture with your hands. Add 2 more tablespoons of cool water (one at a time) for the dough to reach an ideal texture, where it is still soft without being sticky (similar to Play-Doh). If, for some reason, it is dry (looks like it is cracked), add a little more water. Or if it is too wet (or sticky), let it sit on the kitchen counter uncovered for it to dry out for a little bit or add more masa.
- Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces (for this recipe, it was 1.4 ounces each) for 6-inch corn tortillas. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel.
- Cut each sides of a Ziploc bag to make it a large rectangular piece. Lay it on the tortilla press, making sure it covers both the upper and bottom parts of the press. (See the pictures in the blog post)
- Roll each piece by placing on the bottom part of the press lined with the Ziploc bag. Cover it with the top of the Ziploc bag, close the press and push it down. Gently peel back the top layer of the bag, and transfer it to your hand. Place it on a baking sheet and cover it with a kitchen towel. Continue with pressing the rest.
- In the mean time, heat a cast iron skillet in medium heat for 10 minutes. You want to make sure it gets really hot.
- When you are ready to bake, place a tortilla on the skillet and let it cook for 15 seconds. At first it will stick, but then, if your temperature is right (read the blog post for more information on the temperature), it will come off easily for you to flip it. Let it cook for another 30-45 seconds or until it is lightly browned.
- As tortillas are cooked, transfer them in a basket cloth lined with a kitchen towel. Allow them to continue cooking with the steam (from their own heat) inside the basket for at least 10 more minutes before serving.
Thalia @ butter and brioche
Never made my own tortillas before – this is definitely something I need to try. Love the pictures too!
Aysegul Sanford
Thank you Thalia! 🙂
B din
Then just try cooking two tortillas with the middle facing each other, salt the outside when u remove it from the pan, it’s the same thing, with less soggy masa
Marilyn Maldonado
The reason why you seem to belive that griddle/cask iron pan, or as we call them.. a Comal, doesn’t fully cook the tortillas ; is because I noticed your tortillas are way too thick. Also your griddle/comal, must be really hot and, should maintain the same heat throughout the cooking process. Temperature should NEVER be adjusted while cooking a tortilla.
The Blonde Chef
I am so excited about this post because homemade tortillas is just something I have never been able to master. Headed to Amazon to grab a tortilla press, now!
Aysegul Sanford
Yay! I am so glad it will help you.
I used to be so intimidated by it, but now it is a piece of cake.
🙂
Caitlin
Wow, this is so useful! We just ventured into making corn tortillas here in Switzerland (because what they have here is NOT a real tortilla) but to date, they haven’t tasted quite right. And now I know why! I was using oil in the pan as well as not letting them steam afterwards. Lately, we’ve just been having all of our visitors bring us a package from the states, but I’m going to give our fresh tortillas another go.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Caitlin,
I am glad this is useful to you. Like I said in the blog post, I was terrified of making corn tortillas at home. I had no idea how easy it was.
Can you find masa harina over there?
Patrick L Kitts
Using corn masa to make tortillas yields decent results. To actually make corn tortillas from absolute scratch, now that would really be something. It’s time and labor intensive and you would need to get your hands on the traditional, proper Mexican culinary tools, but the successful results are on an entirely different level. In my opinion some of the best food I’ve ever eaten
Rosemary @anitalianinmykitchen.com
We love mexican in house, I am going to try making these for sure! Your photos are very beautiful. Thanks
Aysegul Sanford
Thank you Rosemary.
Let me know how they turn out!
Cheers..
SusanM
These look so delicious, I am ready to try making them. Thank you for sharing this recipe and your tips!
Melissa Sperka
Brilliant tutorial thanks for sharing!
Aysegul Sanford
Glad you found it helpful Melissa. Thanks for stopping by.
carrie
love these , so great on taco Tuesdays.
Joanne
Everything you stuff inside tastes so much better when you have a fresh tortilla wrapping it all up. Yum!
Aysegul Sanford
I can’t agree more. Thanks for stopping my Joanne.
Jennifer Farley
This is great! I like making everything I can from scratch, so this is my kind of recipe!
Aysegul Sanford
Oh I know you do and you are very good at it. 🙂
Thanks my friend.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes
Homemade is always the best!
Aysegul Sanford
Thanks Ashley!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
I’ve always wanted to learn how to do this. Thank you for all of the great tips. They’re beautiful!
Aysegul Sanford
So glad to hear that my tips were helpful. Thanks Lori.
Toni | Boulder Locavore
This is definitely a must-make!
Stephanie Manley
You make this look so easy, I have to try this.
Aysegul Sanford
Ha ha.. It is really easy. 🙂
Heather
As a Mexican food lover who lives in San Diego I can tell you that fresh tortillas are the best thing ever! This is a great recipe and very helpful pictures.
Burak Uyaroglu
After reading all the article it was surprising for me to see the name Aysegul. I was expecting a Mexican author instead of a Turkish. Harika bir yazı olmuş. En kisa zamanda deneyecegiz. Blog da mükemmel. Tebrik ediyorum. Hoşçakalın ?
Aysegul Sanford
Tesekkur ederim Burak Bey. Ben ve esim seyahat etmeyi cok seviyoruz. Meksika da en sevdigimiz yerlerden biri. O yuzden onlarin misir ekmegi bizim en sevdigimiz yemeklerden biri. Tabii bizim lavastan daha iyi degil ama.. 🙂
Gorusmek uzere. Selamlar.
Trish - Mom On Timeout
These tortillas look incredible! LOVE the photos!
Konstantine
I just finished nixtamalizing my field corn (making it into masa) that I grew this season and will be using your technique to turn it into tortillas thank you.
Aysegul Sanford
WOW! I have never tried nixtamalizing corn. Please let me know how it turns out. I would love to see photos too, if you have any later on.
Thanks for letting me know Konstantine.
mike siedschlag
Love the taste, but I am having a problem. I make tacos by lightly deep frying the tortilla prior to filling them, but the home made ones tend to crack when I try to fold them to fill. It is frustrating as I can do this easily with store bought tortillas. What am I doing wrong? HELP!
Carly Copher
It’s the steaming at the end I’m telling you! I left mine sitting in foil wrapped in a towel for a good half hour after I finished cooking them and they’re so soft they almost jiggle o.o fried up beautifully!
julian
Thank you for this, really beautifuly presented.
I very much want the texture and quality of tortilla that this flour makes though with a non gmo flour.
Any recomendations?
Aysegul Sanford
Thanks Julian. So glad you liked it.
I am not sure where you live, but if you are in the US, Bob’s Red Mills’ masa harina is non GMO. I have never made tortillas with their masa harina, but I doubt that you would have any issues.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for stopping by.
Melissa Clark-Reynolds
If I had known that tortillas would have been so easy I would have made these years ago. Now I am making empanadas with this dough. Delish. Thank you
Aysegul Sanford
Such a great idea Melissa. So happy that you found this recipe. I no longer buy corn tortillas from the store. They are just too easy to make.
Thanks so much for coming by.
Denise
Thank you for going into so much detail about technique. I just finished making a batch and they turned out great, much better than the ones I made a few weeks ago. More flexible and tasty, even though the ingredients were the same! I look forward to making these again very soon, within the next week I am sure.
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Denise,
This makes me so happy to hear. I make it myself at home all the time. It doesn’t compare to the version sold at the market.
Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review.
Cheers!
Carly Copher
The steam! Thank you! I never could get my tortillas as soft as they should be, I didn’t realize what an important step letting them sit was. Perfect ?
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! So glad to hear that it was helpful. I made them the other day and it was sooo much better than the store-bought ones.
Thanks for coming by and leaving a review. Cheers!
Ekb
I found this recipe very useful! The explanation about the steaming step was a game changer for me, as was the description of the dough as being the consistency of PlayDoh. I use Bob’s Red Mill brand masa harina, because that’s what’s available to me (I’m in very rural Canada, so I order it online), and it seems to weigh up a bit lighter (8 oz for 1 3/4 c. ). So, I topped it up to 9.5 oz and added about 1/4 c. more water (I erred on the side of wetter), and wound up with 15 yummy tortillas! Thanks for the helpful tutorial, it really helped me figure out the whole homemade tortilla thing. 🙂
Aysegul Sanford
I am so happy to hear that you found it helpful. I use Bob’s red mill’s masa harina quite often as well and it works every time.
And yes, the steaming method makes all the difference.
Thanks so much for leaving a review. It means the world to me. Cheers!
Serge G Lavoie
I’ve been making tortillas for ove a year now and love it! I’m a gringa with gringo tastes lol. My question is in re heating. I sometimes feed 8 hungry adults who want to eat 4 or 5 tacos ?. That can take some time to cook that many tortillas. I do mine in a cast Iron pan and let them sleep in a cast iron pot. You don’t refrigerate in ziplock? And what’s your preferred method of reheating? I’d like to be able to make tortillas ahead of time! Thanks
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Serge,
So glad you love the recipe.
To be honest, these tortillas are best on the day that they are made. However, once they are fully cooled, you can wrap them with a clean kitchen towel and place them in an airtight container (or a ziploc bag) and keep them in the fridge up to 2 days.
10-15 minutes before you are ready to serve them, you can lightly spray them with water ( I use a cheap spray bottle for this) on both sides and reheat in the oven in low temperature (250 F degrees or so) for a 3-5 minutes. The timing really depends on your preference. The more it stays in the oven the harder it will get. I would try a few of them first, figure out what works for you and then repeat.
Since homemade corn tortillas has no preservatives, they need to be consumed quicker.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can answer any other questions.
Lacey
My boyfriend has a hard time with store bought corn tortillas. He says they make him sick. But we love enchiladas!! So I will try these tonight!! Any suggestions on using fresh tortillas in enchiladas?
Aysegul Sanford
So glad you liked them. I think they would work just like the store bought ones. Though I would be sure to let them sit in the basket (covered with a kitchen towel) to make sure they are warm and easily bend-able for enchiladas.
Hope this helps.
Edith
Hi! I live in Belgium and cannot access masa harina. I used to live in Toronto where you could find authentic Mexican food and I’m missing the taste of the pure corn tortillas. Would you be so kind as to tell me how to make masa ? Like the lady from the hotel taught you?! You sound like me, on a recent visit to Spain I was walking by an open restaurant window and chatted up the chef for his paella recipe!! Hope to hear from you! Edith
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Edith,
I can totally relate. I used to live in the Caribbean and finding ingredients was a challenge.
I have never made masa in my life, but a quick google researched revealed several resources along with some YouTube videos.
Here is one that might help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8cOmU7TlXQ
I hope you can get the ingredients he is using in the video. If not, there are a few other basic recipes on the internet that might help.
Good luck!
Aysegul
J.W.
I made these for the first time today. Excellent! I made my own “tortilla press” by using two sheets of parchment, my glass cutting board on top, & of course the counter for the bottom. The parchment, top & bottom of the Maseca ball, pressed between the counter & cutting board, was just perfect! Thinner ones can be rolled with the rolling pin.
Thanks for the encouragement!
For you gluten-free people, Maseca is gluten free!
Aysegul Sanford
Oh I love that method J.W. I need to try it out next time I make these.
Thanks SO much for letting us know. So glad to hear that it worked well for you.
Cheers!
Véronique
thank you so much for sharing this beautiful recipe 🙂
I just finish to cook my last tortilla now and everything work so well. Most of the recipes I tried before don’t explain well enough for peoples who never made homemade tortilla before. I was happy happy to find a recipe like yours with all details and steps from the beganing, until we cook them and after to storage the tortillas. They are looking delicious. I can not wait to get them to taste to my Mexican husband 🙂
Aysegul Sanford
YAY! This makes me so happy Véronique. I meant to write it so detailed so that newbies like me can follow along easily.
I hope your husband liked it too.
Cheers!
mishka mishka
hi-these are amazing. how do you recommend storing left over dough? i had more than enough/only made a few tortillas. will it get ruined if i freeze and try to defrost in a few weeks? how would you thaw? or do you think refrigeration is better? thank you so much!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Mishka,
To be quite honest, I have never stored the leftover dough. The amount of liquid in the corn mixture is such an important factor in that I am not sure if the leftover dough would produce a good corn tortilla. I usually cook all the tortillas and store them in the fridge once they are fully cool to room temperature.
Though I have to say, these homemade tortillas are best on the day they are made.
I hope this helps.
Aparna
Thanks for this detailed explanation. Indians make chapatis with a rolling pin. Do you think instead of tortilla press, the corn dough will yield well under a rolling pin?
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Aparna,
I am so glad to hear that you found it helpful.
I am sure you can use a rolling pin, though it requires some skill to make it as thin as the ones that you make with a tortilla press. It can be done, but it might require a little bit more work.
I hope this helps.
paul
Looks delicious. I wish I could figure out how they get that rubberiness to the store bought ones. I can’t get this recipe to go through the pasta maker. Trying to get them thinner.
Aysegul Sanford
Sounds good. Thanks Paul.
Michelle CA
Steam is certainly key! Along with letting the dough rest. Thank you for the great, straightforward technique.
One question: Like the Rick Bayless mention, as well as other websites, what is the culprit if your tortillas do not balloon up/puff up after 2nd flip? Only my first tortilla did. The others did not, but were still delicious, especially after steaming in a stack inside a lidded container. However, I’d love to know if my heat is too low, too high, dough is too wet, or what other variable prevents the puff. Thank you!
Aysegul Sanford
Hi Michelle,
I know it has been a while since you asked this question and I am late in getting back. However, I didn’t know the answer to your question and wanted to reach out to a friend for help.
My friend Carlos is an executive chef. I forwarded your question to him and I am copying and pasting it below for you:
“… In regards your question… basically is the temperature, so you need to play a little bit, example, place the tortilla into the comal (always the 1st time it will Neve puff because the dough is cooking from one side, the other opposite side is til raw), so when you flip it over, you have a cooked size of the tortilla, so press a little bit (take a little napkin and press in the middle of the tortilla with your fingers) and it will help to puff, the temperature must be a medium heat, then you can flip it again if you want in order to have a better cook.
Something which is extremely important, when you have a nice quality corn masa, made with 100% corn, you will get a better tortilla, some times, brands as Maseca or others brands they put so much conservatives ant it affects the corn masa.
Now there is a legend in Mexico… if a single lady made a tortilla and it puff at the first time she’ll get marry!!!”
He is so sweet, isn’t he? I have not tried this just yet. I am currently traveling but will give it a try as soon as I get back home. In the meantime, I hope this helps. Let me know how it turns out!
Cheers!
cp
Tortilla presses are a waste of money. You can put between the plastic and flatten with a plate or anything to press down. Griddle should be hot, so allow it to preheat for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Best results are on a gas stove, as electric is not even heat, but it can be done with practice. No oil is needed Only masa and water. My in-laws are Salvadoran and I was taught by my mother-in-law. Shes doesn’t use a press at all, only flattens by hand. Keep in mind, most kitchens in Central America are rudimentary and they don’t have fancy gadgets to cook with.
Aysegul Sanford
Great information cp. Thanks for your input.