World’s Best Corn Tortillas

Written by on in Bread, Dinner

We have always been a big taco family but once I started making these amazingly simple tortillas there was no turning back.

The funny thing is that in restaurants our kids would always choose flour over corn tortillas but they can’t get enough of these. This recipe makes 12-14 tortillas which is usually just the perfect amount for our family of four and although we rarely ever have any leftovers they do hold up well in the fridge for several days. Any leftover also make a perfect breakfast burrito.

I’m not usually of fan of specialized kitchen tools that only do one thing, but our tortilla press has already more than paid for itself thanks to this recipe. If you are using a tortilla press I recommend lining it with a gallon ziploc bag that’s been split down the sides. It helps keep the tortilla from sticking to the metal and when done right it eliminates the need to clean the press when finished.

If you don’t have a press these can easily be rolled out by hand using a rolling pin or even just pressing down on them with a heavy pan. I would recommend sandwiching the dough between two sheets of parchment paper though to help with sticking. If you choose to roll these by hand then it may take a few tries to get the right thickness, you don’t want then quite as thin as you typically want flour tortillas.

I have two blue steel crepe pans that make cooking these in bulk really easy but even with only one pan they go pretty quickly. You can cook these several hours in advance or even the day before and they heat up really well in a tortilla warmer.

World's Best Corn Tortillas
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World’s Best Corn Tortillas

Recipe by Idiots With Knives
Servings

12-14

tortillas
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Masa

  • 1 1/4 cups Water

Directions

  • Combine masa with about 1 1/4 cups of water in a medium sized bowl and mix until you can form it into a ball. If it seems too dry and brittle then add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the ball begins to hold it’s shape.
  • Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes. This will allow the water to fully hydrate all of the masa.
  • Preheat a non-stick or cast iron skillet on medium high heat. You don’t want to use any oil or cooking spray.
  • If you are using a tortilla press then take a gallon sized ziploc bag and cut down each side so it can be fully opened and place it inside the press as a liner. Break off a small piece of the dough and roll it into a ball slightly larger than a golf ball, approximately 2 tablespoons. Place the ball on the bottom of the press slightly off-center and closer to the hinge as it will get pushed towards the other side of the press. If you mess up then you can easily roll the dough back into a ball and try again until you get the hang of it.
  • Close the press and gently squeeze until the ball has turned into a tortilla shape. If you make it too thin it will be hard to handle as you cook it. Once you figure out your preferred thickness it is pretty easy to duplicate.
  • This is the hardest part, slowly peel back the plastic to release the tortilla and place in the skillet. and begin pressing out the next tortilla.
  • Cook each tortilla for about a minute on each side. The tortilla should have some bubbles and have a slightly golden color. It’s OK if the tortilla is darker or crispy around the edges. Adjust the heat if it is cooking to fast or too slowly.
  • Stack the cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer or on a plate and cover with a clean dish towel to keep them warm. It’s OK if they seem stiff after cooking as they will steam and soften before serving.