Corn Tortillas without a Press

Learn how to easily make your own corn tortillas without any fancy tools or tortilla press needed. You can customize the recipe to include different flavors and to make different sizes. Delicious for tacos, quesadillas, dipped in soups and more.

Jump to:

• The Ingredients
• The Method
• How to Make Different Sizes
• Leftovers and Storage
• Make it Your Own
• Serving Ideas
• And if you liked this recipe...
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• Comments

I started making corn tortillas from scratch shortly after my trip to Costa Rica. Along with Gallo Pinto and some form of Plantains, tortillas were present at almost every meal that my host, Iris, made.

And trust me...

Once you have had them homemade, there really is no comparison to the ones you find at the store!

So I should warn you- once you have made these, you may never be able to bring yourself to have boughten ones again...

Fortunately, they aren't difficult to make at home! You don't need any fancy tools (not even a tortilla press) and you only need 3 ingredients.

So let's make some corn tortillas!

The Ingredients

• Instant Corn Masa Flour (Masa Harina)- You will need to look for instant corn masa flour (it may also be called Masa Harina) which is a finely ground corn flour. I usually find it in the Mexican section of the grocery store. Corn meal will NOT work for this recipe.
• Fine Sea Salt
• Water- This recipe works best with warm water.
• Avocado Oil (Optional)- Using avocado oil (or you could substitute with olive oil) helps to yield a slightly softer and easier to roll tortilla. That said, I have made these a lot of times without it and the tortillas still turn out well so feel free to leave it out!

The Method

1. Mix. Stir together the masa harina and sea salt. Pour in the water and avocado oil if using and mix until well combined. The dough should be the texture of play-dough. If it seems dry and crumbly, add more water (1 teaspoon at a time). If it seems overly wet and sticky, add more masa harina (1 teaspoon at a time).

2. Rest. Roll the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.

3. Roll. Portion out the dough (see below for how much to use for different sizes) and roll into balls.

4. Flatten. Place the dough ball inside at the centre of a large ziplock plastic bag. Place on a flat, sturdy surface and use the back of a flat-bottomed cookie sheet (or a large skillet) to push down evenly on it to flatten it. TIP: For larger tortillas, you may need to do this in two steps. After flattening it for the first time, open the bag and loosen the tortilla from the side before flattening it a second time. Cook in the skillet (see next step) and repeat with remaining balls.

5. Cook. Heat a large non-stick or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flattened tortilla in and allow to cook for 30-45 seconds until starting to lightly brown. Flip and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove to a plate if using immediately or to a cooling rack if making ahead.

Note: The cooking moves pretty fast and if you are cooking a lot of tortillas, the kitchen can get a bit smoky. To avoid this, you can cook the tortillas on medium-low heat. They will take a bit longer and won't get as toasted.

6. Enjoy!

How to Make Different Sizes

In order to make your desired size of tortilla, all you have to do is divide the dough into different sizes!

Refer to the chart below to determine how much dough to use for the size that you want.

This chart is based on flattening to an approximate thickeness of 1/16 inch or 1.5 mm. I don't recommend flattening to less than that as they will be harder to work with and more likely to tear.

Leftovers and Storage

Make Ahead: These tortillas are a great recipe to make ahead and to have on hand. If you have time, I definitely recommend making a bigger batch so that you have some ready for future use!

To Store: Store leftover corn tortillas in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: To soften tortillas, heat them in a skillet over medium high heat for about 20 seconds per side. Or you can microwave them for 20-30 seconds.

Make it Your Own

I LOVE homemade plain corn tortillas that have been toasted- so tasty! But sometimes it's fun to add some flavour! Feel free to play around with and combine some of these flavoured suggestions:

• Garlic - Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Spicy- Add ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne
• Cumin - Add 1 teaspoon of cumin
• Taco - Add 1 teaspoon of Taco Seasoning
• Lime- Add 1 tablespoon of lime juice in place of water

Serving Ideas

There are so many great ways to eat these tortillas!

• As a side to Huevos Ranchero or Gallo Pinto
• Use them to make your favourite tacos such as Shrimp, Ground Beef, Carnitas or Chicken
• Make some Corn Tortilla Quesadillas
• Use them to make your own homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

Or for another gluten free tortilla option, try making Oat Tortillas.

And if you liked this recipe...

...you might also like:

• Crispy Baked Sweet Plantains (Plus How to Peel!)
• How to Make Homemade Croutons

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