Homemade tortillas that are naturally gluten free, simple to make and only require 3 ingredients. These corn tortillas are made with masa flour, mixed by hand in just a few mins, and pressed in an authentic wooden tortilla press. They are soft, pliable, and taste amazing!
This recipe for homemade tortillas is so stinkin easy, and I have to say that they are absolutely fantastic! These corn tortillas are just as pliable and soft as any flour tortilla and they have just great flavor!
My daughter and my husband both tried them and said they tasted great. No complaints whatsoever and that’s something! We ate them with the Pulled Pork Tacos we posted recently.
Flour to Use for Corn Tortillas
You can’t use just any corn flour for these tortillas if you want them to turn out right. You must use a masa harina corn flour. Trust me, I’ve tried a few and all corn flours are not created equal!
We used this one, from a little Mexican grocer in Burnaby, BC, but you can use any other one you might find. Bob’s Red Mill has a great one too.
Are Corn Tortillas Gluten Free?
Yes! Corn is naturally gluten free, however if you are celiac or very sensitive to gluten, you might want to make sure the masa harina comes from a gluten free processing plant because there is a chance of cross contamination with gluten other wise.
How to Make Homemade Tortillas
- First mix the salt with the corn flour. Then add half of the warm water and mix it around with your hand.
- Add a little more water as you go if you need to until the mixture forms a soft ball of dough. Roll the dough into balls about golf ball size.
- It’s best to let the dough balls rest for 15 mins or so, but you can also use them right away. I have also left them in the fridge overnight, but if you do this, cover them with a damp towel so they don’t dry out. Mine were totally fine after a night in the fridge.
How to Cook Corn Tortillas
- When you are ready to cook them, turn a skillet to medium – high heat and get out your tortilla press.
- Press the balls of dough between two pieces of parchment paper so they don’t stick to the press and they are easy to peel off. (you can also roll the tortillas out instead or see below for some other ways to make them)
- Cook them in the hot pan until little brown specks appear. This will only take about 30 – 45 seconds on each side. Serve them right away or keep them in a stack under a very slightly damp towel.
A couple tips:
- They will feel stiff at first, but they will soften up quickly and get pliable in a couple mins.
- If you make them ahead of time, you can heat them up with a quick toss in a hot pan before serving.
The Best Tortilla Press
This tortilla press has a story behind it. Debbie and I were in a restaurant in Puerto Vallarta and we saw a woman making tortillas in a big huge wooden press. They came out perfect!
I have tried those aluminum tortilla presses before and for some reason they just don’t work. Maybe I haven’t tried the right one, but anyways…
We searched high and low for a wooden tortilla press in Puerto Vallarta and eventually on the last day, Debbie and Mark found one! We were pretty surprised how hard it was to find.
This tortilla press rocks!
We realize that it might be tough for you to get to Mexico to get one for yourself, but we found a very similar wooden tortilla press on Amazon and it looks like it works just the same. We recommend getting one if you like to make homemade tortillas in your house.
An Alternative Tortilla Press
Now this might not be an actual press, but its cheap and easy! Place the dough balls between two large and heavy books and press them together.
Simple as that!
I can’t guarantee that it’s going to be perfect, but I’m pretty sure that in a pinch, it will work just fine. Maybe better than fine!
Of course you can always roll them out with a rolling pin too. Or maybe press them between books and then roll a bit as well to finish.
Can You Freeze Tortillas?
Yup, you sure can. There are a few ways to do this:
- Freeze the balls of dough and then thaw, press and cook them when you are ready. If you do this, freeze them separated on a tray before putting them in a container. Otherwise they will stick.
- Press or roll the tortillas and then freeze them with a piece of parchment paper between them. Thaw and cook before serving.
- Fully cook the corn tortillas and freeze them after. It would be best to place a piece of parchment between them so they don’t stick together. Thaw them and cook for just a few seconds in a really hot pan to liven them back up.
We recommend either going with #2 or #3. #2 is the best option though.
Recipes to Use Your Homemade Corn Tortillas
- pulled pork tacos
- tequila and lime steak tacos
- grilled shrimp tacos with pineapple and avocado
- fish tacos!
- shredded beef tacos with tequila short ribs
- roasted salsa verde
- fresh pico de gallo
As you can see we love our tacos! And fresh salsas and condiments too. We hope you love them as much as we do. Happy tortilla making!
Easy Homemade Tortillas Naturally Gluten Free with Corn Flour
Homemade tortillas that are naturally gluten free, simple to make and only require 3 ingredients. These corn tortillas are made with masa flour, mixed by hand in just a few mins, and pressed in an authentic wooden tortilla press. They are soft, pliable, and taste amazing!
- 2 cup masa harina corn flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup warm water
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Combine the flour and salt and mix with your fingers. Add the warm water, starting with 3/4 cup and mix well and continue to add water until a soft, round ball of dough is formed.
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Roll the dough into golf ball sized balls. Cover and set aside to rest for 30 mins or so.
- Heat a pan to medium heat.
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Use a rolling pin to roll into a round disk about 1/8 inch thick and about 8 inches in diameter or to your preference. OR.. use a tortilla press and press each ball between two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper.
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Fry one at a time on a hot griddle (no oil) until the surface starts to bubble. Turn only once, the first side should have tiny brown flecks. They hardly take any time at all so be careful not to cook them too long or they will get harder than they should be.
- Keep warm in a tortilla keeper or wrapped in a cloth until served.
Keep the extra in the fridge for later. Mine kept great for a week! They will feel a little stiff when you take them out of the fridge, but just throw them in a hot pan for a second on both sides and they will become pliable again. You could microwave them too if you like.
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