The authentic base of every taco: just three ingredients. Fresh corn tortillas are soft, fragrant and pliable, a world of difference from the packaged version. Use masa harina (nixtamalised maize flour, for example the Maseca brand); available from specialist food shops or online. If that isn’t possible, see the tip for the supermarket version.
Corn tortillas
Corn tortillas
Method
01
Make the dough
Mix the masa harina with the salt in a bowl. Add the water little by little and knead for 2–3 minutes to a supple, moist dough that feels like soft clay. It mustn't stick and mustn't crack at the edges; if needed, add 1 tbsp of water or masa at a time.
02
Rest
Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 15–30 minutes, so the flour absorbs the water completely.
03
Shape balls
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls of approx. 45 g. Keep them under the damp cloth so they don't dry out.
04
Press
Put a ball between two pieces of plastic (a cut-open freezer bag) and press it flat in a tortilla press or with the base of a heavy frying pan to a disc of approx. 13 cm.
05
Cook
Heat a dry cast-iron or heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the tortilla for approx. 30 seconds, turn over and cook for 45–60 seconds, turn again and cook for another approx. 30 seconds. On that last turn the tortilla should puff up; that is the sign of a perfect dough.
06
Keep warm
Stack the cooked tortillas straight into a clean tea towel. The steam keeps them soft and pliable. Leave them to steam like this for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & notes
Can't find masa harina? Then make the supermarket version: replace the masa with 125 g of wheat flour and 125 g of cornmeal (or finely ground polenta) and add 1 tbsp of sunflower oil to the dough. Not one hundred per cent authentic, but a soft tortilla with a corn flavour that works perfectly under any taco. Leftover tortillas can be fried crisp in oil the next day for tostadas or your own tortilla chips. Keeps for 2–3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Variations
- Add 1 tbsp of finely chopped coriander to the dough for a herby tortilla.
- Make larger tortillas for quesadillas instead of small taco sizes.
Serve with
- Tacos al pastor
- Tacos de pollo
- Tacos de carnitas
| Calories | 75 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 16 g |
| Fat | 1 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
