This Homemade Blue Corn Tortilla Recipe is a fun and unique way to dress up your taco night. It only takes blue corn masa harina, water, salt and a few minutes of your time to make fresh delicious blue corn tortillas.
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Yellow corn tortillas are in abundance at the grocery store. Depending on where you live, there is likely a huge display of corn tortillas to choose from. In certain states, it’s even possible to get freshly made tortillas, straight off the griddle. However, it’s much harder to find blue corn tortillas in the store.
I love the the taste of blue corn flour. It’s got a deeper, more intense flavor than white or yellow corn. Not to mention that the blue corn tortillas make a much more dramatic presentation on the plate.
What is Blue Masa Harina?
Blue masa harina is a gluten-free maize flour with a more intense, nuttier flavour than white or yellow varieties. It makes intensely flavoured tortillas and tamales with a dusky blue hue.
To make masa harina, corn kernels are dried then soaked in calcium hydroxide in a process called nixtamalization. This process is what makes masa harina different from corn meal, which has not undergone this process. The nixtamalization makes it possible to easily incorporate the flour into a dough, which is just called masa. The masa is used to make all kinds of foods, like tamales, tortillas and gorditas.
Where to Find Blue Masa Harina
You can find blue masa harina at most Mexican or Latin American grocery stores. If your regular grocery has a large Mexican food section, you might be able to find it there.
I am not lucky enough to live anywhere near a Mexican grocery, so I buy the flour on Amazon. It’s available from a number of different brands. Maseca is one of the most popular. It’s not too expensive, but is more expensive than the yellow corn version.
Equipment & Ingredients Needed
This ingredient list is short and sweet. You really will impress everyone at dinner with the flavor and appearance of these tortillas.
- Blue corn flour – Masa harina
- Water – Warm water is best
- Salt – Just a dash
You don’t need a lot of equipment, but there are a few things you can’t go without when pressing your own tortillas.
- 2 plastic sheets
- Tortilla press (or heavy dish)
- Flat pan (like a crepe pan)
How to Make This Homemade Blue Corn Tortilla Recipe
Combine the masa harina and warm water in a bowl and stir until it’s mostly incorporated. Then you can use your fingers to bring it all together into one uniform ball of dough.
This recipe makes eight street taco sized tortillas, or 6 larger ones. So break the dough into the number of pieces you need. I break them into 8 golf-ball sized balls.
First you need 2 sheets of plastic, to put on either side of the tortillas, so you can easily get it up off the press. For this, I use a large plastic freezer bag, which I’ve cut down the seams. I place the tortilla dough between the sheets of plastic and it’s sturdy enough not to move around, plus easily enough to remove from the tortilla without breaking it.
I used to use plastic wrap – and it can be used in a pinch – but I don’t recommend it anymore because it’s just too difficult to work with. It’s too flimsy to do a great job. Stick with a plastic freezer bag, if you can.
I don’t have a tortilla press, despite how often I make homemade tortillas. It’s just one more thing I have to find a place for in my small kitchen. So instead, I use a heavy casserole dish with handles to flatten my tortillas. You need something heavy, not flimsy, and that allows you to apply pressure on the tortillas to flatten it.
Place a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic and press with a tortilla press or heavy casserole dish. The tortilla should come out around 1/8″ or just slightly thinner. If you can’t press it that thin, just roll it a few times with a rolling pin to flatten even further.
Peel back the plastic carefully so it doesn’t stick to the plastic. You don’t want to break the tortilla and have to start over.
Heat a large flat pan on high heat on the stove top. When hot, place a tortilla in the center and cook for about 3 minutes, until browned spots form on the underside. If it’s not getting brown in about 3 minutes, the pan isn’t hot enough.
After flipping, a bubble might form in the middle of the tortilla. This is fine. Don’t puncture it. Once the bubble flattens, remove from heat and set on a plate to cool.
Form a stack of the cooked tortillas as they get made. This will help them steam and soften. If you let them sit in a stack for 5-10 minutes, they’ll be nice and pliable when you’re ready to serve them.
If you’re not serving them right away, you’ll need to keep them wrapped in a moist towel, to prevent them from drying out. To reheat them, place them in the microwave between the moist towel, and microwave for about 15 seconds.
Tips & Additional Notes
- The dough should incorporate well, without being crumbly, but also not wet. Like the consistency of silly putty or play doh.
- There’s no need to rest the dough before pressing it out.
- For the plastic, I cut a large freezer bag down the seams and place the tortilla between the layers. It’s sturdy and easy to remove the tortilla once pressed. Plastic wrap is an option, but much harder to work with.
- You can use a tortilla press or if you don’t have one, use a heavy casserole dish or flat bottomed pan to press straight down on the tortilla. If it’s not thin enough, roll it thinner with a rolling pin or bottle of wine.
Can Blue Corn Tortillas Be Stored For Later?
I really highly recommend making these à la minute, or just when you’re ready to eat them. They don’t keep well. Additionally, the dough should be mixed right before making them, and no sooner. It will become dry.
However, you can store already cooked tortillas for a day, if wrapped well. To reheat them, place them in the microwave between the moist towel, and microwave for about 15 seconds.
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Blue Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 1 cup blue corn flour masa harina 100g
- 1 cup warm water plus extra if necessary 100-150 ml
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Combine the masa harina and warm water in a bowl and stir until mostly incorporated. Then use your fingers to bring it all into one uniform ball of dough.
- Break the dough into 8 golf-ball sized balls.
- Place a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic and press with a tortilla press or heavy casserole dish into a circle, about ⅛” thick. (See notes below for more detail). Peel back the plastic carefully.
- Heat a large flat pan on high heat on the stove top. When hot, place a tortilla in the center and cook for about 3 minutes, until browned spots form on the underside. After flipping, a bubble might form in the middle of the tortilla. This is fine. Don’t puncture it. Once the bubble flattens, remove from heat and set on a plate to cool.
- Form a stack of the tortillas as they get made. This will help them steam and soften.
Video
Notes
- The dough should incorporate well, without being crumbly, but also not wet. Like the consistency of silly putty or play doh.
- There’s no need to rest the dough before pressing it out.
- For the plastic, I cut a large freezer bag down the seams and place the tortilla between the layers. It’s sturdy and easy to remove the tortilla once pressed. Plastic wrap is an option, but much harder to work with.
- You can use a tortilla press or if you don’t have one, use a heavy casserole dish or flat bottomed pan to press straight down on the tortilla. If it’s not thin enough, roll it thinner with a rolling pin or bottle of wine.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook who loves making new recipes and finding new favorite things to eat, whether at home or abroad. She also runs a popular travel blog and spends a lot of her time traveling for food.
This is such a great idea! I will have to try this recipe soon. 🙂
I’ve never tried making tortillas before, but this looks easy! I think my kids would enjoy helping too!
I’m going to have a go at making these blue corn chips at the weekend! They will go great with my chili!
I love how easy this recipe is! I had no idea I could buy blue masa but I guess it makes sense now. These are going to be perfect for my fourth of July party!
This was such a hit! Thank you for this awesome recipe.