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Make these beautiful blue corn tortillas in 30 minutes or less! They’re fresh, rustic, and tender. All you need is 2 ingredients and a little water for the perfect base to serve with tacos, sopes, and more.
Table of Contents
💙 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick: Make the dough, and cook each tortilla for mere seconds! Then, keep them warm while you finish the rest of your dinner.
- Easy: You just need to mix masa harina, water, and a pinch of salt together to make this recipe! Plus, it’s so fun to watch the tortillas puff as they cook.
- Healthy: Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free, blue corn tortillas are an incredibly nutrient-dense food.
- Rustic: Blue corn offers sweet, nutty, and unique flavors that pair well with hearty and spicy fillings.
If you love blue corn tortillas, try out our white corn tortillas or flour tortillas!
🌽 What are blue corn tortillas?
Blue corn tortillas are essentially the same as white or yellow tortillas, just made with various blue corn varietals!
Blue corn contains anthocyanins, a natural pigment found in foods like blueberries, blackberries, currants, or grapes, giving them red, purple, or blue hues.
Traditionally, corn tortillas are prepared by nixtamalizing corn, then grinding it into a wet dough (masa). Nowadays, you can use a special type of corn flour called masa harina (azul for blue tortillas).
If you live near a tortillería or Latin market, you can typically purchase fresh dough, or even try grinding your own if you’re up for it!
📜 History
Blue corn has been grown for centuries in Mexico, and it grows best in states like Chihuahua, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, and Estado de México.
There are different types of blue corn grown in Mexico like Mushito, Cónico, or Chalqueño. While not as popular as white or yellow varieties, blue tortillas contain less starch and have more protein than the latter two.
🌱 Are blue corn tortillas vegan?
Made with just nixtamalized corn, water, and salt, blue tortillas are extremely vegan-friendly! Fill them up with vegetables, tofu, tempeh, or legumes for a nutritious, plant-forward meal.
One thing to watch out for is the use of lard in some tortillas. If you are purchasing them from a tortillería or shop, make sure to double-check!
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Blue masa harina: For the highest quality heirloom corn, the best place to purchase your blue masa harina is Masienda. However, you can also find it on Amazon or at a local Mexican food market.
- Salt: Use fine-ground salt for the best results. If you only have coarse salt, dissolve it in the hot water beforehand.
- Water: Use warm water for the best results when mixing masa harina. Start with the recommended measurement, but you will need to adjust the amount added depending on your specific masa harina, altitude, and humidity.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk the blue masa harina and salt together in a mixing bowl. Then, start adding hot water. Mix it with a spatula or utensil first so you don’t burn yourself!
Step 2: Knead the masa
When it’s cool enough to handle, knead the dough with your hands until a ball is formed that’s sticky enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands too much.
If the dough appears crumbly, add a little water at a time until you reach a playdough-like consistency. Similarly, if it becomes too sticky, add more masa harina.
Step 3: Roll into dough balls
Break off pieces of the dough and form small balls (about 40 grams each). Roll each one between your palms until smooth, then onto the press they go.
Step 4: Press the tortillas
Cut a zip lock bag into 2 pieces, and line the press on both sides. Place a ball of dough in the center of the press, and close the press down to form thin tortillas.
If you don’t have a tortilla press, press your ball of dough between the counter and the bottom of a baking dish. You can also use a rolling pin!
Step 5: Cook the tortillas
Cook the tortillas on a hot cast-iron skillet or comal for about 10 seconds on the first side, then 40-50 seconds on the next side, then flip it back to the first side until the tortilla puffs up.
If the tortilla doesn’t puff up, add a little more water to your dough and let them cook longer. It takes some practice!
Step 6: Keep warm
Keep the tortillas wrapped in a tea towel or tortilla warmer while you cook the rest. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this blue corn tortilla recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🌮 How to use blue corn tortillas
Just like white or yellow corn, there are an infinite number of ways to use blue corn. Test it out in some of these recipes:
🌡️ Storage & reheating
For any leftover blue corn tortillas, follow these instructions to keep them warm for serving and fresh while storing:
- Keep warm: If you’re about to use your corn tortillas for a meal, keep them in a tea towel (or tortilla warmer) as you finish cooking the batch. This traps the steam and makes them soft and pliable.
- Fridge: Blue corn tortillas will last in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or bag.
- Freezer: Homemade corn tortillas will store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6-8 months. When you’re ready to eat them again, thaw the tortillas overnight in your fridge.
- Reheating: Heat the tortillas on a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook them for about 30 seconds per side, or until warm again.
♻️ Variations
- Spiced: Add in different herbs or spices like Mexican oregano, cayenne, chile-lime seasoning, or paprika.
- Add chile paste: Just like enchiladas potosinas, you can make a paste with different Mexican chiles to flavor the masa.
- Different sizes: Adjust the tortilla size up or down based on the recipe you’ll be making.
- Make chips: When your tortillas start going stale, it’s the perfect time to make chips for chilaquiles.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Adjust the water: Depending on the brand of masa harina and your location, you will need to make adjustments to the water. The dough should be moist, but not so moist that it sticks to your hands.
- Use a baking dish: You don’t need a tortilla press for corn tortillas. Any flat plate or baking dish will get the job done (although a press will make life easier).
- Let them curl: Wait for the tortilla edges to curl slightly before flipping them for the first time.
- Wait for the puff: A tortilla puff is not just satisfying to see, it means the center has properly cooked. If you don’t see a puff, remember to gently press down on the tortillas as they cook. If they’re still not puffing, add more water to your masa.
- Let them steam: Wrapping the tortillas in a towel or warmer creates steam, keeping the whole stack soft and pliable.
💬 FAQ
Yes, corn tortillas are suitable for those on a gluten-free diet.
If the tortillas are sticking, it likely means you didn’t preheat the pan enough. Just wait a few more minutes before starting to cook the next one.
Since there are no gluten bonds to be formed, you don’t have to rest the dough as you would in a flour tortilla recipe. The masa harina just needs to be hydrated, so a few minutes of kneading should do the trick.
🍴 Blue corn tortilla recipes
Blue corn tortillas are so delicious, you can eat them on their own! If you’d like a full meal, try them in one of these recipes:
- Tacos al pastor: A spicy, sweet, and meat-free version of this infamous Mexican taco.
- Jackfruit carnitas: Tender, pull-apart jackfruit marinated in a citrus-based sauce.
- Quesadillas: A hearty, tender, and flavor-packed antojito made with homemade corn tortillas.
Easy Blue Corn Tortillas
Equipment
- Freezer bag
- Tortilla press or rolling pin
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups blue masa harina ($0.25)
- ½ teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot water ($0.01)
Instructions
Dough
- Add the blue masa harina and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk. Pour in 1 cup plus another 2-3 tablespoons of water to start with, and mix with a spatula.
- When it's cool enough to handle, knead the dough with your hands until you form a ball that's sticky enough to stay together, but not coming off on your hands too much.
- If the dough appears crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency (somewhat like play dough). If it becomes too sticky, add a little more masa harina. Cover the bowl with a towel.
Rolling
- Preheat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or comal slowly to medium or medium-high while you roll and press the tortillas. If you are using a regular frying pan, preheat it with no oil.
- Break off pieces of the dough to form small balls (about 40 grams each). Roll each one between your palms until smooth.
Pressing
- Cut a zip lock bag into 2 pieces that will fit into the press. Open the press and place a ball of dough in the center on a piece of plastic. Place the other plastic piece on top and close the press down to form tortillas about 5 inches in diameter.
- If you don't have a tortilla press, place your ball of dough between the same 2 pieces of plastic on your counter. Using the bottom of a baking dish or flat plate, press down until thin. Or, roll it out with a rolling pin.
Cooking
- Gently add a tortilla to the hot pan and cook on the first side for 10 seconds. Flip and cook for another 40-50 seconds, then flip once more and cook until brown spots are forming and the tortilla puffs up, about 40 seconds.
- Remove the tortilla from heat, and wrap it in a tea towel or tortilla warmer while you cook the rest. Serve warm with all the same meals you’d normally serve other corn tortillas with. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
- Adjust the water: Depending on the brand of masa harina and your location, you will need to make adjustments to the water. The dough should be moist, but not so moist that it sticks to your hands.
- Use a baking dish: You don’t need a tortilla press for corn tortillas. Any flat plate or baking dish will get the job done (although a press will make life easier).
- Let them curl: Wait for the tortilla edges to curl slightly before flipping them for the first time.
- Wait for the puff: A tortilla puff is not just satisfying to see, it means the center has properly cooked. If you don’t see a puff, remember to gently press down on the tortillas as they cook. If they’re still not puffing, add more water to your masa.
- Let them steam: Wrapping the tortillas in a towel or warmer creates steam, and keeps the whole stack soft and pliable.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on prices found in the top 5 U.S. grocery chains. As such, prices may vary based on your location. All prices are in USD.
Nutrition
Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
