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If you're looking for a little variety in your tortilla repertoire, blue corn tortillas are a great option. They have a slightly sweet flavor, they're gluten free, and have a beautiful color that will set them apart from your average white corn or flour tortilla. Plus, they're perfect for tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas.
Y'all know I'll put my tin foil hat on to say that the amount of convenience foods that are considered 'difficult' and have been mystified is crazy.
Maybe it's because for decades we've been buying our alfredo sauce and salsas in jars at the store, but it's a mistake people amazes me how many people really believe that many foods cannot be made at home, including the humble (yet mighty) tortilla!
This blue corn tortilla recipe has been a staple in my house for years. Y'all know we are a multicultural household so it's not a surprise that tortillas are being made fresh in house, right? They're surprisingly easy to make even if it's your first time making them and they're really good for you, especially if you're a gluten-free foodie.
My husband's homemade tortillas only need a few ingredients, a tortilla press, and some love before they're ready for your favorite Latino dishes or to be the vessel for all your taco fillings tonight!
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What are Tortillas?
Tortillas are a type of flatbread that is typically made from specific cornmeal that originated in Mexico but are now popular all over the world. They can be eaten plain or folded and filled with various ingredients, such as shredded pork carnitas or juicy birria, vegetables, cheeses, and fresh salsas.
There are many different varieties of tortillas, but today we're talking blue corn tortillas, which use blue kernel corn flour instead of yellow or white ones. These tortillas have a slightly sweet, earthy flavor and lovely blue color that sets them apart.
Origins of the Tortilla
Tortillas were invented by a Central American tribe called the Olmecs. According to historical records, they used blue and white corn to make their tortillas, which they ate with beans and other vegetables. The blue corn tortilla was first created in Mexico around 1000 A.D., when the Aztecs began farming blue corn.
Today, blue corn tortillas are popular all over Mexico. They're often eaten as part of a traditional meal with beans, chicken, and salsa. You can also find them in plenty of Mexican restaurants, where they're served with different fillings!
What is Masa Harina?
Masa harina is a type of corn flour that's made from ground dried corn kernels. It's a very soft flour, which makes it ideal for tortillas as well as tamales and other Mexican dishes.
The blue masa harina (and in turn the blue tortilla) is considered much healthier than its white and yellow counterparts. It has 20% more protein, less starch, and has a lower glycemic index, making it a fantastic taco-filling-holder choice for people with diabetes or on diets. It also gets it's pretty blue color from anthocyanins, the same thing that gives red wine and blueberries their pretty color and health benefits!
The process of making masa harina begins with soaking the corn in water and lime (calcium hydroxide) for several days to make it easily digestible, before grinding it into a dough. Then, this dough is dried into what we know as masa harina!
Remember, masa harina is different from the cornstarch or cornmeal you find at the grocery store. When you're looking for the blue corn masa harina, the packaging should say 'Harina de Maiz Azul'. Authentic blue corn flour should not be intensely blue in color, but more like a dusty blue-grey.
How to Make Homemade Blue Corn Tortillas
This is an extremely easy recipe, you only need three basic ingredients: blue masa harina, warm water, and a little salt.
Mix the dough, hot water, and salt together with your clean hands in a large bowl, kneading it for about 10 minutes until a soft dough forms. It should almost exactly feel like play-dough: soft, sorta squishy, and not sticky.
The amount of water you'll need can depend on where you live, the humidity, etc. My husband uses 1 ¾ cup of water for 2 cups of blue masa harina, but really go by feel. It should not be dry and crumbly, or damp and sticky. It feels very much like play-dough.
Let that dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes by covering the bowl with a damp kitchen towel so it doesn't dry out.
While your ball of dough is taking a nap, you prep your tortilla press and get a hot cast iron skillet going.
Tortilla presses aren't hard to find, you can look on Amazon or at the hispanic market. I've found some handmade at my local farmer’s market too! You're going to cover the bottom and top with sheets of plastic wrap so the tortillas don't stick to the press.
You can also smash out the balls of dough using a heavy skillet or pie plate, just make sure to cover your work surface and the bottom of the skillet or pie dish with plastic wrap just like the tortilla press.
Okay, now that your dough is nice and rested and the press is prepared, it's time to make nice little balls of dough.
To make them all the same size, use a kitchen scale or roll the dough into a log and then cut in half. Cut each half in half again, and so on until you have about 10 small balls.
Place one of the dough balls on the center of the bottom of a tortilla press, and push the little lever on top of the press to get the tortilla nice and thin.
Now gently peel it away from the plastic wrap covered press; it should not want to stick to you or the press (means it's too wet) or be cracked and falling apart (too dry). You'll want to hold the tortilla in the middle of your palm and then gently lay it in the middle of your hot pan.
It'll cook on one side for 45 seconds to a minute, then flip that sucker right over and cook for another 15 to 30 seconds as it puffs up. My husband's secret to getting stubborn tortillas to puff up when they just refuse to is to take your spatula and give the tortilla a quick smash on a least half of the tortilla against the hot surface of the pan. I don't know why, it's some sort of tortilla magic but it works every time.
Cover the cooked tortilla with a clean kitchen towel, paper towel, or tea towel so they stay warm and flexible as they gradually cool down. Congrats, you've made your own amazing, easy, homemade blue corn tortillas better than any popular brand you find at the store.
Our Fave Sauces for Tacos
If you decide to turn these tortillas into delicious chips, you'll want to dip them into restaurant-style salsa! All you need is a blender and less than 5 minutes for perfect salsa.
You want seriously delicious grilled skirt steak, chicken, or fish this summer, because flavor. Try marinating them in Cuban mojo marinade. I grew up with this marinade on basically everything; it's garlicky, citrusy, and absolutely amazing. Perfectly seasoned tacos all day, every day!
You know that spicy orange sauce from your favorite taco food truck? Guess what...you can make it at home! Taquera sauce is so good, easy to make, and all you need is a blender (your blender is gonna WORK this summer! Margaritas, taco sauces, birria marinade, it's a taco summer.)
My all-time favorite sauce that can go with anything is chimichurri sauce. It goes on pulled pork sandwiches, over grilled skirt steak, dip some bread in it, pour it all over your chicken salad, it's just that good and that versatile. It's herbaceous and garlicky with some bright, acidic love in there. You've got to try it.
Storing and Warming Corn Tortillas
To store your corn tortillas, you want to put them into a zip top bag with as much air pressed out as possible. Air will cause your tortillas to dry up and get hard and brittle. Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat the tortillas, heat up a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side in the pan.
It's important to reheat the tortillas one at a time, then put them in a tortilla warmer or on a plate under a damp paper towel to keep them soft and pliable.
FAQ
Researchers from Mexico found that blue corn tortillas contain 20% more protein than their white corn counterparts. They also have less starch and a lower glycemic index.
You can use blue corn tortilla chips for nachos or to make blue corn tacos and burritos.
Blue corn does taste differently, it has a sweeter, earthier flavor that honestly does really well with beef fillings.
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Blue Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups blue masa harina
- 1 ¾ cup very warm water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Make the Blue Corn Tortilla Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the kosher salt and masa harina to evenly disperse the salt through the flour.
- Add half a cup of water to the flour and knead with your hands to start hydrating the dough. Add another half cup of water to the mix and knead with your hands, get it incorporated, then add the rest of the water.
- Knead until the dough is soft, smooth, and no longer sticky. It should feel like play-dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the corn tortilla dough rest for 15 to 30 minutes before continuing.
- Cook the Blue Corn Tortillas
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat
- Pinch off equal size pieces of dough and roll each one into a ball (we found them to be 85g or 1.80 oz on the kitchen scale for a good size taco. For smaller street tacos, try 70g.) Place the dough balls onto a plate and cover the dough with a wet paper towel as you finish creating more of them.
- Wrap the tortilla press with plastic wrap on each side, then place a dough ball in the center of the bottom press. Press the tortilla until it's about ⅛ inch thick. It should not stick to the plastic wrap, crack, or break when you gently pull it up.
- Place the pressed tortilla onto the hot skillet and cook on each side for 45 seconds to 1 minute. If it puffs up, don't panic that's a good thing!
- Place the cooked corn tortillas on a plate, then cover with a damp paper towel to steam them and keep them nice and pliable.
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