Chef John's Corn Tortillas
Chef John's Corn Tortillas deliver warm, tender rounds with a toasty corn aroma and just enough flexibility to fold, wrap, or scoop. With only masa harina, hot water, and salt, the dough presses cleanly and puffs on the griddle for a delicate chew. Serve fresh off the skillet for tacos, huevos rancheros, or as a fragrant side any time of day.
- Prep30 mins
- Cook10 mins
- Serves10
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Corn Tortillas, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 55 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 4 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityPoor
- 28 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 69
- Heart Health
- 61
- Metabolic
- 16
- Digestive
- 34
- Inflammatory
- 18
- Performance
- 27
- General Wellness
- 1
Add the masa harina to a large bowl; add the water and the salt. Stir with your fingers until the dough begins to come together.
- 2
Knead for a few minutes until smooth and the texture is like modeling clay or putty. Add more water if the dough is too dry and more flour if it is too wet.
- 3
Cover the dough with a damp towel to prevent drying. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
- 4
Cut a resealable plastic bag into 2 rounds the same size as your tortilla press; set aside. Place a clean kitchen towel over a pie dish for the cooked tortillas; set aside.
- 5
Place 1 plastic round on the bottom of the tortilla press. Pull off a small piece of dough, enough to roll into a 1 1/2-inch, about 1-ounce ball. Set the dough ball in the center of the plastic round and press down lightly; cover the dough with the remaining plastic round.
- 6
Fold the tortilla press over, pressing the lever arm until the tortilla flattens to the desired thickness.
- 7
Open the tortilla press; peel off the top plastic round. Place your index finger along the edge of the bottom plastic round at the tortilla’s edge; flip the tortilla into your other hand using your index finger. Carefully peel off the plastic.
- 8
Gently slide the tortilla, palm up, into a hot, dry skillet over medium- to medium-high heat. Cook one side for 30 to 45 seconds; flip and cook the other side for 1 minute. Flip and press once or twice with a spatula until it puffs slightly; cook for 30 seconds. Flip and cook for 5 to 10 seconds.
- 9
Quickly transfer the tortilla to the prepared pie dish; fold the towel over to keep warm. Repeat pressing and cooking with the remaining dough, stacking and wrapping the tortillas.
- 10
Leave the stack of tortillas wrapped until soft and supple, at least 15 minutes.
- Calories 51.69 kcal Low Source 3%
- Protein 1.21 g Low Source 2%
- Carbohydrate 10.9 g 4%
- Total Fat 0.52 g Low Source 1%
- Saturated Fat 0.08 g Low Source 0%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 0.0 mg Low Source 0%
- Sodium 4.53 mg Low Source 0%
- Dietary Fiber 0.93 g Low Source 3%
- Total Sugars 0.24 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 19.95 mg Low Source 2%
- Iron 1.14 mg Low Source 6%
- Potassium 38.51 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin A 0.26 mcg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin C 0.0 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Corn 🌽
Recipe Questions
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Corn Tortillas?
- About 40 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 51.69 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Corn Tortillas easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 2 ingredients and 10 steps.
- Is Chef John's Corn Tortillas healthy?
- Chef John's Corn Tortillas has an easyChef Pro health score of 40/100. Per serving, it provides 51.69 calories and 1.21 g of protein, or 2% of the Daily Value. It contains Corn, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
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