Homemade Corn Tortillas & Other Wraps (Including Paleo & Carnivore)
Looking for something to wrap your tacos and carnitas? From traditional corn tortillas, to paleo grain free wraps, it’s easy to make your own taco wraps!
Years ago, I showed you how to make crispy slow cooker carnitas with homemade corn tortillas. It was one of the first recipes I shared because my son was very young and very picky. At the time, it was one of the few recipes that my entire family happily ate.
Carnitas are a delicious, healthy way to serve pulled pork, free of all the added sugar of BBQ pulled pork. (Sure, you could use a homemade barbecue sauce to keep things healthier, but it’s a lot more work and doesn’t have the crispy deliciousness of Mexican pulled pork tacos!)
As my blog has evolved, so have my methods for serving carnitas.
Corn tortillas
At first, I served the carnitas with homemade corn tortillas because they are what is traditionally used. While delicious, I eventually realized that corn, even organic non-GMO corn, caused me a lot of digestive and skin issues.
I learned lots of tips and tricks for making them, though, so I decided to share my recipe below.
Paleo corn tortilla alternatives
As time passed, I ate a more paleo type diet. Instead of serving my carnitas with corn tortillas, I served these in vegan flaxseed paleo tortillas (using only flaxseeds, water, and salt), or low carb paleo tortillas with flaxseed and eggs.
Flaxseed Tortillas
Low Carb Paleo Tortillas with Flaxseed and Eggs
If you prefer a harder taco shell, the flaxseed tortillas can also be baked into one perfectly!
Flaxseed Paleo Tortilla Chips and Taco Shells
Makes about 24 chips
Flour tortilla alternative
My son loved flour tortillas but had skin issues, so we tried, per his doctor’s suggestion, eliminating certain foods at certain times. When we eliminated gluten, I began making him paleo pitas with tapioca starch instead of wheat.
Homemade Paleo Pita Recipe
Carnivore alternative
Lately, I’m following a more meat-based diet after learning I was having issues with an oxalate overload. Rather than make my seed and tapioca-based wraps, I instead make simple egg wraps. They’re surprisingly pliable and hold the meat well. Plus they have a mild flavor that allows the carnitas meat to take center stage.
Easy Egg Wraps (Carnivore, Keto)
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Homemade corn tortillas are so much better than their store-bought counterparts. I almost never tried making them because I thought I hated them. The ones I had bought were dry and rubbery and tasted like cardboard. Freshly made corn tortillas, though, are soft, plaible, and delicious!
Surprisingly, when I moved to Spain, one of the kitchen gadgets I brought with me was a (crazily heavy) tortilla press. Even more surprising was that I had yet to use it!
Once I started making them, though, I was so happy I tried. The whole family loved them!
Choosing the ingredients
The ingredients for homemade corn tortillas couldn’t be simpler: masa harina, salt, lard, and water.
When I was ready to have a go at making my own corn tortillas, though, I was disappointed that I couldn’t find GMO free masa harina here in Spain. (These days, it is much easier to find.)
Luckily, I was able to make homemade corn tortillas with organic corn flour instead. They weren’t as easy to manipulate as the ones made with masa harina and didn’t turn out quite as pretty, but it wasn’t impossible. I mention it, though, in case you need to make corn tortillas in a pinch and don’t have masa harina.
I followed the instructions that came on the package of masa harina that I had bought. You were supposed to mix it with a certain amount of water, and, once the water is absorbed, you were to roll the dough into one to one and a half inch balls. To make the tortilla, you need to press the dough balls into a tortilla shape in a tortilla press. You then fry them in a skillet, preferably a cast iron skillet if possible.
Expert tips
Keeping tortillas from breaking
Keeping the thin tortillas from breaking can be tricky, so I learned a few tricks along the way!
The tortilla press should be lined with something before pressing the corn dough in it. Many people use plastic bags, even shopping bags, but I hate the idea of plastic touching my food. I, instead, used baking paper despite the fact that it would get too wet to work after making a few tortillas. For me, the tradeoff was worth it.
With organic corn flour, the tortilla-making process was trickier because the dough was more delicate and fell apart easily. To keep the thin tortillas from breaking, I peeled the paper (lining the tortilla press) off one side of the freshly flattened tortilla. I then placed the tortilla on a preheated skillet with the other layer of paper still attached (paper side up, of course!).
Once the tortilla cooked enough, I peeled off the top layer of paper right before flipping the tortilla. When cooked, it held together perfectly.
Cooking the corn tortillas
At first, I made a dough using only the masa harina, salt, and water. I then cooked them with some home rendered lard in my cast iron skillet. They turned out well, but were slightly too greasy.
Through trial and error, I discovered that they turned out better if I added the home-rendered lard right into the mix itself. I still added water making a soft dough that was easily pressed into a thin tortilla. When the dough is made with lard, it doesn’t need to be fried in any fat. They don’t stick and cook perfectly!
For perfect corn tortillas, cook them until brown spots form on one side. Then, flip them, and do the same on the other side.
Homemade Corn Tortillas
Equipment
- Tortilla press
- Parchment paper or kitchen paper
Ingredients
Instructions
Mix the dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the masa harina and salt.
- Add the lard to the dry ingredients and mix it in using your hands or a spoon until evenly distributed.
- Gradually add the warm water while mixing with your hands or a spoon, until the dough comes together. It should feel soft and pliable but not sticky. Add a little more water if it feels dry or crumbly.
Rest the dough:
- Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the masa to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to work with.
Shape the tortillas:
- Divide the dough into small balls, about the size of a golf ball (approximately 1-1.5 inches in diameter).
- Line the tortilla press with parchment paper or kitchen paper on both sides (top and bottom). Place one dough ball in the center, and press gently but firmly to flatten it into a thin, round tortilla. Aim for a thickness of about 1/16 inch.
Cook the tortillas:
- Fully preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, carefully place the pressed tortilla onto the skillet.
- Cook for about 30-45 seconds on the first side. You should see small bubbles form.
- Flip the tortilla and cook for another 30-45 seconds. It should have a few light brown spots.
- Flip once more and cook for an additional 10-15 seconds to finish.
Repeat:
- Repeat the process for each tortilla, keeping cooked tortillas warm under a towel or in a tortilla warmer.
Notes
This post was originally published on August 16, 2013 with information about how I make carnitas in a slow cooker with homemade corn tortillas (without full recipes for either). It was completely rewritten and separated into two recipe posts in September 2024: Carnitas Recipe here
Homemade corn tortillas and wraps are an absolute delight! They have such a wonderful, fresh flavor that store-bought versions just can’t match
Thank you Ava! I agree — once you taste homemade, the store-bought ones just don’t compare.
Your tortillas look wonderful! I make mine with masa harina and I’m 99% sure it’s GMO. I am curious your recipe using the corn flour, I thought the tortilla needed the lime-treated corn? Anyways my tortillas are tasty but non-pliable, they crack and break if you try to fold them. I also never get nice crown spots like yours, I usually cook them on the griddle without any fat. I’ll try it in the skillet & see if that helps.
Thank you!!
I had always read that you needed the lime-treated corn, too. I was even about to try to buy lime and try to make my own!! In the end, though, I had bought some organic corn flour and figured why not just try to use it and see what happens. It was definitely harder to work than the masa harina, but when I placed it on the skillet with the paper still attached, it was workable.
I have them turn out very pliable sometimes, and not so pliable others. I think it depends a lot upon the amount of water & fat in the mix, and also the temperature you use to fry them. I think they turn out better when the temperature is pretty high and you flip them quickly (I think that also helps with the spots). The longer they sit on the stove, the drier and less pliable they get.
I want to experiment some more and then will likely write a new post about my experiments with making corn tortillas without masa harina. I have only made them that way a few times so far. 🙂