Blue Corn Tortillas

Blue corn tortillas are a type of tortilla made with blue corn instead of regular white or yellow corn. The amazing blue hue of these tortillas is due to the type of corn used: Blue corn, known in Spanish as maíz azul.

this recipe

Homemade blue corn tortillas have an earthy, rich, and nuttier taste than regular yellow corn tortillas. Their deeper flavor profile is perfect to pair with some traditional foods like huitlacoche mushroom or mole sauces.

I am sharing with you my easy recipe which I’ve been making for years, and I included a video to show how you can make them even if you don’t have a tortilla press!

Ingredients

• Blue masa harina: To make the blue dough you will need blue corn masa harina. There are several brands available online in Mexican grocery stores or on Amazon. Look for the label that says: Harina de Maíz Azul. The flour has a grey color and the texture is fine and soft. Once the blue corn flour is mixed with water, it will change to a deep greyish color.
• Water: Use room temperature water, if you use warm water or hot water the masa will slightly cook and change in texture.

How To Make Blue Corn Tortillas

Heat a cast-iron skillet or a comal over medium heat. Also, prepare a clean kitchen towel to wrap tortillas as you cook them to keep them warm. Finally, cut 2 plastic sheets about 10×10 -inches (25×25 cm) each.

In a medium bowl add blue masa harina and start adding water while mixing with your hands until combined.

Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, adding more water if needed until a non-sticky dough forms.

Tip: The dough should have the texture of play dough.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Form balls of dough and cover them with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.

Place one of the balls onto a sheet of plastic. Press it a bit with your fingers to make a patty.

Cover with the other plastic sheet and then place over a heavy baking dish pressing firmly to shape a 6-inch (15cm) round blue tortilla.

Take the tortilla in your hand and gently remove the plastic on each side.

Lay the raw blue tortilla on the skillet and cook for about 40-45 seconds, then flip it up and cook for another 45 seconds.

Turn the tortilla over again and cook for another 15 seconds, until it begins to puff.

Place the blue corn tortilla between a kitchen towel to keep it warm. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• If you having trouble laying the tortilla on the skillet for cooking, wet your hands a little bit so it won’t stick to your fingers.
• For perfect blue corn tortillas, you need to find a balance between too much water and too little. This can only be achieved after trying the recipe multiple times as the texture of masa varies depending on the humidity in your kitchen.
• A perfect blue corn masa (dough) should be moist enough to result in soft tortillas but at the same time, not too wet that you can’t handle it. And not too dry that it will crumble.
• If the tortilla doesn’t puff while cooking it means you need to cook it a little longer. Also, you can press a little bit with your hands (carefully) or with a spatula to make it puff.

How To Eat

Homemade blue corn tortillas are just like regular corn tortillas made with masa. You can make tacos and quesadillas, or eat them with your favorite Mexican main dishes.

But because of the deep taste profile, I recommend the following recipes to pair with tortillas azules:

• Blue corn tacos with zucchini. A vegetarian taco recipe made with zucchini, tomatoes, and onions.
• Flor de calabaza quesadillas. A quesadilla recipe made with squash blossoms.
• Pipián mole verde. This flavorful mole is made with a thick sauce prepared with pepita seeds and spices.

Store & Reheat

You can store homemade blue corn tortillas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for months by following these steps:

1. Allow the tortillas to cool down covered with a kitchen towel.
2. Make sure tortillas aren’t wet as the moisture may spoil them fast.
3. Place tortillas inside resealable bags in small batches. Vacuum as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
4. Or wrap them tightly with cling film.
5. Label with the date and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Reheat on a non-stick pan, a comal, or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is smoky hot, place tortillas and heat them up for about 20 seconds per side.

To keep them warm and soft, wrap them in a kitchen towel and place them inside a bag.

More Tortilla Recipes

Have you tried my Blue Corn Tortillas recipe? Don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out! You can also join our community of readers by following this blog on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram!

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