A Mexican corn tortilla consists of a corn or wheat dough tortilla filled with different ingredients, especially cheese. Once filled, the tortilla is folded in half, and its edge may or may not be sealed. This dish is cooked baked, on a comal or fried and, depending on the region. It is filled and prepared in different ways.
Fried corn tortillas are very versatile Mexican snacks and, for this reason, they work perfectly as snacks, entrees or even a main dish. Therefore, it is not strange to see them present on any occasion: breakfasts, dinners, social events, festivities and, especially, in street food!
If you are a Mexican gastronomy lover and its snacks, you cannot miss how to make crunchy fried corn tortilla dough. You will love the secrets that we will give you so that they are very soft on the inside but super crunchy on the outside; also, preparing them is very easy and you’ll see!
Ingredients for corn tortilla recipe
- 2 ¼ cups nixtamalized cornmeal
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil or melted lard
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder (topped)
- 2 ¼ cups warm water
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ liter of vegetable oil for frying
Stuffed
- 250 gr cheese of your preference
- 500 gr stew of your choice
Preparation of corn tortilla
Put the nixtamalized corn flour, the wheat flour, the baking powder and the salt in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients very well, helping you with a spoon.
Pour the melted lard or oil over the dry ingredients, followed by the warm water. You must add the water little by little, as not always all of it is used since the climate influences the dough’s texture.
Work the dough until you get a smooth but firm consistency that is not sticky. The moment this happens, do not add more water and continue kneading for 30 more seconds.
Let the preparation rest for 30 minutes. Before, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp cloth so that the Mexican corn tortilla dough does not dry out.
Divide it into several servings. Over time, form several balls of the size of your preference. If you want, you can moisten your hands a bit to make your work easier when preparing the batter for a fried corn tortilla.
Cut a plastic bag into two square or round pieces. The size of the cutout pieces should match your tortilla press. Prefer zip-top bags as they work great for making the dough.
Place the balls in the tortilla maker one by one. Flatten until forming a tortilla between 2-3 millimeters. It must be very thin. Otherwise, the corn tortilla will not be well cooked. If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a flat plate, rolling pin, bottle, or your hands, and follow the same procedure.
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Deposit the filling near the center, fold and seal. Try, if you use stew, that it has the least amount of liquid possible since the excess can break the corn tortilla during cooking. Once the tortilla is folded (without removing the plastic), press the entire edge with your fingers until it is closed. In the end, you should be left with a semicircle shape.
Some fillings for corn tortillas are potato enchilada with cheese, tinga, beans, all kinds of cheese, mushrooms, marinated leg, carnitas, etc.
Perfect the edge of the corn tortilla (optional). Use a round container, such as a bowl, to cut up any excess. Thus, you achieve that the edge of the corn tortilla dough is completely even.
Place the corn tortillas on a tray lined with plastic wrap. After placing the last one, cover the tray with another piece of the same paper or a slightly damp cloth.
Heat a deep skillet or cauldron. Once ready, add oil and wait for it to heat up, but do not smoke. One way to check if the oil is at the correct temperature is to dip a skewer. If it bubbles around the toothpick, it’s done.
Place the corn tortillas in the skillet and cook over high heat. Prepare them one by one, leaving them for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. If the oil does not cover them completely, bathe the exposed face using a spoon, and then turn.
Put the fried corn tortilla in a colander covered with a double batch of absorbent paper. In turn, the metal strainer must be inside a bowl. If you don’t have a large strainer, you can use a plate.
Serve hot. You can accompany these irresistible crispy fried corn tortilla with the vegetables and sauces of your choice. Some people open them to put these toppings inside, and others put them on top. On this occasion, we prefer to leave the corn tortillas closed and accompany them with lettuce, cream, cheese and sauce.
