How to Keep Your Corn Tortillas From Breaking

Corn tortillas are a very flexible cuisine that may be used in a variety of ways. Many dishes benefit from their distinct Mexican taste.

Corn tortillas, on the other hand, are prone to shattering. When creating a saucy food like enchiladas, breakage is less of an issue, but collapsing tortillas might jeopardize the structural integrity of your tacos.

Fortunately, there are various methods for preventing corn tortillas from shattering. That way, you can keep eating tacos and enchiladas without worrying about spilling all over yourself.

Corn Tortillas Versus Flour Tortillas

Corn tortillas are not the only kind of tortilla available. Instead, many home chefs and Mexican restaurants utilize flour tortillas.

maize tortillas are prepared by curing maize in lime water and making a masa dough. The procedure for creating flour tortillas is identical to that of producing corn tortillas, except that they are produced with wheat flour and frequently contain extra oil to make the dough easier to come together.

Corn tortillas are more traditional for most Mexican dishes, such as tacos and enchiladas. Flour tortillas, on the other hand, are excellent for recipes with more content, such as burritos and fajitas.

Flour tortillas are bigger and more flexible than maize tortillas. Larger fillings may be wrapped without breaking.

Why bother with corn tortillas if flour tortillas are so simple to use? Corn tortillas are more flavorful and true to Mexican cuisine. Their wonderful flavor outweighs the odd breaking.

Why Do Corn Tortillas Break?

Because corn tortillas are harder than flour tortillas, they are more prone to breaking. They include no additional fats, which contributes to the pliability of wheat tortillas.

Age, heat, and moisture are all variables that may cause corn tortillas to shatter. Understanding why your corn tortillas keep breaking can help you avoid future breakage.

Keep Them Fresh

Stale corn tortillas are one of the most common causes of breakage. As soon as a tortilla is more than a few days old, it is no longer flexible enough to accommodate rolling or fillings.

A traditional tortilleria, or bakery that solely creates fresh tortillas, is the finest location to acquire them. Tortillas from the grocery generally fall short. Tortillerias, on the other hand, are only available if you reside in a region with a substantial Mexican population, such as the Southwest.

If you want fresh tortillas every time, you can always make them yourself. Masa harina and a tortilla press may be purchased at specialist grocery shops or online, ensuring that you always have a supply of fresh corn tortillas on hand.

If you cannot find a fresh tortilleria near you and dont have the time to make your own, then grocery store tortillas can still work. All you have to do is make an effort to keep your tortillas fresh.

The simplest approach to prevent stale corn tortillas is to utilize them as soon as possible after purchasing them. Once you’ve opened a package of corn tortillas, reseal it fully to keep them as fresh as possible for as long as feasible.

Keep Them Warm

When corn tortillas are cold, they become stiffer and more prone to break. Heating them even slightly before rolling will help them become more flexible.

There are numerous methods for fast heating tortillas, depending on what is most suitable for you and the food you want to create.

Corn tortillas may be heated for less than a minute on each side over a dry grill or cast iron griddle (much longer and they will become too crispy for anything other than tortilla chips). If you’re making tacos or tostadas, this approach is ideal.

If you’re creating enchiladas, add a little oil to the pan since the added moisture will increase the flavor.

You may also microwave or bake your corn tortillas by covering them in a moist paper towel. This will warm your tortillas and is very useful if you want to make enchiladas, but tortillas toasted in the microwave are too wet for tacos.

Retain Moisture

A lack of moisture is another cause of breaking in maize tortillas. Corn tortillas are prone to drying out if they are a few days old or have been left out for an extended period of time.

You may simply increase the moisture content of your tortillas before cooking them to avoid breaking. The microwave technique discussed above, in which tortillas are heated in a microwave covered in a wet towel, aids with moisture retention.

A steamer is another method for increasing the moisture content of maize tortillas. Wrap the tortillas in a towel before placing them in the steamer basket, and let them in for approximately 15 minutes once the water comes to a boil.

Whatever technique you choose to add moisture to your tortillas, be sure to keep an eye on them. If you soak them for too long, they can turn soggy and spoil your meal.

Use Sauce to Your Advantage

When creating a sauce-based food, such as enchiladas, you may use the sauce to moisten the tortillas. Soak your tortillas in a bit of your enchilada sauce before rolling them, and they’ll be wet enough to roll while also adding flavor.

Enchiladas, for example, will hide any little cracks that emerge in your tortillas. If you have a few days’ worth of corn tortillas and are concerned about how stale they are, enchiladas are a terrific way to use them up.

How to Keep Corn Tortillas Fresh While Cooking

After you’ve worked hard to prepare your corn tortillas by heating and moistening them, you don’t want your efforts to go to waste. If you leave your tortillas unattended while cooking the remainder of the dinner, they may get brittle and shatter.

If you cooked your tortillas in the microwave, keep them covered in a wet towel or paper towel and work with one tortilla at a time. This will aid with moisture retention.

If you heated your tortillas over a grill or stovetop, wrap them in foil and throw them in the oven to keep them warm. You may also start by warming them in the oven, albeit this approach is slower than the others.

Corn tortillas are an essential element in genuine Mexican cuisine like tacos and enchiladas. They are, however, difficult to cook with since they are prone to shattering.

You may avoid cracking or fracturing tortillas by making sure they are fresh, retaining moisture, and heating them before use.

If all else fails, toss your tortillas into a sauce meal to hide any flaws. Alternatively, shred them and cook them to create tortilla chips. After all, taste, not looks, is what matters.