Blue Corn Tortillas Recipe: How to Make Blue Tortillas

Blue corn tortillas are a thin flatbread made from blue corn masa—a dough made of nixtamalized, ground blue corn kernels—common in Mexican, Indigenous, and Latin American cuisine. Corn (Zea mays), also known as maize, is a grain crop that produces kernels on a cob. Cultivation began in what is now Mexico approximately 7,000 years ago. Blue maize’s beautifully rich, moody blue-purple color comes from anthocyanins, the same pigments found in blueberries. Corn comes in many colors besides blue, including white, yellow, and purple.

You can make tortillas from scratch by forming masa (nixtamalized corn dough) into thin discs using a rolling pin or a tortilladora (tortilla press). Then, you can cook them on a hot skillet, griddle, or traditional Mexican comal. (Flour tortillas, unlike corn tortillas, contain wheat flour and, therefore, gluten, giving them their signature elasticity.)

Though the flavor difference is slight, blue corn tortillas have a more concentrated nutty flavor that’s stronger than milder white or yellow corn. Blue corn also has fewer calories and starch than white corn and more protein and antioxidants—and, with a lower glycemic index, they may be preferable for those with diabetes.

However, the flavor and nutritional differences between types of corn are subtle enough that the choice usually comes down to color.

Maize anchors much of Mexican food, and the blue variety is as delicious as it is beautiful. Here are some tips for making your blue corn tortillas malleable, toothsome, and perfectly savory:

1. 1. Use fresh masa. The best tortillas come from freshly ground nixtamalized corn, known as masa. If you don’t have access to fresh masa, you can find masa harina (dehydrated masa) at most grocery stores. Regular cornmeal is coarser than masa and too coarse for tortillas. If you’re up for a challenge, prepare masa from scratch via nixtamalization, an alkalizing process that makes maize easier to digest. Combining water and calcium hydroxide (aka pickling lime) makes an alkaline solution in which you can soak a batch of dried field corn kernels before grinding them into masa with a food processor.
2. 2. Heat the tortillas. It’s essential to warm corn tortillas before eating them because the heat coaxes out their fresh, earthy flavors. Applying heat to tortillas makes them more pliable and less likely to break or tear when filled with proteins and other hearty fillings. The best way to heat tortillas—especially corn tortillas—is on the stovetop, where you can get them warm and crisp and add a bit of color. If you’re heating a large stack of tortillas, wrap the finished hot tortillas in aluminum foil, a clean dish towel, or a tortilla warmer to keep them toasty and pliable while you heat the rest. Learn more about how to heat corn tortillas.
3. 3. Swap blue corn tortillas for yellow corn tortillas. Use blue corn tortillas anywhere you would yellow or white corn tortillas. They add a pop of color and nutty flavor for tacos al pastor, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas doradas, taquitos, chicken enchiladas, and beyond.
4. 4. Make tortilla chips. There’s nothing like a fresh tortilla; if your tortillas have gone stale, cut them into quarters for nachos, guacamole-worthy blue corn tortilla chips, or other Mexican dishes. Use this tortilla chip recipe as a guide.

Tortillas from the grocery store often contain preservatives and last longer than homemade tortillas. You can store homemade blue corn tortillas in a tightly sealed resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator for three to four days.

For longer-term storage, freeze both cooked and uncooked tortillas. Portion them into stacks of five to ten tortillas. Wrap each stack of tortillas tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.