What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (2024)

Corn tortillas...the ultimate kitchen staple.

You probably have a go-to recipe that you always make with your corn tortillas, but there are LOADS of other ways to use them.

This post is filled with ideas for that half stack of corn tortillas sitting around in your kitchen. I think you'll be surprised how many different ways you can use these beauties 🙂

Whether it's baked, or fried, or somewhere in between...you'll find some new ideas in this post and I hope it brings lots of good eats to your kitchen!

Click the recipe name and it will take you to a page on this site where you can print out or take a pic of the free instructions.

Easy Chicken Tacos

Every kitchen needs a default taco recipe, do you have one? This is mine: chicken, guac, cheese, homemade Salsa. The Salsa may vary from week to week, but it's always a quick, delicious meal. It's worth having a favorite taco combo on standby that you actually look forward to, so feel free to customize the fixings to your liking!

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (1)

Spicy Beef Taquitos

Taquitos are a good way to change up your tortilla routine. Yes, taquitos are typically fried, but I usually bake them and think they are equally good. I filled these with a chipotle-infused ground beef, but there is plenty of leeway on the filling so feel free to make a vegetarian bean-n-cheese version.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (2)

Enchiladas Suizas

Do you have a default enchilada dish that you lean on during the week? These Enchiladas Suizas are my go-to, but I make Ancho Enchiladas just as often. Having both red and green sauce enchiladas in your arsenal will give you plenty of satisfying meals, so consider starting with those if enchiladas are still working their way into your kitchen routine.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (3)

Baked Tostada Shells

Tostadas are a great way to use up your old corn tortillas! Simply rub some oil on both sides and give 'em 4-5 minutes per side in the oven (400F). Tostadas are wildly versatile and have a more favorable fillings-to-tortilla ratio when compared to hardshell tacos -- will put some good Tostada options below.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (4)

Bean Tostadas with Avocado, Queso Fresco, and Homemade Salsa

I make impromptu versions of these vegetarian Tostadas all the time. It's usually dependent on what's in the fridge, so feel to go wild with them! Adding avocado turns them into a meal for me, so consider topping with avocado bits or an Easy Guacamole.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (5)

Black Bean and Guacamole Tostadas

This is the quick-n-lazy way to make Tostadas, but equally delicious! Heat up a thin layer of oil in a skillet, add corn tortillas, top with your favorite fixings, and cook until the tortillas are getting brown spots on the underside. This will give you a semi-crispy Tostada/Taco with that delicious fried corn flavor. This is a great trick to keep in mind, so please try it out! P.S. I will sometimes even use lard or leftover bacon drippings to crisp up the tortillas 🙂

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (6)

Enfrijoladas

You can dredge your corn tortillas in bean puree, fill 'em with cheese and onion, and bake 'em in the oven for a few minutes. Hello Enfrijoladas! This is a simple, hearty way to use up your tortillas -- feel free to get creative with the insides of the Enfrijoladas.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (7)

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Chop up your tortillas, give 'em a quick shallow fry, and you've got the key component for Chicken Tortilla Soup and Vegetarian Tortilla Soup. These crispy tortilla strips taste delicious in soup and are surprisingly easy to make.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (8)

Easy Taco Salad

Crispy tortilla strips also make for delicious Taco Salads! You can fry up some strips, or even crumble up some Tostadas. That delicious crunch will give you a unique Mexican themed salad -- I used ground beef in this version but feel free to make it vegetarian.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (9)

Quick Poblano Soup with Mini Pico Quesadillas

I love making these crispy, cheesy tortilla dippers for soup 🙂 Simply add fixings to half of the tortilla, fold in half, and cook both sides over medium heat until they are warm and crispy. I will frequently make a bean, cheese and pickled jalapeno version 🙂

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (10)

Entomatadas

You can also drench your corn tortillas in a delicious roasted tomato sauce for a quick batch of Entomatadas. I'm a huge fan of the tomato sauce in this recipe so no skimping on that, but feel free to get creative with the insides of the Entomatadas.

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (11)

Baked Tortilla Chips

Similar to baking your own Tostada shells, you can easily whip up a batch of Baked Tortilla Chips. This technique will always work best with thinner tortillas, and if they are a bit older and have less moisture in them then even better!

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (12)

Migas

Crispy corn tortilla strips are the key to an authentic batch of Migas. Pile those strips into this delicious egg dish along with a freshly made Salsa Verde and you've got the perfect weekend morning recipe 🙂

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (13)

Chilaquiles with Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa

Have you made Chilaquiles before? You can use baked or fried tortilla strips/chips, just be sure to coat them with the Salsa at the very last minute so they don't sog up! I frequently serve 'em up for breakfast, but feel free to turn them into a delicious weeknight dinner 🙂

What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (14)

See, I told you there were LOADS of ways to use your corn tortillas 🙂

You'll get an infinite supply of meals from them -- I hope you found some new ideas in these list. Feel free to get in touch if you have questions about any of these recipes.

Enjoy!

Spicy Beef Taquitos

Enchiladas Suizas

Baked Tostada Shells

Bean Tostadas with Avocado, Queso Fresco, and Homemade Salsa

Black Bean and Guacamole Tostadas

Enfrijoladas

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Easy Taco Salad

Quick Poblano Soup with Mini Pico Quesadillas

Entomatadas

Baked Tortilla Chips

Migas

Chilaquiles with Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa

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What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas? 14 Mexican Recipes (15)

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What Else Can I Make with Corn Tortillas?  14 Mexican Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do Mexicans use corn tortillas for? ›

Uses. Corn tortillas are the basis of many traditional Mexican dishes, such as tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, flautas, quesadillas, chilaquiles, and tortilla soup.

What can I do with extra tortillas? ›

Layer Them: Similar to enchiladas — and other recipes which can make use of large amounts of leftover tortillas — make the traditional layered tortilla lasagna and tortilla casserole. Make Migas: Migas, a scramble of eggs and torn tortilla pieces, is a breakfast game-changer perfect for stale tortillas.

What is a Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas? ›

Many Mexican dishes are based in corn and tortilla such as tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, sopa de tortilla, etc. and families get together to eat and enjoy homemade food and accompany these meals with tortilla.

Can you freeze corn tortillas for later? ›

You can freeze both corn and flour tortillas. Freezing is an excellent way to extend tortillas' shelf life and allows you to make last-minute tacos al pastor, burritos, fajitas, quesadillas doradas, taquitos, or chicken enchiladas. To prevent freezer burn, keep tortillas tightly sealed in their packaging.

Can I freeze leftover corn tortillas? ›

Just like flour tortillas, you can freeze corn tortillas. Follow the same steps for freezing corn tortillas. If unopened, place in a freezer-safe bag and add a label and date. For open packages of corn tortillas, layer them with wax paper and place in a freezer-safe bag to freeze.

What are some ways Mexicans use tortillas? ›

Tortillas have hundreds of uses in Mexican cuisine. They can be fried to make chips, which you can dip into salsa, guacamole or queso. They can be filled with meats, cheese and veggies to make tacos or stuffed with beans and rice to make a burrito.

Do Mexicans prefer flour or corn tortillas? ›

Corn tortillas are seen as more authentic to Mexican dishes, corn has been a staple ingredient in Mexican cooking for thousands of years. Wheat, on the other hand, has only been around since the Spanish brought the crop with them when they arrived in the Americas.

How to make corn tortillas taste good? ›

10 Tips For Making Store-Bought Tortillas Taste Restaurant...
  1. Char them. ...
  2. Toast them in the oven. ...
  3. Fry them. ...
  4. Add water before warming. ...
  5. Steam them to keep them moist. ...
  6. Heat flour tortillas in butter. ...
  7. If you must use a microwave, wrap tortillas in plastic or a damp towel. ...
  8. Heat in large batches in the oven.
Jul 10, 2023

What is two tortillas with cheese called? ›

A quesadilla (/ˌkeɪsəˈdiːjə/; Spanish: [kesaˈðiʝa]; Mexican diminutive of quesada) is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese, and sometimes meats, spices, and other fillings such as chocolate, and then cooked on a griddle or stove.

Why do Mexican restaurants give you two tortillas? ›

Mexicans fondly refer to this as 'la copia' (literally: the copy). If you ask around, you'll be given many reasons for this. But a popular explanation is that the second tortilla can be used to make another taco with any fillings that spill out the side.

What is two tortillas with cheese in the middle called? ›

You may think of a quesadilla as cheese melted between two pre-cooked flour tortillas—an acceptable way to make this authentic Mexican antojito (snack). Another style, commonly sold as street food in Mexico, starts with an uncooked corn tortilla filled with cheese and/or other ingredients.

What are popular Mexican dishes? ›

Top 20 Mexican foods to try
  • Tacos al pastor. These tacos are made with marinated pork that is cooked on a spit and then sliced thin. ...
  • Enchiladas. These rolled tortillas are filled with meat or cheese and topped with a flavourful sauce. ...
  • Tamales. ...
  • Chiles rellenos. ...
  • Pozole. ...
  • Guacamole. ...
  • Sopaipillas. ...
  • Tortas.
Jan 29, 2023

What is a tortilla sandwich called? ›

Known as Mulitas in Mexican culture, highly seasoned chicken is sandwiched between homemade corn tortillas with shredded cheese and finished with guacamole or avocado, sour cream, pico de gallo or salsa, or whatever your favorite toppings are.

What is similar to enchiladas? ›

If you enjoy enchiladas, I would suggest tamales. Instead of a meat and/or cheese filled baked corn tortilla, a tamale is a shell of steamed cornmeal ( similar taste) that is usually filled with meat and wrapped before steaming in a clean, dried corn husk. To eat tamales, take off the husk and cut in bite-sized pieces.

How to do tortilla challenge in a group? ›

Each person takes a swig of water and then takes turns slapping the other, not with the hard palm of a hand, but with a pliable flour or corn tortilla. The playground game Rock, Paper, Scissors, determines who slaps first. The goal is to not spit out the water. The first who does, loses.

How to cook corn tortillas in bulk? ›

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Wrap your tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until fully heated through. We find that stacks of 6-8 tortillas or fewer works best. If you have more tortillas than this, you can do multiple packs at the same time.

How to cook multiple corn tortillas? ›

To do so, you will need some foil. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap a stack of about five tortillas in aluminum foil and place the package in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they are heated through.

How do you heat up corn tortillas without drying them out? ›

One way is to put the tortillas in a damp towel and then put them in a hot oven for a few minutes. Another way is to fry the tortillas in hot oil for a few seconds.

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