Whether you're making tacos, enchiladas, or just craving a fresh tortilla snack, it can be helpful to know how to heat corn tortillas properly. Here are 3 easy ways that I love to use-oven, stovetop and microwave-to get them perfectly warm and pliable in minutes!
Come summertime, I seem to be steady heating up tortillas. My go-to method for recipes like halibut tacos, Korean kimchi tacos or taco cups with tortillas is to warm the corn tortillas in the oven.
It's super easy and great for bulk heating-you just pop them in while you prep the fillings, and by the time you're ready to assemble, they're perfectly warm and ready to go.
However, when I'm feeling a bit more hands-on, I love tossing them in a hot pan for that toasty, golden finish. And if I'm in a rush (you know, one of those "need-it-done-yesterday" moments), the microwave does the trick.
Choose whatever works best for you in the moment-but trust me, having all three methods in your back pocket is a game-changer, whether you're serving a crowd or simply family.
Not only does warming the tortillas make them less likely to tear and easier to work with but it provides better flavor and texture.
Jump to:
🫓 Ingredients
Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are made with corn flour, which makes them a gluten free alternative to flour tortillas. They can be white or yellow, depending on the corn used. They do have a slightly different texture and flavor, but that's part of their charm. Plus, they bring that wonderfully authentic touch to any Mexican-inspired dish.
♨️ How to Heat Corn Tortillas in the Oven
Step 1. Wrap in foil. Set your oven to 350°F to preheat. Take a small stack of corn tortillas, wrap them snugly in foil, and tuck them into a little packet.
Step 2. Transfer to oven. Set the foil packet on a baking sheet and pop it into the oven. Let it bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until everything's warmed through.
Chef's Note: The time it takes will depend on the size of the stack. Consider doing multiple stacks for big batches.
🥘 How to Warm Corn Tortillas in a Frying Pan
Step 1. Pre-heat the pan. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. You do not need to add oil.
Step 2. Fry the tortillas. Lay a corn tortilla in the pan and let it fry for about 30 seconds on each side, just until it's warmed through and lightly crisp. Repeat with the rest.
🌡️ How to Heat Corn Tortillas in the Microwave
Step 1. Spray towel. Line a plate with some paper towel and give it a light mist of water-just enough to moisten, not soak.
Step 2. Stack tortillas. Stack the tortillas on the moist, paper towel-lined plate.
Step 3. Spray again. Top with another sheet of paper towel and give that a light mist, too-just enough to keep things gently damp.
Step 4. Microwave. Place it in the microwave and heat for 30-60 seconds, or until heated through.
👉 Joss' Top Tips
- There is nothing worse than warming up a tortilla only to have it cool a few minutes later. That's a waste of your hard work! To keep the tortillas warm without any special equipment, I recommend keeping them stacked on a plate, covered with a clean kitchen towel. You should do this right after heating until serving time, but also while you're frying individual tortillas in a pan.
- Avoid microwaving for too long--it dries them out super quickly and they become inedible in my opinion.
- Warming the tortillas helps to stop them from breaking or tearing apart, but there are a couple of other tricks too--like doubling up on soft corn tortillas (using two per taco) and choosing white corn tortillas, which tend to be softer.
🌮 Ways to Use Corn Tortillas
- tacos
- chicken enchiladas
- fajitas
- quesadillas--try these delicious kimchi quesadillas
- tostadas
- tortilla chips with white nacho cheese
❓ Recipe FAQs
When you're heating up corn tortillas on a large scale, like for a buffet or taco bar party, you have options such as using a tortilla warmer (cloth or ceramic), slow cooker on warm--covered in a clean, damp towel or in a 200°F oven wrapped in foil.
You should expect to serve at least 2 to 3 tortillas per person. This will depend on how many sides there are to go with and how hungry your guests are! Corn tortillas are generally smaller than flour tortillas so keep that in mind, too.
White corn tortillas → Great for soft tacos, enchiladas, or when rolling/folding.
Yellow corn tortillas → Great for frying, grilling, hard tacos or when you need a bolder flavor.
You can thaw them first (they thaw pretty quickly at room temp) and then use the microwave method outlined here to keep them moist as you heat them.
You can store them in their original packaging or zip-top bag in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store-bought normally last longer than homemade, up to a few weeks. You can also freeze them once they've cooled, in a freezer bag, for up to 6 months.
🔪 More Handy Cooking Tutorials to Try
What's your favorite heating trick? If you tried this 📋 recipe tutorial for 🫓 How to Heat Corn Tortillas or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
How to Heat Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas - or as many as needed
Instructions
Stove-Top
- Heat a frying pan to medium heat. You do not need to add oil.
- Place a corn tortilla in the pan and fry for about 30 seconds per side, until warmed through and a bit crispy.
- Repeat for remaining tortillas. You can keep them warm on a plate, covered with a clean kitchen towel, as you are frying.
In the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap a stack of corn tortillas in aluminum foil and fold it up to form a packet.
- Place the foil packet on a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until heated through.
Microwave
- Place some paper towel on a plate. Spray it lightly with a bit of water to moisten it (don't soak it).
- Stack the tortillas on the moist paper towel-lined plate.
- Cover with another piece of paper towel and moisten it with the spray bottle as well.
- Place it in the microwave and heat for 30-60 seconds, or until heated through.
Equipment
- tortilla warmer optional
Notes
- Keeping them warm for small gathering: To keep the tortillas warm without any special equipment, I recommend keeping them stacked on a plate, covered with a clean kitchen towel. You should do this right after heating until serving time, but also while you're frying individual tortillas in a pan.
- Keeping them warm for a buffet: When you're heating up corn tortillas on a large scale, like for a buffet or taco bar party, you have options such as using a tortilla warmer (cloth or ceramic), slow cooker on warm--covered in a clean, damp towel or in a 200°F oven wrapped in foil.
- To reheat frozen tortillas: You can thaw them first (they thaw pretty quickly at room temp) and then use the microwave method outlined here to keep them moist as you heat them.
- How to store them: You can store them in their original packaging or zip-top bag in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store-bought normally last longer than homemade, up to a few weeks. You can also freeze them once they've cooled, in a freezer bag, for up to 6 months.
- Microwave tip: Avoid microwaving for too long--it dries them out super quickly and they become inedible in my opinion.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
This is a super handy tutorial and all three methods work great!