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 can I use corn tortillas for? ›

35 Unbelievably Delicious Ways to Turn Tortillas into a Meal
  • 1 / 35. Breakfast Burritos. ...
  • 2 / 35. Crispy Chicken Taquitos. ...
  • 3 / 35. Steak Quesadillas. ...
  • 4 / 35. Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos. ...
  • 5 / 35. Huevos Rancheros. ...
  • 6 / 35. Cheesy Potato Quesadillas with Chipotle Mayo. ...
  • 7 / 35. Chicken Burritos. ...
  • 8 / 35. Turkey Pinwheels.
Apr 10, 2024

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.

Which five of these dishes make use of tortillas as a taco essential? ›

Mexican dishes made with tortillas are tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tostadas, chilaquiles, soup, and so on.

Why do you dip corn tortillas in water? ›

You could set up a steamer, but much faster is to simply dip the tortilla in water and toss it straight on a hot surface. As the surface moisture evaporates, it steams the tortilla until it's soft all the way through. Meanwhile, the hot contact with the pan gives it some nice toasty browned spots.

What are 4 popular Mexican dishes? ›

filters
  • 1 Nachos81%
  • 2 Burritos80%
  • 3 Fajitas79%
  • 4 Salsa79%
  • 5 Quesadilla79%
  • 6 Guacamole68%
  • 7 Chili con Carne66%
  • 8 Chimichangas65%

What is a Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas? ›

chilaquiles, a Mexican dish consisting of strips or pieces of corn tortillas that are fried, then sautéed with green or red salsa, and topped with cheese, crema (a sweet, thin cream sauce), and onion.

What is a Mexican dish of filled tortilla called? ›

Burrito. One of the more common Mexican dishes in America, a burrito is a flour tortilla filled with a protein (usually chicken, pork, beef, or steak), rice, beans, and other fillings like lettuce and salsa before being wrapped so it's easy to hold in your hand.

Why do Mexicans use corn tortillas? ›

Using corn to make foods like tortillas is a practice that dates as far back as 10,000 B.C. as a staple of the Aztec diet. When the Spanish came to Mexico in the 1500s, they (understandably) loved the local food but wanted to add a few things from home to it. One of those things was wheat flour to make tortillas.

Is a type of corn used to make tortillas and other Mexican dishes? ›

Hominy (Pozole) and Masa

The form of maize most used in Mexican cuisine is dent corn that has undergone the nixtamalición process. First, the kernels are removed from the cob and dried. The dried kernels are boiled in water that contains cal, or slaked lime.

What is this Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla rolled around a filling? ›

An enchilada (/ˌɛntʃɪˈlɑːdə/, Spanish: [entʃiˈlaða]) is a Mexican dish consisting of a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce.

What are two Mexican dishes made from tortillas? ›

Tortillas are used in an astounding number of Mexican dishes, including tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. A tostada is a corn tortilla that has been fried or toasted. The word tostada means “toasted” in Spanish.

What are 15 toppings for tacos? ›

Toppings
  • Shredded cheese.
  • Shredded lettuce.
  • Pickled red onion.
  • Jalapeño slices.
  • Chopped tomatoes.
  • Sliced black olives.
  • Shredded Mexican cheese.
  • Diced white onion.

What is the best way to eat corn tortillas? ›

15 Tasty Ways To Use Corn Tortillas!
  1. Breakfast tacos. Scramble some egg whites with onions and peppers, roll them in corn tortillas and add fresh pico or salsa. ...
  2. Tostadas! ...
  3. Mini quesadillas. ...
  4. Add into soup. ...
  5. Tacos. ...
  6. Make an enchilada lasagna! ...
  7. Make homemade chips! ...
  8. Dessert nachos- An even tastier way to do chips!
Oct 28, 2022

Are corn tortillas healthier than flour? ›

When it comes to nutrition, corn tortillas have the advantage of being made from whole grains, with fewer calories, sodium, and carbs but more fiber than flour tortillas. They're also gluten-free. As for cooking and eating, some people complain that corn tortillas break easily.

Can you use corn tortillas instead of flour? ›

While corn tortillas are less sturdy than flour tortillas, they don't absorb liquids from meats, sauces, and condiments like flour tortillas do. That's why corn tortillas are more commonly used to hold taco fillings. They are also found in hard and soft shell varieties.

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