How to Use Corn Tortillas

Do you have a bag of corn tortillas in your cupboard or refrigerator just sitting there getting stale?

If you’re curious about how to use corn tortillas, but feel like it’s too much of an undertaking, think again!

Corn tortillas – whether they’re the soft round variety or the triangular crunchy chip – are incredibly versatile. And finding clever ways to use them is also amazingly easy.

How to Use Corn Tortillas – Simplified

You can use crunchy corn tortilla chips to make delicious and easy sopa de tortilla (tortilla soup) or chilaquiles, or simply swap out dough for a soft corn tortilla to make your own version of a Mexican pizza or stromboli.

The possibilities are endless.

And if your tortillas could use a little refreshing, that’s no problem. Just wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave for one minute. If you don’t have a microwave, you can heat them in the oven at a very low temperature for 15-20 minutes.

To get your creative juices flowing, we’ll look at three ways simple ways you can save those tortillas from landing in the garbage heap.

Quesadillas

Quesadillas are one of the easiest ways to make use of those tortillas. At the most basic level, they’re simply corn tortillas folded over cheese, sautéed in a pan, and then topped with salsa and maybe some sour cream.

But you can spice them up by adding shrimp, pork, chicken, beef, or beans. Toss in some onions and peppers and you’ve got a quick and tasty meal, hot out of the pan.

Air Fryer Taquitos

If you’re on-trend and have an air fryer, why not put those corn tortillas to good use in easy-to-make taquitos?

Simply preheat the air fryer to 350°, then grab a big bowl and throw in a couple of eggs, bread crumbs, taco seasoning, and your favorite meat or beans.

Spread a small amount of mixture down the center of the tortilla, roll it up tightly, and secure it with toothpicks.

Arrange taquitos in a single layer on a greased tray in the air fryer basket and spritz them with cooking spray. Cook and turn them until meat is cooked through and taquitos are crispy and slightly browned. This is usually about 12-15 minutes.

Dutch Oven Enchiladas

Even if you don’t have an air fryer, you probably have a Dutch oven. So try this.

Mix several cups of cooked chicken, an undiluted can of condensed cream of chicken soup, a can of black beans, your favorite enchilada sauce or salsa, and maybe some green chile peppers.

Take 1/3 of the mixture and spread it on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Top it with 3 overlapping tortillas (or a layer of crunchy tortillas) and cheese. Do that two more times, then slide it into a 350° oven for about an hour.

Think of it as Mexican lasagna!

That’s Just the Tip of the Tortilla

Now that you know how to use corn tortillas in just a handful of ways, you’re hopefully feeling inspired to come up with your own creations.

But if not, don’t worry. That’s why we’re here.

You can always find a lot of other great ideas and recipes on our blog. So keep coming back!