The Best Store-Bought Corn Tortillas Are Made With Only These Ingredients

It can be difficult to decide whether corn or flour tortillas are better for your dish, but opting for corn is usually a good call and is often more authentic. There's nothing quite like ones made fresh in Mexican restaurants or by street vendors, but when you're seeking a quick bite, store-bought tortillas can be a necessary option. You may struggle to pick a brand or style that can give you the flexibility, flavor, and texture you need. To get that, you should avoid ones that smell sour or look cracked on the edges. Other than that, one key thing to do is check the ingredients and look for something called "nixtamal."

Nixtamal is a substance made with dried and then cooked corn, that is slaked in cal, or calcium hydroxide, which is a type of lye. The corn gets limestone-ground into a fine meal that is then formed into the tortilla, as has been done for thousands of years. When made with this ingredient, you end up with a store-bought tortilla that is salty, tasty, and as flexible as some that are made fresh. While masa harina is common and can be tasty in the right circumstances, nixtamal has a forward flavor, scent, and even smokiness that complements most food you'd use it with. Ideally, when you check a packaged tortilla's ingredients, you should see nothing other than salt, water, lye, and nixtamal corn. Sometimes, it only has three of those!

One of the reasons this type of corn tortilla is simply the best is how easily you can prepare it. You can properly heat corn tortillas from the store in a pan on your stove, or even in the microwave if you don't mind extra softness. When selecting one to start with, look for a packaging date that's as recent as possible, as fresher tortillas are always going to be better. When applying to heat, you won't need to leave it on the dry pan or griddletop for more than a minute, so keep a watchful eye. Cover the prepared tortillas so they don't lose heat before serving. When heated and used in tacos, tostadas, or other more traditional dishes, nixtamal corn tortillas have a lightly crispy exterior while still remaining pliable and bendable.

When on the search for the best store-bought tortillas with nixtamal, there are a few brands to keep in mind. Ramirez & Sons uses packaging that says "Nixtamal" right on the front, so it's hard to miss. La Milpa De Rosa sells to many major grocery chains and has a whole section on its website talking about why it uses nixtamal. Casa Rica uses an ancient recipe for its tortillas, and has instructions on its site to give you the best cooking results. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, homemade tortillas are a worthy alternative, even if they rarely end up looking perfect. You can search Mexican markets or grocery stores for the right ingredients, or order online if your options are few.