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Home » Corn Tortillas » Tri Colored Corn Tortillas

Tri Colored Corn Tortillas

September 14, 2021Leave a Comment

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This is not my first attempt at tri-colored corn tortillas! Why not just leave well enough alone? Because it’s boring to repeat the same thing over and over without challenging yourself! Doesn’t work the first time, come back to it and try again. I will be the first one to admit that I learn from my cooking mistakes. Next time I attempt it and it comes out just right. it’s the most satisfying feeling ever.

close up tri colored corn tortillas

I Love Flour, But Corn Has A Special Place!

Corn tortillas, that is. Ever since I can remember corn tortillas played a big part of my growing up. My dad, Ramiro, was one of the pioneers (he didn’t invent the tortilla) in the commercial corn tortilla manufacturing business in the late 60’s and early 70’s. He worked for Casa Herrera, in Los Angeles, for a few years until he decided to start his own tortilla machinery business. In honor of my dad and Mexico’s Independence Day, September 16th, tri-colored tortillas in the colors of the Mexican flag. Ok, they are as close as the colors can be without using dyes, lol! I am ok with that. You get the idea, right?

Pressing Decision!

What tortilla press works best? That really is up to the individual. What works best for me, may not work best for another person. I have both cast iron and wooden presses. I favor a small wooden press on most days. My homemade tortillas are typically 5 inches, but if I need a larger tortilla, I will use the larger press. They can be found online and in most Mexican grocery stores.

stacked tri colored corn tortillas in warmer with kitchen towel
Invest in an inexpensive tortilla warmer!!
tri colored corn tortillas in tortilla warmer close up
Tortillas should be soft and pliable when cooked and covered correctly.
pinterest image of tri colored corn tortillas up close
rolled corn tortilla
The roll test! Perfect!

Natural Colored Corn Masa

Natural colored masa! Yes! I will admit, I used food colorings in many, many recipes over the years. I try to use organic food coloring when it comes to preparing my concha candy topping. Otherwise, I just leave them white or use cocoa powder for coloring and flavor.

Colored corn masa individually wrapped on cutting board
If you are not crazy about using kale for the green color, use spinach, parsley or other dark green leafy vegetables. Jalapeños are good, but don’t yield that intense green color.
weighing out sections of corn masa on digital scale
This 20 dollar digital scale has been the best investment!

This is Where It Gets Serious! Lol!

The most tedious part of the recipe is rolling the individual masa colors. It has to be done though. I tried rolling the colors as I needed them and ended up getting red and green all over the regular colored masa. It was getting messy, so stopped. I washed my hands and started rolling the individual colors. Things went a lot smoother after that.

rolled sections of corn masa in plastic storage bags
This is where the recipe will seem to go on forever and ever, lol!
tri colored masa side by side in tortilla press
Keep the tops and bottoms flat. It will yield a more uniform tri colored tortilla
pressed tortilla before cooking up close
Five inch tortillas
tortilla cooking on a nonstick griddle
tri colored corn tortillas in tortilla warmer with wooden tortilla press
Tri colored tortillas laid out on kitchen towel to dry out a little before storing in plastic storage bags
Letting the tortillas air out a little before I store them in plastic storage bags.
laid out tortillas on kitchen towel
tortillas in plastic storage bags
tri colored corn tortillas up close

Tri Colored Corn Tortillas

Of course you don't have to make 45 tortillas, lol! I had to in order to know how many tortillas the masa recipe would yield. The tortillas are delicious, fun and a little challenging! Love it!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Tortillas
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 45 Tortillas

Equipment

  • Large Griddle/Comal
  • Blender
  • tortilla press

Ingredients

  • Green Corn Masa see recipe link above
  • Regular Corn Masa see recipe link above
  • Red Corn Masa see recipe link above

Instructions

  • This is definitely a hands on recipe, labor intensive, but worth it. It also depends on how many tortillas you are looking to make. You could save some of the masa for other recipes, such as tamales, sopes, gorditas, huaraches or chochoyotes!
  • For a 4 inch corn tortilla, you want to weigh out 18-20 grams of each color masa. Roll in between the palms of your hands until it resembles a short skinny cigar. Lay the colors, green, white and red side by side on a lined tortilla press. Press gently at first, then harder until desired thickness. I used a small press so I couldn't go further than 4 1/2 inches wide.
  • On a large preheated (right below medium heat)nonstick griddle, skillet or comal cook the tortillas for about 1 minute more or less. Flip them the first time as soon as they release from the nonstick surface. After about 20 seconds, flip it the second time. after 15 seconds or so, flip a third time. This is when you should see the tortillas inflate a little or a lot sometimes. I find that the single color tortillas inflate a lot better than the tri colored ones.
  • If your tortillas don't inflate, there's a chance they may have overcooked already, or the temperature on the griddle needs to be turned up slightly. If they stick, bubble up in spots and burn on one side, the surface may be too hot. The first couple of tortillas are typically testers.
  • As your tortillas are done cooking, place them in a large tortilla warmer that is lined with a light kitchen towel. No tortilla warmer, use a deep pot with a lid. That works too, just add an extra towel at the bottom.
  • If you have not figured it out yet, I am very detail oriented, lol! Get that from my parents! Once you are all done cooking your tortillas, keep them covered the whole time. Now would be the time to use the tortillas if you want to prepare folded tacos dorados with a premade filling. Or rolled taquitos or flautas. They are easy to roll when freshly made. Let tortillas cool covered, then lay them out on a clean kitchen towel to air out for about 20 minutes. Store in plastic storage bags, refrigerated for 3-4 days.
  • To reheat, preheat griddle or comal until very hot. Heat tortillas stacked and turn as needed. As soon as they soften, transfer to a covered tortilla warmer so they steam a little. If you want to prepare enchiladas fry them lightly for 15 seconds per side in preheated oil. Drain on paper towels.

Notes

If the quantity of the masa seems a bit too much, just cut all of the ingredients in half. I don’t recommend freezing the masa because it will dry out. The masa harina is different that purchasing fresh ground masa. Other ingredients that can be used to add colors to tortillas are beets, carrots, poblanos, cactus, cilantro, red or green jalapeños, turmeric, achiote and good quality chile powders.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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Filed Under: Corn Tortillas, Corn Tortillas, Tortillas, Traditional Mexican Recipes Tagged With: Corn Tortillas, Tortillas, Tri Colored Tortillas

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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