2-Ingredient Corn Tortillas + The Easiest Authentic Quesadilla Ever (VIDEO)

Innichka Chef
25 minutes ago
5 min read

There is something magical about cooking with a friend who grew up with a dish you’ve only admired from the outside. As a Ukrainian cook living in the Lowcountry, I love “traveling the world” from my kitchen—discovering new flavors, learning new techniques, and listening to the stories behind the food. This week, my kitchen took a trip to Mexico.

Woman smiling, holding a corn tortilla in front of a stack. Text reads: "just 2 ingredients corn tortillas." Warm, inviting atmosphere.

I invited my Mexican friend and returning guest to Innichka Chef to teach me how to make authentic corn tortillas from scratch, just the way her family has been making them for generations. And let me tell you—it’s fun, simple, and completely transformative once you taste a warm tortilla right off the pan. You won't buy corn tortillas ever again.

Two women in a kitchen; one holds up dough, smiling. Bright room with cabinets, window, and green walls, creating a cheerful ambiance.

After we mastered the tortillas, she showed me the most authentic way to make a Mexican quesadilla, something very different from the big, overloaded American-style versions. It’s simple, cheesy, comforting, and absolutely perfect.

Let me take you behind the scenes of this beautiful experience.

Yellow corn tortillas on a floral cloth, next to a blue plate with authentic Mexican quesadillas. Text labels each dish.

Why Homemade Corn Tortillas Are Worth It

If you’ve only had store-bought tortillas, homemade corn tortillas will change everything. They are:

Soft and warm
Slightly chewy
Lightly toasty from the pan
Naturally gluten-free
Only two ingredients
Free of chemicals, preservatives, stabilizers, and artificial additives

Store-bought tortillas often have a long list of ingredients to make them last on a shelf. That’s why they can have a slightly sour or “off” smell.

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But what about homemade corn tortillas?

And the best part? They puff beautifully when you cook them right.

A finger pressing a puffed golden tortilla on a black skillet, close-up. The setting is a kitchen with a stovetop in the background.

My guest said, “If your tortilla puffs, it means you did everything correctly.” That became our mission in the kitchen! My guest taught me that in Mexico, a perfectly puffed tortilla is more than a cooking technique — it’s a badge of honor. She even joked that if you know how to make the perfect tortilla, you’re ready to get married!

And honestly… after seeing those tortillas rise like little clouds, I understood why. It’s a mix of skill, intuition, and love — exactly what real food is all about.

What You Need to make corn tortillas?

Jar of salt, glass measuring cup with warm water, and a bag of Maseca masa harina on a gray marbled surface, labeled ingredients.

You only need a few simple ingredients:

1,5 cups Masa harina (yellow or white corn flour made for tortillas)
1 cup Warm water
A pinch of salt

Also:

A tortilla press
A hot pan (cast iron pan works best)

That’s it. No yeast, no eggs, no butter. The dough is naturally fragrant and soft — almost meditative to knead.

What is Masa Harina?

Isn’t it just regular cornmeal? What’s the difference?

No — masa harina and cornmeal are not the same.

Masa harina is a special flour made from corn any color, (we used yellow in the video) that has been nixtamalized — meaning the corn kernels are cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution, usually lime (calcium hydroxide). This process gives masa harina its unique flavor, aroma, and the ability to form a dough.

After soaking, the corn is washed, ground into fresh masa, then dried and ground again into a fine flour — masa harina.

Step 1 — Make the Masa (Dough)

Hands holding a ball of dough over a marbled countertop, with another person beside, wearing a blue patterned outfit and a bracelet.

We started by mixing:

1 cup masa harina (we used yellow )
3/4 to 1 cup warm water
½ teaspoon pink salt

The trick, she told me, is to hydrate the masa slowly until the dough feels like soft modeling clay — not sticky, not dry. When you squeeze it, it shouldn’t crack.

Step 2 — Pressing the Tortillas

Ball of dough on a tortilla press, covered with plastic, on a black and white marbled countertop. Partial view of arm on the left.

This was the fun part.

My guest showed me how to use the tortilla press:

Place the dough ball between two pieces of plastic.
Press gently — not too thin.
Peel it back carefully.

The first few were funny-shaped (mine!), but after a couple tries I felt like a tortilla expert. This is why cooking with a friend is priceless. We got a perfect looking small 8 tortillas.

Hands holding a round, pale yellow tortilla over a stove. Another tortilla cooks on a black skillet. Background has kitchen items.

Step 3 — Cooking the Tortillas

We heated the pan on medium-high until it was very hot.

Then:

Lay the tortilla down for 20–30 seconds.
Flip.
Press gently.
Watch it puff like a balloon!

When it puffs, it becomes soft and airy inside — perfect for quesadillas.

How to Make an Authentic Mexican Quesadilla

This was my favorite part.

Hands holding a folded dough over a granite countertop, with a bowl of shredded cheddar cheese nearby and a tortilla press visible.

Mexican quesadillas are all about simplicity and good tortillas. You don’t overload them with fillings. You let the tortilla shine.

All you need:

Fresh masa (the dough we made for making tortillas)
Mexican melting cheese (Oaxaca or Chihuahua, really any cheese will do).

Two empanadas cooking on a black skillet, surrounded by sizzling oil, set against a textured gray background.

Here’s how she showed me:

Press the ball of masa, just like you are making tortilla, then on a middle place a cheese, don't overload. Fold it closed. Then press the ends like a moon chape, and seal it. Will look like a Ukrainian dumpling called Varenik.

Cook on a hot cast iron pan with some oil. On each side for a few minutes, or until nice and golden. The cheese melts and the tortilla crisps lightly on both sides.

That’s it. No fuss, no extras. Just pure Mexican comfort food.

Beautiful addition to any tortillas is a salsa, try this:

Fermented Pico De Gallo (fresh Salsa)

Jar of vibrant fermented pico de gallo with diced vegetables; nearby are fresh tomatoes. Text reads "Fermented Pico De Gallo."

Why I Loved This Experience

Food becomes even more special when you learn it from someone whose hands have shaped it since childhood.

As a Ukrainian cook creating dishes from around the world, this moment reminded me why I love cooking so much:

It connects cultures.
It brings people together.
It lets us travel without leaving our kitchens.

And now I have a new skill—a tortilla press might become a permanent resident in my kitchen!

Hands holding a round, uncooked corn tortilla over a plastic sheet. The tortilla is yellow with a coarse texture, set against a dark background.

In Ukraine we have a flat bread that called Palyanytsia and can be cooked on a pan just like tortillas or in the oven. Can be used to serve with savory dishes or as sweet with poppy seed milk, this is my favorite to enjoy it. Reminds me childhood, very much like a cereal in US. Check out for the recipe here.