The Best Way to Reheat Tortillas for a Taco Party
Fresh corn tortillas, ready for a taco bar. Photo: Flickr, Annie
Taco party! Cinco de Mayo has arrived, and Americans nationwide will shortly be rushing to their town’s best margarita bar, tucking into their favorite south-of-the-border standbys, and perhaps tipping back a few tequila shots before night’s end.
But if you are hosting a fiesta at home, replete with none-too-somber sombrero decor and, a taco bar, here’s some advise on how to serve a gazillion spirited Mexican food fans and keep those corn tortilla shells fresh.We surveyed a few taco pros. Here are your options:
Make fresh tortillas from masa
Not everyone will have the time or energy to cook fresh masa tortillas, but for those who can, they can be dreamily delicious. Bon Appétit has a simple recipe if you’ve got a tortilla press: Just cook them in a lightly oiled skillet and swaddle them in a blanket to keep ‘em warm.
Microwave store-bought tortillas.
Frowned upon by some purists but handy in a pinch, yes, those tortillas can go into the microwave. Rick Bayless suggests an evenly moistened kitchen towel set in a microwave-proof casserole.
Dip tortillas in water, then toss on to a skillet.
J. Kenji-Lopez Alt at Serious Eats suggests a simple riff on Bayless’s steaming technique: Dip tortillas in water, then drop them on a hot skillet. You’ll get, he promises, moist, barely flaky tortillas. Stack and wrap in a towel.
Use a barely greased skillet.
Reheat the tortillas in a lightly oiled skillet, says Bayless, like street vendors do in Mexico. Then do that same swaddling trick with a blanket in a basket.
Fire ‘em up!
Some of us love simply grabbing each tortilla by its edge with tongs and dipping it right into the flame atop a stove. The risk? Blisters and black spots and a mix of supple and slightly crisp texture, if you’re into that. (Many of us taco fanatics are!)
Molé carnitas taco with crema, pickled red onions, and cilantro. Photo: Alex Van Buren, Instagram
What else do you need? Not a lot: A bowl of lime hunks, another of minced white onion, a third of red salsa, a fourth of green tomatillo salsa, your meat or protein of choice, and always, always, forever guac.
