If you love making Mexican and Latin American dishes, you'll be happy to know that finding a substitute for masa harina flour is easy. My guide will help you find the perfect alternative for homemade tamales, fresh corn tortillas, vegan pupusas, and more!
What Is Masa Harina
Masa harina, meaning "dough flour," is a key ingredient in Latin American and Mexican cuisine. It's essential for making traditional dishes like tortillas, tamales, and my delicious vegan pupusas.
Masa harina is made from dried hominy, which is field corn treated through a process called nixtamalization. This involves soaking the corn kernels in a solution of water and calcium hydroxide, commonly known as lime water.
The nixtamalization process softens the corn's tough outer skin and transforms its texture and flavor, making it easier to grind into a fine powder. The result is masa harina, which has a unique, slightly tangy flavor that sets it apart from regular cornmeal or corn flour.
It comes in white, yellow, and blue varieties, each bringing its own distinct flavor and color to foods.
Masa also has a few known health benefits that make it good for you. For starters, it is easier to digest than most corn products. It is also high in niacin, calcium, and iron. And to top it off, masa is naturally gluten-free.
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Best Masa Harina Substitutes
Sometimes you just can't make it to your local Mexican market to pick up some masa harina, or you need an alternative due to dietary restrictions.
Luckily, there are several substitutes that can help you achieve similar results in your recipes. Here are some of the best masa harina substitutes for various dishes.
1. Corn Flour
Corn flour is a finely ground flour from dried corn kernels. It's similar in texture to masa harina but doesn't have the same distinctive flavor.
It's great for thickening soups and stews because it gives a smoother consistency like masa harina. If you're making homemade corn tortillas or tamales, add a bit of lime juice to get a hint of that traditional tanginess.
How to Use It: Use corn flour in a 1:1 ratio as a substitute for masa harina flour. Mix it with water to get a pliable dough, just like you would with masa harina.
2. Cornmeal
Cornmeal is coarser than corn flour and comes in different grind sizes. Made from ground dried corn, it doesn't go through the nixtamalization process, so it has a plainer corn flavor.
Its coarser texture works well in cornbread, muffins, and some dumplings. For Mexican food like tortillas or tamales, grind it to make fine cornmeal and add a bit of lime juice to mimic masa harina's flavor.
How to Use It: Use cornmeal in a 1:1 ratio as a replacement for masa harina.
3. Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a fine, powdery starch from corn kernels' endosperm. It's mainly used as a thickening agent because of its neutral flavor and smooth texture. It’s a perfect masa harina substitute for thickening soups, sauces, and gravies but not ideal for dough-based recipes.
How to Use It: Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water). Gradually add this slurry to your dish, stirring continuously to avoid clumps and achieve a smooth consistency.
4. Ground Tortillas
Ground corn tortillas are a handy substitute in masa harina recipes since tortillas are made from masa harina. Grinding stale or fresh tortillas into a fine powder creates a flour-like consistency that works in many recipes.
This substitute is especially good for making homemade tortillas, tamales, and other dough-based recipes, as it closely matches the flavor.
How to Use It: Grind stale or fresh corn tortillas in a food processor until fine. Use this powder in a 1:1 ratio as a masa harina flour substitute.
5. Canned Hominy
Canned hominy is nixtamalized and cooked corn, which has masa harina's unique flavor. It’s a great substitute for recipes like tamales and tortillas where flavor and texture are crucial.
How to Use It: Puree canned hominy into a dough-like consistency using a food processor. Use this hominy corn dough in a 1:1 ratio as you would masa harina.
6. Masa Preparada
Masa preparada is fresh masa dough ready for use. It's convenient and ensures your dishes have an authentic taste. You can find the prepared dough in most Mexican grocery stores.
How to Use It: Use masa preparada directly in any recipe that calls for masa dough. No need to mix it with water or other ingredients. Use it in a 1:1 ratio.
7. Polenta
Polenta, commonly used in Italian cuisine, comes from yellow corn and is coarser than masa harina. It lacks the same flavor since it isn’t nixtamalized. Polenta works well in dishes where a coarser texture is acceptable, such as certain types of cornbread or as a base for savory dishes.
How to Use It: Use dry polenta in a 1:1 ratio as a substitute for masa harina. For tortillas or tamales, grind it finer to match masa harina’s texture.
8. Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is a starchy flour from the arrowroot plant's root. It has a neutral flavor and excellent thickening properties, making it a good substitute for masa harina flour in some recipes.
However, it doesn’t work for dough-based recipes like tortillas or tamales due to its different texture and lack of corn flavor.
How to Use It: Like cornstarch, mix arrowroot powder with cold water to create a slurry (equal parts arrowroot and cold water) before adding it to your dish.
9. Flour
Wheat flour is a versatile ingredient that you can easily use as a substitute for masa harina flour. It works well for making dough or as a thickening agent. However, it won’t provide the same flavor or texture.
How to Use It: Use all purpose wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio as a masa harina substitute. If attempting to use gluten free flour it must be a one-to-one gluten free flour substitute that contains xanthan gum.
10. Grits
Made from ground corn, grits come in different grind sizes. They’re usually coarser than masa harina and lack the nixtamalized tangy flavor.
They work well in recipes where a coarser texture is fine, like cornbread or as a thickener in soups and stews. To get closer to masa harina’s tangy flavor, add a bit of lime juice to the grits.
How to Use It: Use corn grits as a masa harina flour substitute in a 1:1 ratio. For a finer texture, grind the grits in a food processor.
11. Tortilla Chips
Tortilla chips are made from corn tortillas, which are made from masa harina, so they have a similar flavor. The texture might be a bit different, but they work well as a substitute for recipes like tortillas, tamales, or even as a thickener in soups and stews.
How to Use It: Grind the corn chips or corn taco shells in a food processor until you get a fine, flour-like consistency. Use this ground mixture in a 1:1 ratio to replace masa harina. If the ground chips are too salty, reduce the salt in your recipe.
Finding an alternative that will replicate the same taste and texture is challenging. All purpose flour works best for making tortillas. Arrowroot powder works well as a thickener for soups, sauces, and gravies.
For making corn tortillas, the best substitute for masa harina flour is corn flour because it has a similar texture, even though it lacks the unique flavor of masa harina. Ground tortillas and canned hominy also work well.
When making pupusas, your best bets are masa preparada, corn flour, and ground tortillas. Go with masa preparada if you can find it since it’s essentially fresh masa dough and offers the closest flavor and texture.
If you’re using corn flour, mix it in a 1:1 ratio with some lime juice to help mimic the tangy flavor of masa harina.
Ground tortillas also make a great substitute. Just grind them into a fine powder, and you’ll get a similar taste and texture for your pupusas.
No, you can't simply grind dried corn kernels to make masa harina. Masa harina comes from nixtamalized corn, which means the kernels have been soaked in an alkaline solution like lime water.
This soaking process softens the outer skin and enhances the flavor and nutritional content, giving masa harina its unique taste and texture.
Just grinding dried corn won't achieve the same results because it skips this crucial step.
Wrapping It Up
As you can see, finding a good substitute for masa harina flour isn't as tough as it might seem. There are plenty of options from everyday pantry items like cornmeal and regular flour to more authentic options like masa preparada and ground hominy.
While masa preparada gives you the closest match in taste and texture of masa harina, if I had to pick the overall best substitute that you can find at any local grocery store, it would be corn flour. It’s widely available, has a similar texture, and can be easily adapted to mimic masa harina's flavor with the addition of a little bit of fresh lime juice.
Each masa harina flour substitute has its own strengths. Cooking is all about experimenting, so have fun with it!
Mexican & Latin American Favorites
Best Substitute For Masa Harina Flour
Ingredients
Overall Best Substitute for Masa Harina
- Corn flour
Instructions
- Replace masa harina with an equal amount of corn flour. Add a little lime juice to give it a more authentic flavor.
Notes
- Cornmeal: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Grind finer if necessary and add lime juice to mimic masa harina's flavor.
- Cornstarch: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Mix with cold water to create a slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water).
- Ground Tortillas: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Grind stale or fresh corn tortillas in a food processor until fine.
- Canned Hominy: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Puree canned hominy into a dough-like consistency using a food processor.
- Masa Preparada: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Use directly in any recipe that calls for masa dough.
- Polenta: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Grind finer if necessary to match masa harina’s texture.
- Arrowroot Powder: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Mix with cold water to create a slurry (equal parts arrowroot and water).
- Flour: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Mix with water to form a dough or use as a thickening agent.
- Tortilla Chips: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Grind tortilla chips in a food processor until you get a fine, flour-like consistency.
- Grits: Use in a 1:1 ratio. Grind the grits finer if necessary and add lime juice to mimic masa harina's flavor.
Gregg Spencer says
I live in Southeast Asia and although I have seen Masa Harina listed various places I have yet to get my hands on any. I want to make corn tortillas (also not in evidence here). Hominy is likewise not an option. I noticed that you mentioned the possibility of using corn flour with some lime juice and/or baking soda, all of which I have. Have you got a recipe? How much of each should I try?
Thanks
Kim Grimmett says
Hi Gregg! Oh I feel your pain. I love SE Asia. I lived there for a while many years ago, but missed Mexican food. So I've not tried this way! However, I just did a little more research and here is a good starting point. I think I may actually try this myself to see the results. It would be awesome to be able to add a recipe to the post.
Ingredients:
2 cups of corn flour
3 tablespoons of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 1/2 to 2 cups of warm water
Instructions:
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the corn flour and baking soda. Stir well to ensure the baking soda is evenly distributed throughout the corn flour.
Add Lime Juice: Mix the lime juice with the warm water. Gradually add this mixture to the dry ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 cups.
Mix and Knead: Mix until the dough starts to come together, then knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and pliable. If the dough is too dry, add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time. If it’s too wet, sprinkle in a bit more corn flour.
Rest the Dough: Cover the dough with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes. This allows the ingredients to fully integrate and the dough to hydrate properly.
Use as Needed: After resting, your masa harina substitute is ready to use.
Gregg Spencer says
Bless you, Kim. Thanks for the immediate response and the recipe. I will be trying it very soon. Now I have to find tomatillos and Poblanos, then I’m nearly set.
Cassandra says
I never thought of using corn tortillas or hominy for my tamales. Could you use a mixture of the 2?
Kim Grimmett says
I've not tried but I don't see why it wouldn't work.