Out of Masa harina, one case

Can you substitute cornmeal for masa harina?

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Fine cornmeal

Same amount as the masa harina

Not for tortillas, tamales or pupusas. Masa harina is made from corn cooked in limewater (nixtamalized), which is what lets it form a dough; cornmeal is plain ground corn and makes a paste that cracks and crumbles. Cornmeal does work in the same amount where masa harina is only a thickener or a coating, as in chili and soup. Use fine cornmeal and simmer it at least 15 minutes so it loses its grit.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Whisk it with a few tablespoons of cold water or broth before stirring it in, then simmer at least 15 minutes.
Best for —: thickening chili
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full masa harina card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Masa harina substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of masa harina	Verdict
1	Fine cornmealthickening chili	Same amountTweak it	Tweak it
2	Corn flourthickening chili and soup	Same amountTweak it	Tweak it
3	Corn tortillaschili	1 corn tortilla per 2 tbspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Fresh masacorn tortillas	10 oz per cupWorks	Works
5	Masarepaarepas	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Cornmeal + lime juice	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Fine cornmeal

sweet corn flavor; the earthy tortilla note is missing

Plain dried corn, ground. It thickens a pot of chili or soup the way masa harina does and adds a mild corn flavor, without the toasted, tortilla-like taste.

Best for: thickening chili, thickening soups and stews, dusting and dredging
Prep: Whisk it with a few tablespoons of cold water or broth before stirring it in, then simmer at least 15 minutes.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Tortillas, tamales, pupusas, gorditas and sopes. Cornmeal and water do not bind into a dough that can be pressed or shaped.

Medium or coarse cornmeal, polenta and grits stay gritty much longer. Use the finest grind you have.

Corn flour

mild corn, smoother than cornmeal

Whole corn ground as fine as wheat flour, not treated with lime. It dissolves into a sauce more smoothly than cornmeal. In the UK the word cornflour means cornstarch, which is a different product.

Best for: thickening chili and soup, breading, cornbread and muffins
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Any dough. Like cornmeal it has not been nixtamalized and will not hold together as a tortilla.

Corn tortillas

the same toasted corn flavor as masa harina

Corn tortillas are made from masa, so they carry the flavor cornmeal cannot. Torn up and simmered, they break down and thicken the pot. One 6-inch tortilla per 2 tablespoons of masa harina is a starting amount.

Best for: chili, tortilla soup and pozole, enchilada sauce
Prep: Tear them small, simmer 10 to 15 minutes, and stir or blend until smooth. Plain tortilla chips work the same way but add salt.
Where it fails: Doughs. A cooked tortilla cannot be turned back into masa for pressing.

Fresh masa

the same, and fresher

Prepared corn dough sold at tortillerias and Latin markets. It is what masa harina becomes once water is added, so it is the real swap for tortillas and tamales. About 10 oz of dough stands in for 1 cup of masa harina plus its water.

Best for: corn tortillas, tamales, pupusas, sopes and gorditas
Prep: Leave out the water the recipe mixes with the masa harina, and add water a tablespoon at a time only if the dough cracks.
Where it fails: It keeps only a few days in the fridge. Masa preparada for tamales already contains lard and salt, so buy plain masa for tortillas or leave the recipe's fat and salt out.

Masarepa

mild sweet corn, without the tortilla flavor

Precooked cornmeal, sold for arepas. Unlike plain cornmeal it forms a dough with water, because the corn was cooked before grinding. It was not treated with lime, so the flavor is milder.

Best for: arepas, thick griddled corn cakes, stuffed cakes in the style of pupusas
Prep: Add the water by feel: the dough should be soft and should not crack when you flatten a ball of it.
Where it fails: Thin corn tortillas, which crack at the edges and taste different, and tamales, which want the flavor of real masa.

Cornmeal + lime juice

cornmeal with a sour edge

A common suggestion that rests on a mix-up. The lime in masa harina is calcium hydroxide, a mineral also called cal or slaked lime. It is not the citrus fruit.

Best for: nothing: it does not make masa
Where it fails: Lime juice is an acid and does not change the corn. The corn has to be cooked in the alkaline limewater before it is ground, so stirring anything into finished cornmeal cannot nixtamalize it.

Tips for substituting masa harina

4 tips

Chili: for 2 tbsp masa harina, whisk 2 tbsp fine cornmeal with ¼ cup cold water, stir it in, and simmer at least 15 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not catch on the bottom.
Tortillas and tamales: do not try cornmeal. Buy fresh masa, about 10 oz per cup of masa harina, or use store-bought corn tortillas.
Cornmeal thickens more slowly than masa harina. Wait the full 15 minutes before deciding the pot needs more.
For the flavor of masa in a soup or chili, simmer a torn corn tortilla in it. That adds what cornmeal leaves out.

Questions

5 questions

Can I make corn tortillas with cornmeal?

No. Cornmeal mixed with water makes a gritty paste that will not press into a round or hold together on the griddle. Corn tortillas need masa harina or fresh masa, both made from nixtamalized corn.

Can I use cornmeal for masa harina in tamales?

No. Tamale dough depends on masa binding with the fat and broth into a soft dough that steams firm. Cornmeal gives a crumbly, gritty filling that falls apart. Use fresh masa from a Latin market if you cannot get masa harina.

Can I mix flour and cornmeal to replace masa harina?

For thickening, either one works alone. For tortillas, the gluten in wheat flour will hold a dough together, but what you make is a flour tortilla with some cornmeal in it. Follow a flour tortilla recipe and swap in a few tablespoons of fine cornmeal for flavor.

How much cornmeal replaces masa harina in chili?

The same amount: 1 tablespoon of fine cornmeal per tablespoon of masa harina. Whisk it with a little cold water first and simmer it at least 15 minutes. The chili thickens the same way and tastes a little sweeter and less earthy.

What is the difference between cornmeal and masa harina?

Both are dried ground corn. For masa harina the corn is first cooked and soaked in water with calcium hydroxide, then ground and dried. That step changes the flavor and lets the flour bind into dough. Cornmeal skips it.