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These really are the best ever homemade flour tortillas, no one can believe how easy and delicious they are! They're perfect for enchiladas, soft tacos, burritos, quesadillas, wraps... Check out the over 500 5-star reviews!
This recipe has been a long time in coming, years actually. I've been trying out recipes for homemade flour tortillas for what seems like forever - but I've never been thrilled with any of them. Definitely not thrilled enough to blog them - too dry, too sticky, too crisp, too bland, too soggy, too complicated. This time, with these flour tortillas, it's different. They totally live up to their name - Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas!
I LOVE the results, and I think you will too. These homemade flour tortillas are tender, soft and flavorful. Because they keep well, they can be made in advance and warmed in the microwave or on the stovetop, just before serving.
How to make flour tortillas from scratch - easier than you think!
They're also EASY, super easy! If you have a mixer with a dough hook, you can have the dough made in less than five minutes. You can also easily mix it together without a mixer (using a wooden spoon, sturdy spatula or Danish whisk), which is the way I usually make them. But whether you use a mixer or not, it's super important to give the dough a little rest after mixing and dividing the dough. This helps relax the glutens, in order to make rolling the tortillas much easier.
Just portion the dough, give it a rest, then roll each piece nice and thin and give them a stint (one-two minutes!) in a medium-hot, dry pan. Voila! Once you take the first taste, you'll NEVER want pre-packaged tortillas again
Ways to use these Homemade Flour Tortillas...
- These flour tortillas will make any South-of-the-Border meal extraordinary. Burritos, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas ... it all tastes better!
- But this is the REALLY cool thing; they also make fabulous, super thin crust pizzas. Just brush them lightly with olive oil and top with your favorite pizza ingredients. I love pesto, a bit of fresh mozzarella, smokey bacon bits and a sprinkle of pine nuts and/or fresh herbs. Pop them in a piping hot (450˚F) oven for 4-5 minutes or until crispy golden brown.
Imagine coming home after a busy day and having a stash of these tortillas (aka pizza crusts) in the freezer. Throw together a fresh salad and an individual pizza for each family member and they'll be "WOWING" you all evening long!
- I've used these homemade flour tortillas for wonderful sandwich wraps.
- It's fun to spread them with a bit of butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar for a quick sweet treat.
- They make fabulous, shatteringly crisp chips too. Just brush one with a teaspoon of olive oil on both sides, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake for 5 minutes at 450˚F. and you won't even believe how delicious they are on their own or broken into irregular pieces and used to dip hummus, salsa etc.
Can you tell I'm excited about these guys? You will be too and I have a feeling, once you try them, you won't want to be without a cache of these tortillas in your freezer. They're almost too good to be true! Almost.
You can either make these tortillas with a stand mixer or by hand. I find it's just as easy to put them together without a mixer. You'll find directions for both ways in the recipe below but we've created a video to show you how easy they are to make by hand:
Café Tips for making these Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Roll the tortillas fairly thin. You want them about 6-inches in diameter and to look somewhat translucent if you held them up to the light. Thick tortillas won't be tender.
- If you try rolling out these tortillas and the dough keeps shrinking back, let it rest for another 15-30 minutes. The gluten just hasn't had enough time to relax.
- I've also used olive oil and melted butter for this tortilla recipe with good results. I don't recommend coconut or peanut oil as the tortillas will take on the oil's flavor.
- If your tortillas feel stiff after cooking, you've cooked them too long or the heat was too high. Cook them only long enough to get some nice bubbles on the surface and a few light brown spots on the underside. Then flip them for another 15-20 seconds.
- It's also important to allow your tortillas to steam each other. Stack them up directly after cooking and keep them covered with a kitchen towel. This help them steam each other and get nice and soft.
- A tortilla warmer is a nice accessory to have when making tortillas, as you can stack tortillas after cooking to keep them soft. It's also perfect for serving the tortillas at the table. It's not necessary to have one though. Just use a pot with a cover that's slightly bigger than the tortillas. Place each tortilla in the pot after removing from the pan and cover with the lid. The steam from the just cooked tortillas will keep them all soft and pliable - same way a tortilla warmer works!
- Readers have asked if it's worth it to have a tortilla press. I honestly don't think it's necessary for these flour tortillas, as they're easy to roll out.
- Wipe out the pan in between tortillas with a damp paper towel if flour is starting to accumulate.
- These tortillas keep well in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. They will feel stiff though when they're cold. When you want to use one or two, just place them in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 10-20 seconds. They'll be nice and soft again.
Make them! I think you'll love them too!
Another wonderful South of the Border recipe
Do enjoy South-of-the-Border cuisine? If so, be sure to check out our Mexican Chopped Salad. It's another super popular recipe on The Café. It's fantastic with just about any Mexican or Tex-Mex entree. Pair it with these Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas for a meal that's sure to bring rave reviews!
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear other's results and ideas for variations.
These Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas are so simple and unbelievably delicious!
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or other fairly neutral flavored oil
- 1 cup warm water
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Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a medium-size bowl. Using a sturdy silicone spatuala or a sturdy wooden spoon, mix dry ingredients until well combined.
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Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil and water. Stir well from the bottom up, until all dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough begins to come together and form a shaggy ball.
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Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. Proceed with step number 3 below for the remainder of the recipe.
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Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix dry ingredients until well combined.
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Add oil and water with mixer running at a medium speed. After about 1 minute, or when mixture comes together and begins to form a ball, decrease mixing speed to low. Continue to mix for 1 minute or until dough is smooth.
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Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 16 equal portions. Turn each piece to coat with flour. Form each piece into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes (or as much as 2 hours) before proceeding.
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After the rest period, heat a large pan over medium heat. Roll each dough piece into a rough circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter, keep work surface and rolling pin lightly floured. Don’t stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other or they will stick together. (I like to separate my tortillas with parchement paper.)
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When the pan is hot, place one dough circle into the pan and allow to cook 45 seconds to 1 minute or until the bottom surface has a few pale brown spots and the uncooked surface is bubbly. If browning too fast, reduce the heat a bit. If it’s taking longer than a minute to see a few pale golden brown spots on the underside of tortillas, increase the heat a bit. Flip to other side and cook for 15-20 seconds. The tortillas should be nice and soft but have a few small brown spots on the surface.
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Remove from pan with tongs and stack in a covered container or zippered bag to keep the tortillas soft.
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Serve warm or allow to cool for later use. When ready to use, place a slightly damp paper towel in the bottom of a microwave-safe container (with a cover) that will hold the stacked tortillas. Microwave uncovered for 15-30 seconds (start with 15) or until warm, then keep covered to hold heat while serving.
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Store in an airtight container or zippered bag at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerate for up to 1 week. To freeze, separate tortillas with parchment paper or waxed paper and place in a zippered bag before placing in the freezer.
See Café Tips above in post for additional instruction and tips.
Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen
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Kelly Helton says
I agree with other commenters - these really are GREAT tortillas and SO SO easy to make! This will definitely be my go-to recipe for tortillas.
Just an FYI based on a few other comments/questions I saw above. I did 1 cup whole wheat and 2 cups all-purpose flour and they were still soft and delicious. Next time I will try a 50/50 mix.
I also ran out of time and was only able to make 1/2 of my tortillas at first. I threw the extra flattened dough pieces in a covered container and put them in the fridge and made them about 36 hours later. I did let them come to room temperature before rolling and they were just as good as the first batch!
Thanks, Chris, for sharing this great recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Kelly! I know others will find that helpful.
Marlene says
Hello. I just tried this for the first time today. They came out like flat bread. Not sure what I did wrong. My baking powder did say 'double acting'. Was that the problem do you think? 🙁
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marlene, I think if they came out like flatbread, you probably didn't roll them thin enough. The double-acting baking powder should not be a problem.
Amanda says
These tasted great, but mine have a flour residue after pan frying them. Is it supposed to be a pretty wet dough to roll out? Did I maybe add too much flour in the rolling process? I will try these again, but hope I figure out what I didn't do perfectly so I can fix it
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Amanda, the dough shouldn't be super wet. If it is, it would be better to stir or knead a little into the dough and then use less flour when rolling out the tortillas.
Mel says
Never made a tortilla in my life until today. These are really easy and really delicious! They looked just like the shop ones, but they tasted much nicer and more natural and less salty than some of the shop ones we have here in Australia. Supermarket tortilla wraps here are full of all sorts of artificial junk to keep them soft for longer.
Can you save the dough in the fridge, covered, for a day or to for future use? This recipe is a keeper, thank you for posting it!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Mel! I think it's best to make them all at once and freeze the extras. They freeze and thaw perfectly.
E Wisor says
These are wonderful! Same story here as many before - out of tortillas, searched the Internet to see if I could find a quick, easy recipe, and this one came up with great reviews, so I went for it. I am so glad I did!! Note to first-time makers such as myself, if you use too much flour to help them not stick, they will have a slight flour residue. Still delicious, but a mistake I made that I hope to spare someone else. Lol Also, that could be because I rolled them out SUPER thin and was still able to get 16 (since I had divided the dough into 16 sections per the directions,) that were a good 10-12 inches round. Thank you for this recipe!!!!! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for your review, E!
AnnaE says
Delicious and so easy!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Anna!
SugNessy says
I don't normally leave reviews, but this one was worth it! This recipe is so simplistic and so very delicious. This was my first attempt at a tortilla recipe and I need not look any further. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much, SugNessy!
christine jordan says
Hello! Can I use lard in place of the olive oil? Thanks?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, you can do that, Christine.
Laura says
I’m not much of a bread baker, but I really wanted some tortillas while in quarantine so I gave this recipe a shot. They turned out wonderful, especially for my first time ever making tortillas!! So easy and so yummy.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Laura!
Nancy Fortun says
I happen to have a tortilla press, will I get the same results if I use my press?
Chris Scheuer says
That should work, Nancy.
Lindsay says
Did you try this with your press? I was planning on using mine for it tonight and was wondering how it worked out for you.
Kat Robertson says
Mine didn't turn out as well with my press. The dough was very elastic and the press didn't get them thin enough, so they were about twice as thick by the time they went into the pan after relaxing.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kat, that's why, in the Café Tips, I say that I don't recommend using a tortilla press. They come out much better when you roll them out.
Minda-Cristina A. Edralin Jusay says
I enjoy reading your different recipes. I will try doing them!
Chris Scheuer says
Let us know how they turn out, Minda-Cristina!
Feryne Wooldridge says
I was wondering if you have a gluten-free version of these? I have a few family members who are not able to have gluten and they can't eat these. The gluten-free are very expensive in the store. Looking for alternitives.
Chris Scheuer says
Many readers have made these with gluten-free flour and said they had success, Feryne.
Deb MS says
I made these last night using all purpose flour and measured the ingredients as listed in the recipe, I used the kitchen aid. The dough was very wet so I added another 1/2-3/4 cup of flour. The tortillas turned out fine and I will make them again, but I was just curious if you had observed this before. The dough texture was nothing like bread dough and turned out nothing like the video.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Deb, not sure exactly why your dough was wet, it's hard to say without having been right there with you. The flour can make a difference as well as the moisture (or lack of) in the air but it should be an easy to work with dough, as in the video.
TLColston says
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I was out of tortillas, so I did a quick search of a good recipe and luckily stumbled on this one. It was quick, easy and delicious. I am saving this one as my go to tortilla recipe AND saying GOODBYE to purchasing them at the store.
Again, many thanks from our home in North Idaho!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, TL!
Diane says
Great recipe! Thank you. If I make extra to freeze for future uses, can I freeze the finished dough so I can make the crackers, pizza, etc. in the future or do I need to cook them through first?
Chris Scheuer says
It's best to cook them before you freeze them, Diane. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Dominica R Hodge says
I use lard for tortillas ...do I need to melt it for this recipe or can in cut it in?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Dominica, to follow the recipe, I would melt it but I’m sure it would be delicious if you cut it in.
Dominica R Hodge says
Thanks for the quick response!
nannette says
Ive tried a few recipes few recipes for homemade flour tortillas, these are hands down the best!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Nannette!
BV says
I would like to use whole wheat flour (lower GI). Any considerations to take into account?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi BV, I would start with 50% WW flour to keep them soft.
Julian A. says
What did I do wrong when it springs back and difficult to roll it out? It shrinks quickly.
Effie says
Hey Julian. If that happens it means that the gluten needs more time to relax. You could have kneeded a little too much or not given enough time during the rest period for your particular dough. If you use bread flour instead of all-purpose then the same thing might happen since it has more gluten in it.
Try resting the portioned dough (step 3) and then roll them out into rounds not quite as big as you want yet. Only use enough flour on your surface to prevent sticking. Then as your pan is heating, start rolling them larger in the same order as when you first rolled them. You can start cooking and re-roll the next ones thinner as you go. That method never fails me and I don't need to wait so long with the initial rest period. This morning I didn't rest or pre-portion the dough but did do the rolling part twice and had no trouble with it.
I use a similar recipe to this and I'm sure that both versions are delicious. I prefer to add a touch more salt, baking powder, and oil in proportion to the flour and water. More tender and flavorful in my opinion.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Effie!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Julian, let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes and then try again.
MaryMichelle says
These are soo good! I wanted to make breakfast burritos but I had no tortillas and the store is a long drive from us so I searched for a recipe and tried yours. They came out just as you described. So much better than store bought. Delicious!! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, MaryMichelle!
Julian A. says
I want a 10" tortilla, how can I adjust the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
I would try dividing the dough into about 6-8 pieces, Julian.
Jamie Parcher says
Do I need to add anything to the pan before I put the dough into it as far as cooking spray or anything
Chris Scheuer says
No, you cook them in a dry pan, Jamie.