These really are the best ever homemade flour tortillas, no one can believe how easy and delicious they are!
This Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas recipe has been a long time 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, however, it’s different.
Way easier than you might 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 (if not, maybe ten at the most). After mixing, it’s super important to give the dough a rest. This helps relax the glutens, in order to make rolling the tortillas much easier.
MY OTHER RECIPESThen just portion the dough, roll each piece nice and thin and give them a stint (one-two minutes!) in a hot, dry pan. Voila! Once you take the first taste, you’ll NEVER want pre-packaged tortillas again
Flour tortilla pizzas – so delicious!
These Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas will make any South-of-the-Border meal extraordinary. 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!
More ideas…
I’ve also used these Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas for wonderful sandwich wraps and I’ve even 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.
Café Tips for making the Best Ever Homemade Flour Tortillas
- The recipe calls for using a stand mixer, but you can also make them by hand. Just mix up the dough in a medium size bowl with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. Then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough until it’s nice and smooth (about 2 to 3 minutes) and then proceed as directed in step 3 below.
- Roll the tortillas pretty thin. You want them to look almost 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 for this tortilla recipe with good results. If you use coconut or peanut oil the tortillas will take on a bit of 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.
- 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.
Note: This recipe was originally published back in August of 2013. The photos were terrible but in spite of that, this recipe is by far, the most popular recipe on the blog. It has over 800 comments and over 370 5-star reviews. I’ve gotten emails from people all over the world who have made and loved them. We’ve re-taken the photos and tweaked the post a bit.
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.
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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 vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water
Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix dry ingredients until well combined.
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.
Transfer dough to a well-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.
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 get soggy.
When the pan is very hot, place one dough circle into the pan and allow to cook about 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.
Remove from pan with tongs and stack in a covered container or zippered bag to keep the tortillas soft.
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.
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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Merissa says
Can you leave the dough mixture overnight and then use it the next day?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, I think that should work fine, Merissa.
Caroline says
I made a half recipe of these on a whim, using a blend of 2/3 white and 1/3 whole wheat flour, and they turned out soft and delicious. I kept them warm wrapped in a kitchen cloth. Is it the baking powder that makes the dough light and a little fluffy? We had salmon tacos with a little Trader Joe’s tartar sauce, crumbled queso añejo, and pico de gallo. Delicious! My picky 5 year old complimented me on “doing a good job”! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
I love this! I think the baking powder does help keep the dough light as well as not overcooking the tortillas.
Ciera says
I made these tonight. Only I used olive oil. They turned out great!
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results, Ciera!
Dana says
These ones really work. They are relatively easy to make, and they stay soft and yummy. don’t make them too thin or cook them for too long as they will become crunchy I cook them on an upside down wok on a home kitchen stove and they are really good. In case they are not all gone the same day i make them, i keep them in a ziplock bag in the fridge. Then, before heating them in the mw i spray them with a little bit of water and they come out soft like fresh ones
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your great tips, Dana! So happy you have enjoyed these tortillas.
Debbie says
Thanks. I was wondering why mine came out crunchy. Too thin and cooked too long.
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, if you cook them too long, they will be crunchy and not soft.
Lynette says
I have made these tortillas several times now, they always come out perfect. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I actually use a saucepan lid to achieve perfectly. round tortillas.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Lynette. That’s a great idea to use a saucepan!
Dominica Loong says
So excited to try..I have to make 200+ for homelessness week next week. All the comments make me feel confident!
Chris Scheuer says
That’s so awesome Dominica. Let us know you things turn out. Best wishes!
Sheree says
Just made these and the whole family loved them. No more store-bought flour tortillas for us.
Chris Scheuer says
I have used Fuji and Golden Delicious with great results. Enjoy!
Belle says
So easy and delicious ! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Belle!
Shari Schafer says
You didn’t mention how to freeze them. Should I keep them in my warmer or let them cool before I freeze them?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Shari, I let them cool and then place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper between each one and freeze them in a zip lock bag.
Hannah says
I’ve made this recipe several times now. They are PERFECT! I tried so many other recipes, and they were never worth the effort. But this time, I can’t even fathom buying tortillas anymore. These are worth the extra effort. I grew up on the uncooked tortillas from the store, but you can only make as many as you want to eat because they get hard in the fridge (plus they’re not as good as homemade). This recipe stays so soft for at least a week in the fridge (my family eats them quickly, so I’ve never tried any longer)! I always double it and make enough for my family of 5 for the week. Thank you for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Hannah, thanks for leaving such a detailed review! I’m so happy you enjoyed these tortillas!
Jewels says
Wow, I just made these.. they actually worked! It was super simple like you said. (“It’s just like pizza dough, without the yeast.. you can dooooo it!” I kept saying). We like BIG tortillas, so I’m going to make fewer/larger ones my next batch, but I’m in love with these already! I may never buy store-bought tortilla again!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you had good results, Jewels! I know what you mean, I hate to BUY tortillas!
Julie says
I made these with my 6 and 9 year old last night. Such an awesome recipe! They were so easy to make. I used a pancake griddle to cook them and I could cook 2 at a time. I love that they only have a few ingredients. The ones I buy have way too many ingredients and we eat a lot of wraps. These are delicious rolled up with peanut butter and banana! Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
How fun! And what a great idea to use a pancake griddle! Thanks, Julie for sharing your results.
Red Poulaine says
Hi Allison,
Great recipe, thank you! Easy-peasey! Having ongoing heart problems that require serious sodium reduction to my diet, and living in the Southwestern US, I’ve been sorely missing flour tortillas (corn tortillas are pretty much sodium free, but store-bought flour tortillas are way too high for regular use). I reduced the salt in your recipe to 1/4 teaspoon, used a sodium free baking powder, and supplemented the salt with 1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce subbed in for 1 T of the warm water (sounds weird, I know, but with this small amount of soy sauce, there was no noticeable soy sauce flavor in the end product.
Question: I would like to increase elasticity in the texture just a bit. Would you suggest a higher gluten flour? a slight increase in oil? Thanks in advance and thanks again for the recipe 🙂
Best wishes, Red
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your great review, Red!
Regarding the elasticity, I would recommend letting the dough rest a little longer than trying to change the recipe.
DENISE ROUSSEAU says
THANK YOU
Chris Scheuer says
You’re welcome!
Allison Serkes says
Thanks for this great recipe – soft and slightly chewy tortillas so easily. Do you have any tips on how to roll them out perfectly round other than practice, practice, practice? I believe you meant to say translucent in the sentence, “You want them to look almost opaque if you held them up to the light.”
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Allison, if you start from the center and roll out to the edges turn a quarter turn each time, it helps make them more round. Then if mine aren’t round enough, I just shape them a bit after I’m done rolling them by pulling gently on the edges to create more of a round shape. You can do that a bit when you first put them in the pan too if they stretch out when transferring them to the pan. Once they start cooking though just leave them the way they are.
Thanks, you’re right about the correction.
Sophie Lacoste says
If you go to amazon you can buy a cast iron tortilla press for about $25…it works great BUT it will make the smaller sizer tortilla not the large 10″ plus