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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 650 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 kosher salt I use Morton's
- 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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JoAnn Marie says
Hispanic Heritage month/ September 15 - October 15, 2023/ in Michigan, USA. So I try this Tortilla recipe. Googled "Flour Tortilla Recipe". So easy and fun to make. Just takes time.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, JoAnn!
Nelly says
the recipe is on point, I'm from Mexico, and to me it sounds like the problem is that you don't know how to make them! lol
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Nelly!
Jenna Renee says
Hey! Can these be made into taco shells too? Everyone in my house but one likes soft shells but my MIL only eats hard shells. How could I do just a couple of these like that? It’s my first time making homemade tortillas so sorry if it’s a silly question 😅
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Jenna, we haven't tried making these as a hard shell. You could probably lightly fry the cooked tortilla to make it crispy. If you give it a try let us know!
Heather says
If u lightly fry these in a skillet they turn out excellent!! Just put enough oil in your pan so that your tortilla won’t get fully submerged in the oil then use a spoon to spoon hot oil over the top while the 1 st side is cooking then flip and only leave it on this side for half the time you left the first side. I hope this makes sense. I promise you won’t regret it and your mil will love you for it!!
Xox heather
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Heather!
DarHan says
If you make them small enough to fit in the toaster you could fold them in two and separate the inside with a bamboo spatula or piece of wood cut into a spacer with a Handel. When they are done just push the toaster lever up while removing the spatula and you have a hard flour tortilla taco shell.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, DarHan!
Olivia says
I was lucky enough to choose this recipe the very first time I tried to make tortillas. It worked out so perfectly that I’ve never tried another! So surprisingly easy to do, and the taste is unmatched. I’ve always hated store bought tortillas, but I have a hard time controlling myself when it comes to eating these ones! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks for your review, Olivia! So happy you enjoyed these.
Lizzy says
I love this recipe I use it alot!🥰
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Lizzy!
Danna says
We’re a family of Texans and speak tortilla fluently and this recipe is on repeat at our house. I made them once and I was banned from purchasing store-bought tortillas ever again. For reference, I follow the recipe to the letter, use a mixer with a dough hook along with King Arthur flour and a french rolling pin. Perfect every time! Thank you for sharing!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That's awesome, Danna! Thanks for your review!
Khara L Sandoval says
Amazing! I decided to give this recipe a try because I am very tired of paying over $5 for 12 tortillas at the store. This recipe was simple and they taste great! They are soft, pliable, and delicious! I took a picture but doesn't look like I can show it here. I really love these!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks so much for your review, Khara!
Nah says
This is terrible. I’ve made tortillas before. I followed everything to the letter. The tortillas could not be flattened enough, were stiff and thick when cooked, were tasteless and fell apart/broke easily. Who the @&£# thinks this is a good recipe?! Mexico called, it voted you off the island.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Thanks for your kind and encouraging words, Nah. Kindnes does make the world a better place.
I'm so sorry you had difficulty with this recipe. It's impossible to know what you did wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you, since so many have had such wonderful success.
Goto says
What island?
Jessica Hayes says
I made a few & they were OK, but I wasn't highly impressed. Searched another recipe & it recommended a cast iron skillet. I brushed it with real butter just at the beginning & "fried" up the rest. Absolutely amazing!!
Madison says
Can these be frozen and how do we thaw them? We go through a lot of tortillas and I don’t always have time to make them with our crazy schedule, so freezing would be a great option.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Hi Madison, these freeze beautifully. You can thaw them on the counter or in the microwave.
Madison says
Thank you!
Ashton Smith says
I made breakfast tacos this morning with these Tortillas. Long story short, I will definitely be making them again! Thank you so much!!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Ashton!
Meziah says
Try to use a French rolling pin instead. It's design is something a lot different than you're used to, but it is perfect for making tortillas.
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thanks, Meziah!
Shelly says
Taste 5 stars. Ease 5 stars. Pretty round tortillas: fail! I'm used to rolling out (and cutting off excess) pie crust. These weren't pretty, but everyone raved.
Chris Scheuer says
So happy everyone enjoyed them, Shelly! Don't worry, you'll get better and better and making pretty shaped tortillas. Rome wasn't conquered in a day! 🥰 It too me awhile too!
Lia says
I finally just screenshot the recipe to try tonight; every time I tried to read it, all of your ads make the page jump back to the beginning. It’s highly frustrating; I realize you need revenue but it makes me not keen to return for other recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lia, I'm sorry for your frustration. The ads are the way we're able to offer well-tested recipes to our readers for free, however, you can always click on the print button for an ad-free recipe.
Emily says
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I always google it and have been coming back to it for years 🙂
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
So happy to hear that, Emily! Thanks for letting us know!
Eric says
What brand of flour do you use? I’ve tried a few and they don’t come out as white as yours did.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Eric, I use King Arthur AP flour.
Janet says
Holy cow these are so good! Due to dietary restrictions I used reduced sodium baking powder and they were fantastic! I’m thrilled to find a recipe that works for a low sodium diet and still tastes great! I will definitely be making these again soon!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Janet!
Chandani Patel says
Hello,
Do you think if I make these a day ahead, I would be able to use them for Chimmy chonga and deep fry them? What is the shelf life for these?
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
That should be fine, Chandani. Just store them in a plastic bag in the fridge. You can freeze them as well to keep them longer.