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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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Deb says
These turned out delicious. I rolled them so thin that I could see my fingers through the dough. It's a wonderful dough to work with. I wish I could post a picture for you. I made the dough, cut it into 16 pieces, rolled them into balls and flattened on the counter dusted with flour. I covered them with a towel and left to do my shopping. Upon returning I flattened the balls, dusted with more flour and rolled them very thinly. They were close to 10-inches across. I tossed them onto a dry heated cast iron skillet and they bubbled beautifully. While one was in the skillet, I was prepping the next dough ball. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks so much.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Deb! So glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Jeremy says
When covering with a towel is it suppossed to be wet
,damp,warm, cold, or just dry?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jeremy, I use a dry towel. The steam creates a little dampness.
Ila says
Thank you, I have used this recipe so many times, I know it by heart, but I still double-check the quantities when I have not made them in a while. Today I used bread flour and they turned out wonderful. My two boys and one man loved them.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Ila!
Selena says
This is a great simple recipe for tortillas. Of course you can opt out olive oil for different fats if you’d like. I’ve substituted the recipe with bacon fat, lard, margarine, and butter. Depending on the fat type I use, I’ll sometimes add an extra teaspoon of salt for flavor. I love this recipe, I haven’t bought flour tortillas in months
I don’t understand why people get so offended when there are multiple ways to make tortillas. Let’s not be so closed minded.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Selena!
Leigh says
So much better than store bought. Super easy. I did let them rest for 2 hours on the counter in the little balls. Rolled out easily. Might try with a tortilla press just for more consistent thickness. Even had some re warmed today and they were still soft and delicious. Even my toddlers loved them and loved playing with them the dough balls too
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Leigh! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Cher says
Terrific recipe. These are really fun to make actually! They taste fantastic! Warm, tender, soft, fresh-made flour tortillas - just can’t be beat! Thanks for the inspiration!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks, Cher!
Misty says
Maria, I'm sure that your posts are not meant to come off as condescending or unkind, but they, indeed, are. Lots of different people have lots of different ways of making a specific recipe. Which is why there are so many different cook books out there! And good thing too! I personally can't eat lard, but can consume olive oil. I would just say, Please try to be gentle with folks. We don't always know everyone else's limitations. God Bless You Girl!! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Misty! ❤️
Brittany says
Ha what a ridiculous comment, nothing she wrote is insulting but your post sure is passive aggressive.
Good recipe btw. Keep it up.
RP says
What do you mean by a "zippered bag" to hold the tortillas in. I've seen bags without a zipper but none with a zipper....? These sound great 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi RP, I mean a ziplock or plastic bag that you can seal. Enjoy!
Anita Rodriguez says
First off let me say I am Mexican and grew up eating home
Made tortillas. These are great!! I made them last night and my family loved them even my picky husband. My mom uses shortening in hers but I thought I’d try it with the olive and was so happy I did! Delicious & easy recipe!! Thank you 😊
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Anita! I'm so glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Maria says
These are NOT the best tortillas ever!!! First of all, you have a lot of wrong ingredients. Leave it to us Mexicans to give the correct recipe for tortillas. This is truly funny reading this!! Who puts olive oil in tortillas?? Lol!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your kind, thoughtful comment on, Maria. These might not be the same as your mama’s tortillas but they are super delicious - as well over 600 5* reviews can attest to. Have a great day.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your opinion, Maria. So interesting… if you read through these reviews there are a fair number written by Mexican readers who write that these tortillas taste “just like their mama’s”. Plus they’re easy and super delicious!
Kind regards, Chris 💕
Michele says
Chris, Just made your tortilla recipe. I have tried several recipes in the past and your recipe is outstanding. Thank you very much.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Michele!
Sara says
Super simple and fast! I love that they’re made with things I always have stocked in my pantry. Perfect for when I haven’t made it to the grocery store in awhile. 😉 They turned out great and my family ate the batch in one sitting.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Sara!
Pete says
Normally always use corn for tortillas but decided to try these since the ones at the store always taste of chemical.
Wow - while I will always prefer corn tortillas (traditional) - these are amazing too. I made this for a cook out since a friend talked about having a variety of food from our friend group. A lot prefer the “white” tortillas because they’re more… common I think? Anyhow.
Tortilla press is almost non-negotiable to me. It’s literally $12 for an aluminum one or 20ish for a cast iron. Just buy one. If you never make tortillas or rarely, then don’t. Latino and especially Hispanic households make them probably nearing on the daily. You will find one in any and every household.
One thing I want to reiterate from the author and this is extremely important:
STACK YOUR TORTILLAS IN A CLOSED SPACE AND ON ONE ANOTHER. You will get breaking, stiff tortillas otherwise, especially if you decide to go more traditional and use corn. Separate with parchment or something. The author mentioned this, but from someone that frequents the making, make sure you do this step or your tortillas won’t be nearly as good as described and will be junk after meal time.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for your review, Pete! So glad you enjoyed them!
RSN says
Hi, I don't understand what happened...I followed the directions very precisely, no substitutions or anything like that, and they didn't come out as anything remotely resembling tortillas. They were very thick and flaky even though I made them extremely thin. They didn't fold and weren't soft but rather were hard and simply broke when bent. Do you have any idea what might have gone wrong? It was such a waste of ingredients 🙁
Chris Scheuer says
Hi RSN, I'm so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It's difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. However, if your tortillas were hard and didn't fold one problem would be that you cooked them too long. Another issue could be that they weren't allowed to steam as they were stacked, which also softens them. As I said, it's hard to say for sure without having been cooking with you. You might want to try this recipe again, if you read the over 500 5* reviews, these tortillas are really delicious.
Maria says
Because you do NOT USE OILS WHEN MAKING TORTILLAS!!!! Take it from me, a Mexican, we use Lard! And you use your hands to mix the dough, not mixers. And to hear them, you use a iron flat plate called a “Comal”.
This is all truly funny reading these posts. This is NOT the way tortillas are made!! THIS RECIPE IS NOT CORRECT
Margaret Douglas says
I made the tortillas last night. They were terrific, so simple and tasty. Will def. make them again. I also made the Mexican salad, pineapple salsa and tomato salsa—all so colourful and delicious. I mixed the dough for the artisan rolls the night before, shaped them and rested them as the recipe said when the oven was heating, and then baked them. They were delicious. Thank you for sharing such wonderful recipes. I am inspired to try out lots more from your site.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Margaret! So glad you are enjoying the recipes 🙂
Donna Falana says
I made these for the second time today. The first time I made them, I used a rolling pin. I have a tortilla press that I use for corn tortillas, and wanted to see how it would work with flour tortillas. I had better luck rolling the tortillas out with a rolling pin. I was able to get them
larger and thinner.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Donna!
Shahara says
This is my second time making these and they are perfect! I ran out of all-purpose flour and used 2/3 cup of spelt flour as a substitute; again, soft and delish!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Shahara!
Marcus says
I used these for tortillas but as always I had problems getting the thickness down... froze for a few days then I used these for a type of Japanese dumpling with fish, lettuce, and carrot and the texture was absolutely perfect, they are steamed and I was worried about over-rising but not only did they stay down they stayed together, and the baking powder helped them be stretchy enough to pull around the filling without tearing. Great multi-use dough!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Marcus!
Joan says
Never thought I would tackle these but they were so easy and soooooo much better than what you buy in the store. Definitely worth the effort. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay for trying something new! Thanks for sharing your results, Joan!