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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 700 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!
The BEST Pico de Gallo!
If you make these Homemade Flour Tortillas, you DEFINITELY want this fabulous Pico de Gallo to serve with them. This fabulous pico pairs perfectly with chips, grilled proteins and any Mexican entreé. It's so fresh and delicious you'll want to eat it with a spoon!
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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Ashley says
I have used a different recipe for YEARS and want to cry… just made yours and they are so much better! The brown "spots" develop beautifully, rolling them out is so easy, and they taste great! Thank you!!
Birthe says
I just made these and the whole family loves them. My only problem is that mine came out a little to stiff and broke easily when wrapped. Do you have any suggestion what I could do differently next time (because the girls required a next time ASAP 😉 )
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Birthe, you might try putting them in a zippered bag while still warm. The heat will create some moisture and keep them soft.
Birthe says
Thanks! I'll try that next time
Dawn says
Hi!
Any idea of the calorie/fat content on these tortillas?
Chris Scheuer says
I don't but you could plug the ingredients into my fitness pal - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Luiza Sousa says
They are amazing! So easy to make. Loved it!
Sherri says
This is my first try at flour tortillas, but I have been so disgusted with the cost of 8 tiny tortillas at the grocery that I've just had enough.
I made these today, and I would have to say that I was a little wary of the Baking Powder in the recipe. I do chapatis regularly and have made corn tortillas, so the process is familiar.
I actually did 1/3 the recipe using 1 cup flour, 1/4 t baking powder, salt, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/3 c water. (it produced 6 small tortillas which was perfect for our meal. I didn't portion them prior to resting since I didn't think it would make a difference, and that is what I do with chapati. I find the dough is easier to work with after it has rested.
as I was cooking them I thought that my suspicions about the baking powder were right, because they puffed up more than I expected. But after being wrapped in my Tortilla cloth and set in the microwave to stay warm while we prepared our tacos, they were perfect. Especially for little hands, they hold their form nicely and don't break easily.
I can see using them for pizza crusts, but I would roll them a bit thicker for that. Being originally from the Maritimes of Canada, I also thought that it could replace the Pita used for Halifax donairs.
I still think I'll try it once omitting the Baking soda just to see what the difference is, but this is definitely bookmarked for future use!
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, thanks for your very thorough review and great suggestions!
Ricci says
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! I just got my kitchenaid out from storage and was craving tortillas. I found your recipe on a google search. I adapted it just a bit - used 1/3 unsalted european butter instead of oil , 2 c. organic white flour + 1c. cake flour and 1 c. buttermik instead of water.
In the past, I tried hand kneading, but the tortillas came out crispy and tough. Using the kitchenaid did the trick. I don't think I'm patient enough to knead by hand 🙂 Anyway, they were absolutely perfect.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Ricci, you adaptation sound great!
Katie @The Semisweet Sisters says
These look delicious! So glad to find your recipe. I was looking for one that didn't call for lard.
louise sobo says
Thank You so much for the recipe. I made this using einkorn flour and olive oil. Next, I am going to make this using sprouted spelt flour...
M says
I tried this and it turned out so good! I was wondering if it's possible to somehow bake these instead of putting them on the griddle? I want to make burrito sized tortillas but whenever I try to pick them up and put them on the griddle I can never seem to do it without part of the tortilla folding up.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi, I'm not sure as I've never tried baking them. Let me know how it works if you try it!
Pamela says
I stumbled upon your recipe in search for homemade tortillas. They were excellent. I recently moved to France and the only tortillas I can find are Old El Paso and they're not that great. I grew up eating homemade tortillas and hot ones straight from the Mexican bakery. My son who is 7 and a picky eater was skeptical He loves them... he even had them for breakfast this morning. I thought I would be able to freeze some, they're almost gone. I'll have to make another batch for the freezer. (If anyone is in France, I used Farine de Ble #55.) Thank you... you made it so much easier than I realized.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Pamela, I'm so happy these turned out so well for you especially living in France where I'm sure tortillas are quite rare.
Joey says
Two firsts for me...just tried my new stand mixer for the first time, and made these tortillas for the first time. I am THRILLED with how these turned out, and how easy they were to make! Thank you so much for such a great recipe. I wish I had found this years ago. Usually when I make something like this, I get one or two duds that got burned, or were too hard, or any number of other problems - but not with this recipe...16 perfect tortillas. This dough is the perfect consistency. Can't wait to try on Pizza - Thank you again!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks!
Nikola says
Wonderful tortillas! We've tried a couple of different recipes over the past year and we couldn't get anything satisfying.
However this recipe turned out really easy(well, all other tortilla recipes we tried were easy as well 🙂 ) and the tortillas were awesome! My wife actually said that they're pretty close to what she's used to in Arizona(we live in Bulgaria, where it's pretty difficult to find good tortillas - they're all packaged).
I wonder if we can do a quarter vegetable oil and a quarter lard to give them extra flavor?
Chris Scheuer says
I think that would be great!
nichole says
I have to use gluten free ingredients
I normally make cakes but this will be a nice change to try xx
Pete says
Obviously, pork lard is mandatory in Mexico. You can't get the results from vegetable oil.
Uncle Jay says
Just made this morning. Followed the directions to a tee. Came out amazing. Sorry Mission tortillas. I'm done with you.
Couple of things. I made 20 and they came out burrito size which I was more than happy with. However anyone who wants more of a taco size tortilla might want to divide into 25-30 balls. Or more.
To eat my first one I heated some butter in a pan and used the cooked tortilla to make a quesadilla with blackened chicken, cilantro lime sour cream, onions sauteed in paprika and jack cheese. On a bed of lettuce with some Pico on top. Good as it gets. Family will be trying for dinner.
Chris Scheuer says
Yum, your description of your lunch is making me hungry!
SayIDidIt™ says
Hi Chris, I would love to make these, but I am living alone and don't have much freezer space. How would I make 4-6 of these beauties instead of 16?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi, I would just cut the recipe by 2/3's - 1 cup of flour, 1/3 teaspoon of salt and baking powder, a scant 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1/3 cups warm water.
JENNIFER says
These are so yummy. The best recipe for tortillas I've tried so far!
Analida says
Hi there!
I've wanted to make my own flour tortillas for so long. I know feel empowered to give it a shot, thanks to your recipe. BTW... do you think it would work with corn flour? I have a friend who eats gluten free and would like to pass this along to her if the substitution is possible.
Kathleen says
I made these with half whole wheat flour in my bread machine and it was so busy. I was in a hurry, so made them bigger and that worked well.. They are very filling, soft and flavorful. The whole wheat detracts from the taste of some fillings, so I will try with less whole wheat and only all purpose flour. I am looking forward to trying them as a pizza crust.
JS says
Absolutely the WORST tortillas I've ever had. They came out chewy, thick, and falling apart, and all had a nasty aftertaste. I through them all straight into the garbage
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you wasted good ingredients, that always makes me mad. Not sure what could have gone wrong as I get emails almost every day from so many people who have made these and gone crazy over them.
louise sobo says
this could only happen if you did not mix and knead it very well. Also, you mentioned "thick", you have to flatten it using a rolling pin (that means you have to use your muscles)One more thing, If you are using wheat or high gluten flour , you must follow the direction and "RESTING" THE DOUGH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Becca Larrabee says
Incredible!
I can not eat commercialy processed food because it makes me so sick and I really missed tortillas. I started an online search and found your recipe. It is amazing and easy. I made them just now and I ate my first one just now. I made the 16 count, and then put one on a warm pan with some fresh grated cheese, onions, tomatoes, spinach and green peppers, rolled it up and OMG delicious! I cant wait to try the pizza. What do you use for sauce? Have you tried just using sliced tomatoes and some cheese? Im thinking these would make great breakfast wraps as well. Thank you so much for such a great recipe. Now I need to go freeze them.
Becca Larrabee says
I will also try it with Olive Oil as another commenter mentioned. Olive oil is so much better, but will it change the flavor?
Chris Scheuer says
I think olive oil will work just fine. I would use a fairly mild tasting oil.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Becca, so happy you enjoyed these and can finally eat tortillas! I've made these little pizzas with all kinds of sauces. We love them with pesto, also just brushed with a little good olive oil, cheese, fresh tomatoes (pressed between paper toweling to remove the moisture) and a generous scatter of fresh basil after baking. YUM!
Alyssa says
These were amazing and so very easy!!!! do not have a mixer with a dough hook, so I knead the dough by hand, and it turned out perfect!
Hollie says
Thanks for sharing this! I just made tortillas for the first time ever and they turned out great!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy they turned out so well for you. This is my favorite cupcake recipe too!
kathy says
simple to make and so yummy. Thanks 🙂