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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!
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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Marcy Chandler says
These were so good! My daughter and I loved them. We used them for quesdillas and Breakfast Enciladads. Can't wait to make more and try different things with them. The pizza idea is a good one! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
dianne says
I'm a Texan living in exile, so I have memories of what fresh flour tortillas are like, but it has been years. I made six batches of this recipe yesterday for an event. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used almost-boiling water isn't of warm. Each batch of dough turned out a little different (from crumbly to almost sticky), but the tortillas all came out with uniform texture. I used a cast iron press, lined with circles cut from freezer bags, and the pressed dough was very sturdy when I peeled the liners off of it. I was thrilled with my first bite, and filled with mouth-memory. They got rave reviews last night from other Texas ex-pats, as well as from people who had to be taught that the "ll" in "tortilla" is actually silent. .These will be our new staple.
Nishanna R says
I tries this recipe with my mum when we were making burritos and it was delicious! We added some chopped chives and garlic not too much though and it came out fabulous! This will definitely be a regular recipe!
Alex says
These are quite delicious.
This is my go-to recipe now when I make flour tortillas. It's so simple to make!
I just throw all the ingredients into the bread maker and run the dough cycle.
Only change I made was that I created 8 larger tortillas from this recipe instead of the original 16.
They are especially delicious as chicken caesar wraps! Yum!
Emily says
Years ago I had a Mexican friend who showed my how to make tortillas. She didn't really have a recipe but just threw the dough together and pinched off pieces for each tortilla. I wrote down her recipe as best I could and now it is about 40 years later and have long since lost it. I have tried for years to duplicate her recipe. THIS IS IT!!! The dough was perfect and just like hers (except she used lard). They cooked up just the same. Oh, thank you for posting this.
Desi says
Just made these - i was looking for a home made flour tortilla recipe without lard and am so happy i found this! Tortillas turned out great!
Lily says
I love love love this recipe because not only does it make wondorful tortillas, I can make baked buñuelos, pizza, and chips too! I also like the idea of freezing them because i make a lot but I'm the only one in the house eating them. Not only is it super easy to make, it's very versatile.
Jill says
These ARE Truly THE best homemade tortillas. I used my oil earlier the previous and substituted butter. Delicious. I've tried other recipes and mixes, and these turned out with an incredible texture and flavor. Thanks for sharing. Our family will certainly be making plenty more.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jill!
Ariel says
These are awesome! I want to make a bunch and freeze them. How do you reheat after they are frozen?
Chris Scheuer says
You can let them thaw on the counter or warm them on a low power in the microwave.
kookas_kitchen says
I've never contemplated making my own, however... these little rounds of deliciousness are quite expensive at the stores to buy! We are a large family, 5 young kids + 2 adults so sometimes it's too expensive to buy store bought! I am always cooking/baking/canning/preserving... and decided on a whim to google how to make these. Thank the lord. here I am at your website with what appears to be an awesome recipe! I will be trying this out in the next month for sure. I would like to ask though.... no one has mentioned making the rounds on a pasta machine/pasta maker? I have always made our traditional russian dishes (pilmeni/vareniki) by hand).... has anyone in the wider community tried this with a pasta machine/maker... you know the ones that you clamp onto the end of a bench and manually hand crack to the guage thickness you set?? Would be interest to hear... thanks,
Robin says
I can't wait to try this recipe! I can't stand all of the ingredients in store bought ones. Quick question...has anyone tried using bacon fat for the oil??? I wonder if that would 'act' as lard.
thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
I haven’t tried that Robin - but I bet they’d be quite yummy! We’ll see if anyone else responds. If you try it, let us know!
Robin says
Will do. I'll give it a shot tomorrow...and update you.
Last question...I intend on freezing them. I looked through all of the posts, but I couldn't find an answer to this...after I cook each one, should I immediately place each one in a freezer bag? Then after they're all done, let them cool (in the bag), then place in the freezer? Should I close the bag each time I place one in it? Or just leave it open until they cool?
Sorry...that was more than one question 🙂
Willow says
This is what I do:
Get a plate and then lay a clean towel on top of it
Stack your cooked tortillas on the plate as you make them
Use an inverted plate as a lid to keep the steam in
When they are cool, put them in the freezer (in a ziplock bag with parchment paper between them)
Graciela Quinn says
Came out delicious. Made them by hand and with a cast iron grill...had no problem. With butter they are delicious and tried the pizza idea which was delicious as well. Biggest problem is making myself stop eating!
Will do this again.
Chris Scheuer says
In a cast iron grill! Sounds so great Graciela. We have the same problem (about eating them!) Who would have thought; a simple Tortilla recipe could taste so good and be so versatile!
Jo says
These were SO good! Whenever I make these type of recipes, they don't typically work out, so I didn't have very high hopes. That said, my sister had made the same recipe with great success. The recipe is perfectly written out and was easy to follow. I will definitely be making these again.
Erin says
I have used this recipe to make tortillas 4 or 5 times now and they always turn out great. It's my favorite tortilla recipe that I've tried. However, I run into one problem. Every time I make it completely as is, I find that the dough is too wet and sticks to the bowl (I use a dough hook on my stand mixer). 3 cups of flour hasn't been enough when I make it, but I haven't read in the comments anyone else questioning that amount. I always have to add more flour in the mixing stage because it is too wet to come together well enough to form a ball. I do everything else as the recipe calls for. What might be my problem? Do you pack in the flour in the measuring cup? I always spoon it in and scrape it flat, so maybe that is less than your 3 cups?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Erin,
I find quite often when making bread that the amount of flour can sometimes vary a bit. It might be the flour or the humidity, etc. But it sounds like you have solved the problem by just adding a bit more flour - and with great results! (I do also spoon in the flour and scrape it flat.)
Myrna Denopol says
"I'm from the Philippines.. Thank you so much for the recipe, I really love it.
Sandy of Yamhill says
I have made these several times and have NEVER had any leftovers! They are awesome. My father and I are on very restricted sodium diets because of health reasons and I have altered your recipe to accommodate that. I omit the salt and only use 1/4 tsp of baking powder. I add in onion powder, garlic powder, a dash of chili powder and about an 1/8 of a teaspoon of cracked black pepper. They are heavenly. Making them again today!
I don't cook with salt or even put the salt shaker on the table, unless we have company. Instead is salting potato or pasta water, I add whole, slightly crushed garlic gloves, black peppercorns, spices. It works out perfect. I make our bread too and add no salt. Comes out perfect every time. Once you get away from the salt you don't even notice it. Until you eat something processed and the salt taste is almost too much.
Thanks again for all your great recipes. 🙂
Stephanie says
Made these for dinner tonight and served them with taco fillings. They are delicious! I have saved the leftover tortillas to use as salad wraps for lunches 🙂
Thank you for the recipe!
Evelyn says
These tortillas are great!
They taste delicious with anything on top, even Nutella.
Worth a try!
Alexandria says
I just wanted to add, we ate the leftovers this morning for breakfast with some cream cheese and honey. Mmm mm mm. We don't have a microwave, so I turned the smallest burner on our gas stove on low, and heated them over the fire. It gave them a nice smokey taste reminiscent of homemade tortillas made over the fire, like how they do it out in "el campo" (countryside). They were delightful.
Alexandria says
These were pretty good. My biggest complaint would be the amount of flour that was still stuck to the outside even after they came off the pan. I didn't even flour my rolling pin, but for some reason they picked up a ton of flour when I was rolling them out that wouldn't shake off. Otherwise they were nice. We ate some by themselves because they were too brittle, and the softer ones we used for quesidillas. I'll try them again if I can figure out how to remedy my flour issue!
Sandy in Yamhill says
I had that issue the first time I made them. I went to our local Mexican grocery store and purchased a tortilla press for under $15. It works beautifully. No additional flour required for rolling. I just covered the two halves of the press with plastic wrap, place the dough ball in the center and press. Perfection every time.
Lillie Hawes says
I make homemade tortillas all the time. I have been making them since I was 10 years old. I am now 56 years old. I was taught by a mexican lady. For one I do not use baking powder because that makes them to airy and two you can stack your hot tortillas on top of each other and they do not get soggy. And I use lard or shortening instead of cooking oil..
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Lillie. Sounds like you make the real deal and they sound wonderful.I have to say though, I get emails almost every day from people who are crazy about these tortillas, even Mexicans!
Hayley says
How would you recommend I mix the dough if I don't have a stand mixer?
I'm thinking maybe by hand with a wooden spoon..? But I'm not sure.
Thanks!!
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, you could definitely mix this dough up with a sturdy wooden spoon. Lots of people have done it this way.
Justin says
I have used this recipe a hundred times and it's amazing. 5 stars
Ashley says
Thank you for sharing this! These have become a major staple in our house! Love them!
Ash
Lori says
My husband made these tortillas about a month ago and I should have commented sooner b/c these really are THE BEST EVER!!