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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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Ivo says
Exelent recipe. Perfect quantities
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Ivo, for sharing your results!
Debbi K. says
Have you ever tried them with gluten free flour? I’m going make for my husband but want to try gf flour for me. Thanks!
Debbi K.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Debbi, I haven't tried them with GF flour but I believe some other readers have with good results.
Jo D Hertel says
I made them last night - and they tasted great, but maybe I overmixed the dough or something but I couldn't get them very big. The dough was so stretchy and would shrink. So they came out thicker than normal.
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, don't overmix them. You can even do it by hand. The other secret is to let the dough rest so that the glutens can relax.
Marie says
Easy to make and everybody loves these tortillas. I use a big electric skillet and can cook 3 tortillas at a time!
Chris Scheuer says
Great idea, Marie! That would save a lot of time!
bernice gyabaa says
i tried them but came out hard
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bernice, if they came out hard, they were cooked too long or at too high a heat. They don't need much cooking. Also, be sure to stack them between parchment or waxed paper, after cooking. The steam will keep them nice and soft.
Hope you get a chance to try them again. They're so... good!
Christi Dea says
Finally! This recipe was very easy to understand and my tortillas came out exactly as pictured in your article. I had been struggling with making thin and flexible tortillas even though I had a cast iron skillet and a tortilla press. Your recipe is radically different than the others though and the dough was so amazing I didn't even have to dust it with flour. I did however let my dough rest for one hour before I separated it into 16 pieces and then pressed them. Thank you so much for this fantastic and economic recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Christi! I'm always thrilled when I find "the one"!
Lexxie Dugan says
These are awesome! 1st time I made tortillas and it was so easy. My question is about freezing them. Do I freeze them after I cook them or just throw the dough in the freezer? Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lexxie, I freeze them after they're cooked. I just layer them between parchment paper and put them in a large ziplock storage bag. It's easy to take out however many you need.
Lindsey J says
We live in South Texas. My husband was born and raised in San Antonio, so he grew up on good tortillas. I’m Italian, from the East Coast, and I made these for the first time last night. So simple and delicious! We were all in love! I’ll never buy tortillas again!
Chris Scheuer says
That's wonderful Lindsey! Thanks for sharing your results. That's a high compliment from a San Antonio man!
Frank Edadiz says
The tortillas sound wonderful, but I didn't see the recipe that showed the amount of flour,salt,baking powder and oil or lard to use.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Frank, scroll down to find the recipe.
Jeff Sanders says
Great recipe! Love it. I use sunflower seed oil and freshly milled wheat and Kamut flour. I use a tortilla press. It makes it quick. I can press and cook simultaneosly. I’ve tried other oils - avocado and olive - and they don’t turn out as well as the lighter oil. Thank you for the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Jeff! I love your adaptation!
J.P. says
Absolutely amazing. Did not have vegetable oil, so I used olive oil. Still great results, and cooking times were spot on per side. Thank you for this yummy recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, J.P! Thanks so much for sharing your results. We love them with olive oil too!
Julie says
I have to laugh because I was just telling my husband thia weekend that flour tortillas is one thing I'm not interested in making as they are so inexpensive. But your recipe convinced me to give them a try and they were easy, but so delicious! Hubby raved over them! Made great breakfast tacos. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Never say never, right? That sounds like something I would do!
Nicole says
This dough is the BEST. I followed the recipe for the tortillas and they came out perfect. I have also used the dough to make fantastic tortilla chips, and more recently insanely good deep fried empanadas. It’s my go to!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Nicole! You have done some fun experimenting with this dough!
Carol vega says
I have a question. Do you ever use a tortilla press?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Carol, I have tried using a tortilla press but didn't like the results as well as rolling them. And this dough is really easy to roll!
K says
But how do you get them to be round? Mine look like amoebas. Even if they were round on the counter, they distorted when I picked them up to move them to the skillet.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Just always roll from the center out. And the more you make them, the easier it will be. You can straighten the shape out a bit with your hands as you're transferring them from the work surface to the pan.
michelle LaFayette says
Tortilla press only good for (necessary) for corn tortillas. My abuelas way. Flour torts you ROLL.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Michelle!
Santiago Oleas says
This is my go-to recipe for making tortillas. It is a hit every time I make them. Thank you for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay, with a name like Santiago, that's a real compliment 🙂 Thanks for sharing your results!
Claire Nash says
Hi, just wondering what the UK equivalent for all purpose flour would be in this case? I know more often that not it is plain flour but just wondering if it should be self raising to get the raising agent?
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
I would use plain flour and add the baking powder to get the right proportions.
Dhanya says
Hi! This recipe looks great? Can I use whole wheat flour instead? How would I adjust the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
You could try substituting some whole wheat flour for the all-purpose but I wouldn't do 100% WW flour as I think they wouldn't be as tender and soft.
Stephanie says
I just tried this recipe 2 days ago WITH whole wheat flour and it was great! I also chose to use olive oil. I have been making homemade tortillas my whole life and was very pleased with the results of using olive oil. Of course you have to like the taste, but it made them so easy to roll out and I was able to get them very thin without sticking or tearing. The whole wheat flour does make them more dense than regular flour, but they were still soft and tasty.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Stephanie! I know this will help lots of people who like to keep things a little healthier!
Sandy Bowman says
Have you ever been tried using mesa flour, will the results be different? It's for tortillas and tamales, I have some and would love to use it.
Chris Scheuer says
I haven't tried mesa flour for these tortillas. I think the consistency would be quite different. It might be fun to substitute some masa for the all-purpose flour.
Elizabeth Guitard says
Perfect. Fast and easy and treated delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Nettie says
By far the best tortilla recipe I have tried! Love them!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share your results, Nettie!
Lisa says
This is a perfectly delicious recipe, thank you for sharing with us to enjoy! I have made these numerous of times to go with our pisole, burritos, just heated with a little butter and so much more! Absolutely great recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Lisa. I agree - they're so versatile. The problem is that it's hard to go back to store-bought after having these!
Kath says
Yup- best flour tortilla recipe I've ever tried- so delicious and perfect consistency! I won't use any other from now on and they're so much better than shop bought! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Kath! We love that you love them!
Tina says
These were EXCELLENT. Thanks for all the specific tips and instructions and the photos. Well done!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Tina. So happy you enjoyed them. It's so nice to be able to make such delicious tortillas at home!
Janet says
We made these tonight and truly enjoyed them very much. We will definitely be making them again. I rolled out each one while my husband cooked them on a cast iron skillet then kept them warm in 2 , 9” circle cake pans. They worked out well as a tortilla warmer. Thank you for sharing this recipe. We will not eat store bought tortillas anymore.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Janet!
JJ says
I made a quarter batch, just to be on the safe side. Used half bacon grease and half veggie oil. They were a little sticky and elastic so I was pretty liberal with the flour when pressing them. Cooked them in my cast iron skillet and they were fantastic! Will be saving this recipe for sure. A hint for using a tortilla press: cut out 2 pieces of plastic to fit your press from a Ziploc bag, lightly flour one side of each then sandwich dough between the floured sides, press, then pull off the top piece of plastic and add a little more flour, replace, flip over and do the same to the other side then press again.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, JJ!
Cindy says
My son, the chef, didn't think ol mom could make homemade tortillas for our tacos. I surprised him, these were awesome! I will also try them for pizzas, soon.
Chris Scheuer says
I LOVE that Cindy! So happy you enjoyed them!