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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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Bilyana says
Excellent recipe.!I've made them many times. We all love them especially with red beans salad.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks so much, Biyana. BTW, I love your name!
Chasity says
After making the tortillas, am I able to leave them out sealed up in a bag or put in the refrigerator like store bought tortillas? If so how long do you think they'd last?
Thank you,
Chasity
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Chastity, I like to keep them in the refrigerator. They don't have any preservatives so they won't keep as long as store bought tortillas but I've kept them for 5-6 days with good results.
Vicky says
Can these shells be fried crispy?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, they definitely can be fried after cooking them in the pan.
Carol McDowell says
You can cut open a vitamin E capsule, include with oil and they will last a lot longer. It will make them a bit yellow but just looks like butter. It won't change the taste.
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, didn't know this Carol, thanks for sharing!
Amy says
Just like the others said: EXCELLENT! I think the key is to let the dough rest and then keep the cooked tortillas under a towel. I hand made them (no mixing bowl) and it came out great! Didn't spring back to shape as much like others I've tried. Also, great tip on heat and how long to have it on for!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Amy! I love making these by hand. And you're right, allowing the dough to rest is super important!
Michelle says
We wanted homemade tortillas for fajuta night. These turned out AWESOME! On a whim we decided to see how grilling one turned out. It was frigging amazing and we decided that yep, we needed to grill them all! I definitely reccomend this recipe, and I definitely reccomend grilling them. My only advice for grilling the tortillas is to roll them a little thicker. But yeah. I dont think I'm ever buying tortillas from the store again.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you guys enjoyed them, Michelle! I love the idea of grilling them! Genius!
Polly says
It's amazing! I just randomly found your blog looking for this recipe. Awesome! Good for you!
Julia says
WOW! so simple, yet SO tasty! This is fantastic, yum. Thanks for the recipe.
Nataly says
I’m going to have to try your recipe. It looks delicious! Thanks for the simple recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy!
Niloufer says
This is a find. Great recipe. Worked perfectly. So much better than the preservative-filled packaged tortillas. Thanks all the way from India.
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome all the way to India! So happy you enjoyed it!
Liza says
Can I substitute some flour with oat floor
Chris Scheuer says
I haven't personally tried that Liza, but others have substituted other flours with good results!
Aryn says
Hi!
I tried this recipe last night (half the recipe, 8 tortillas) and they came out great! I "tested" two after letting it rest for around 30 minutes and they were great! Ate them just plain. I left the rest of the dough covered on the counter overnight and made the rest of the tortillas the next morning to make small breakfast burritos. Those turned out great as well! I'm a student living on my own and this is such an easy and cheap thing to do.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it using sunflower oil instead of olive oil.
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful!! Thanks so much, Aryn, for taking the time to share your results. Now you can impress your friends with your delicious new skill! Hope your studies go well!
Malcolm Scott says
Wow! Unbelievably easy to make and so much better than the ones I normally buy in a pack that contain a long list f chemicals. Much cheaper too.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Malcolm, for sharing your results! Yes, I love that you can make them yourself and not only save money but have them done in the time it would take to run to the grocery store!
Cheryl says
Made these tonight to go with chicken fajitas. They were so easy and tasted good too. Will definitely be making these again!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Cheryl for taking the time to share your feedback! So happy you enjoyed them!
Felicia says
These were easy to make and came out perfect!!! I'm just getting into cooking and if I can do it, anyone can. My son was eating them before I even started cooking the meat. This is a keeper...Thanks for the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! It sounds like you're a better cook than you might think! I love that you love this recipe - we do too!
Norma Humphreys says
These are truly easy and delicious.The family loves them and are requesting I make them from now on. NO MORE STORE BOUGHT. Not sure what I've done yet.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Norma! I know what you mean about no more store bought. They just don't compate!
Laura from Little Rock says
Awesome! These are the same as the tortillas we grew up eating as children . My mom grew up in the southwest near El Paso and homemade tortillas were a staple on a budget with hungry mouths to feed . I had forgotten how to make them. Made a batch last week and another today: homemade enchiladas are in the oven now, plus enchiladas in the freezer for busy after work dinners . Thanks for the great recipe!! For anyone having trouble with these; very warm water, perhaps a bit more shortening, mix by hand and allow plenty of resting time for the dough. I let the dough rest several times: just after kneading, about 15 up to 30 minutes, again after dividing, about 10 min, and cover them until ready to roll out and cook. Don't over cook. Don't think you're wasting your time to let them rest. Put your feet up and savor the moment. You're going to be eating the best tortillas ever!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Laura, I love that these are similar to the ones you grew up on. What a great compliment as there's nothing like mom's cooking! :
Brooke says
Ran out of tortilla shells and really didn’t want to leave the house on a day off... decided to use my recent love of cooking to see if I could make my own! Found this recipe and it was SO easy. Almost toooo easy! LOL thank you so much! Won’t be buying storebought anymore!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Brooke! Sometimes something we think is a problem ends up having a silver lining! So happy you ran out of shells and had the opportunity to try this recipe 🙂
Alina says
It looks so yummy! I love the step-by-step instructions, making it an easy recipe to follow!
Sharon Osburn says
Easy to make& delicious! So tender! Will not be buying the premade tortillas. To try it out I changed the quantity to 4 and was perfect for the 2 of us and took no time at all. I did use real butter in place of oil with no problems.
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results, Sharon!
Tiffany says
Wow! I am NOT a cook, that said I decided to make pork carnitas (I do try to cook for my little girl as it makes me feel good not to eat out all the time) and wanted some soft shells. Since there was no way I was hitting the grocery store I looked this recipe up. I don’t own a kitchen aid and my “swirly mixer thingys” wouldn’t stay in (have I mentioned I am NOT a cook?) so I kneeded the dough and followed your recipe closely. It totally worked!!!!! A hit! I will do this again. Thanks so much! People like you make it so doable for people like me to cook surprisingly well for our families!
Chris Scheuer says
That's so awesome Tiffany! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results. You may not be a cook but you definitely make up for it in enthusiasm!
John says
I tried your recipe today, using lard for the oil. They aren’t the healthiest tortillas (my own doing) but they are FANTASTIC. I’ve tried many tortilla recipes and have been unhappy with the results. This is THE recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, John for taking the time to leave a review. Yes, I'm sure lard would be wonderful!
Holly says
Hi!
After reading the comments in this recipe I really want to try it, but I've been slowly removing oil from my diet. If there a substitution you can recommend for those who are not eating oils?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Holly, I'm afraid these would be quite dry without the oil. Perhaps there is a recipe out there that would be successful with no oil but probably not this one.
Tee says
Hi! Does anyone have issues with it tasting doughy? I have made them twice, once to long and they turned hard and now this time they are soft but both fines tasted real doughy. I roll them out really thin. I am using mixed whole wheat and plain flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hmmm, not sure why they would taste doughy except perhaps the whole wheat flour takes a little longer to cook through.
Lillian Andrus says
Always ALWAYS! Use chicken broth 🙂
Olga says
Scott and Chris, bravo! What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
Alyssa says
Scott and Chris, thank you very much! I really liked the recipe, I took it to my recipe book)
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thank you!
Phuc Le says
Could I use melted butter instead of using oil? it may be enhance the flavor of tortilla
Chris Scheuer says
HI Phuc, yes I think butter would be delicious!