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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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Karen says
I made these this evening for dinner. They were super easy to make and so much better than store bought tortillas! I used the mixer version and followed all directions except I divided the dough into 12 balls rather than 16. I will be making these again!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks, Karen!
Ila says
Made this 2 times, best tortilla recipe, and I've made many, good thing I was still looking for better and now no need to look anymore. So easy, the softest tortillas, and taste simple and fresh. My husband and two boys also love these. Thank you so much for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad Ila! Thanks for letting us know!
Cheri says
This has been my go-to flour wraps recipe for years. Found after many failed attempts using many different recipes. Hasn't failed me yet. Highly recommended, and whole-hearted thanks to the author for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Cheri! 💕
Colayna says
Delicious! Are the nutrition facts for all 16 or per each tortilla?
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Colayna, the nutrition facts are per each tortilla.
Amanda says
Do you think this recipe will work with bread flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Amanda, yes, bread flour will work.
Georgia says
I just made these! Wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly...with no changes what so ever. Awesome! Definitely will be making these again. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Georgia!
Liberty says
I tried this recipe today and it turned out perfectly. Thank you. I don’t usually leave comments but because this recipe is just so perfect I want to share my experience.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing, Liberty! So glad you enjoyed them.
Chris Sutton says
Great tatse but mine keep shrinking back to a smaller size once ive rolled them out, so i cant get them to a decent size. Ive left the rest for 60 mins but it still happening. Any tips?
Chris Scheuer says
Hmm... you may have added too much flour. I would roll them out and cook them right away after they're rolled.
Chris says
Same story here. I used a press to press them out to 6 inches and they sprung back to about 3! Not a lot of room for filling!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Chris, I have found it's best not to use a tortilla press. I tried it but have much better success rolling out the tortillas.
Jennifer Dawson says
Same problem for me
Dee Dee says
I would like to know if I can use CORN FLOUR instead of regular flour for this recipe?
I purchased corn flour, not realizing that tortillas are usually made with MASA HARINA, and now I do not know what to do with the CORN FLOUR that I have?
I would love to be able to make tortillas from the Corn Flour, but can not seem to find any information on this.... 🙁
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Dee Dee, since this is not a recipe for corn tortillas I don't think that would work. However, you could make cornbread which would be wonderful.
Dee Dee says
Thanks! Will try that : )
Dolly says
I grew up making tortillas with grandmother (my family is Mexican). Corn tortillas are a bit different than flour. Look up recipes using masa, or masa flour and you should find some decent recipes. You also don’t roll corn tortillas but press them with a plate, or pan, or tortilla press. Hope this is helpful!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Dolly!
Mike Mathieson says
Hi there. Do they taste better with corn flour. I’m really interested in making original Mexican tacos. Do u have a recipe for the taco filling. As u said your family is Mexican. It would be great to get the real authentic flavour. So any recipes would be much appreciated
Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mike, corn tortillas are delicious but are a totally different recipe. You might want to look up a good recipe for corn tortillas.
Jennifer Dawson says
Corn muffins or corn bread perhaps?
Andi says
I made these for soft tacos last night and they are delicious, quick, and easy to make.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Andi!
Erika says
Great recipe! I will never buy these from a store again. Family of 4 very happy. I used a stand mixer just to be able to multi-task. The only thing I need to practice is rolling out better circles.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Erika!
Haileigh says
I have had this recipe bookmarked and have been using it several times a month for the last three years now! I have used all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and a combination of both--using half of each (my favorite). Because these tortillas dry out very quickly in my experience (even though I live in humid Georgia), two days ago, I decided to add an extra tablespoon of olive oil, and when rolling out, instead of using a floured surface, I rolled each tortilla between sheets of plastic wrap. This is the absolute best variation of this recipe that I've tried. Two days later, I just ate one with my breakfast, and it was perfectly soft and pliable--not one bit of dryness! This is no insult to the original recipe, but using it, by day two, the tortillas would be almost like crackers, albeit yummy crackers that still worked very well under a pile of scrambled eggs and black beans. This will continue to be my go-to recipe, but I will definitely now always use a bit of extra oil and roll them between plastic wrap! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Haileigh!
Patrick says
Someone said it needed more water, but with the ratios provided, mine needed a LOT more flour. The dough was way to wet to kneed and I had to keep incorporating flour in to get it to a state I could actually work. Haven't tried them yet as they are in the rest phase.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Patrick, flour can vary greatly depending on the climate and humidity level. Hope you enjoy these tortillas when you finish them up!
Terri Boyko says
WOW !!!!!! So easy and great for fish tacos or hamburger meat tacos My second time trying them!! Thank you!!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad, Terri!
Sheila Hooper says
I’ve been making flour tortillas with a different recipe. This recipe is way better. Super easy to make, and delicious. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks, Sheila!
Marina says
Hi Chris can I prepare the dough in advance and leave in the fridge until the evening for cooking?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marina, that would be fine but I would wrap the dough well and then bring it back to room temp before trying to roll the tortillas.
Michelle says
These are definitely the best homemade tortillas I’ve ever had!
Thanks so much for the tips.
Best regards,
Michelle
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks, Michelle!
Constance says
I have been putting off making tortillas due to laziness and I'm so glad this was the first recipe I tried! I was low on olive oil so I substituted half of the olive oil for melted unsalted butter. These were so soft and fresh. Mmm. Definitely worth the effort, which really wasn't much. And there was hardly any clean-up. Just had to clean a glass bowl and wipe flour off the counter. Also, I live in a humid area, so I normally expect to add extra flour. I just add flour little by little while kneading until the dough is easy to work with. I didn't have to add extra flour to this recipe and had a flawless experience with this recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Constance!
Franny says
i give this recipe a 20 !!!!!!! great flavor ,texture,flakiness.have made them at least 5 times since i found this great recipe.thank you so much fo sharing your knowledge.
Chris Scheuer says
So glad to hear that, Franny!
Zayah says
If you wanted to add spinach as an ingredient, how would you adapt the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
I'm not sure, Zayah as I have not tried that myself. My guess would be to puree spinach and drain it very well, but you would probably have better luck with a different recipe.
Jason says
Great recipe. Followed exactly as written and came out great (aside from needed more practice getting perfect circles).
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Jason! So happy you enjoyed them!
Lion says
Personally it needs more water then it calls for, and a good amount of salt. Not bad but not exactly something I'd make again
metalcasket says
Genuinely idiot-proof. So far, in the span of two weeks, I've made 3 batches and they've turned out exquisitely! Folks loved them and it looks like this recipe is going to be a staple in our household. Also tried using the tortillas as a thin, crispy pizza base and while my choice of toppings couldn't have been worse, the base itself was a real winner. Thank you SO much for this!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha, I love it! Thanks for leaving your review!
Billinda says
So excited to try this tonight, will update tomorrow on how it went 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy, Billinda!
Shaherose Lalji says
I would love to try out this recipe but would like to use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Is it okay to substitute the white flour with whole wheat flour? Please respond. thank you.
Shaherose Lalji says
I should have read older comments before posting my comment or query. I see that you have replied to an older comment to substitute white flour with 25% Whole Wheat flour to begin with. I simply love your recipes. Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm glad you saw that, Shaherose. Enjoy the flour tortillas!
kylie Olsson says
This recipe is AMAZING! I've used it time and time again as its so simple and easy to do and yet so delicious. I'd never use packet ones again.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, Kylie.
Michele Wilson says
This recipe was so easy and the tortillas turned out great. Everyone loved them and I can't wait to make again. Would like to try making the thin crust pizza next. I have also used tortillas cut in triangles and cooked and then toasted them. Used with hummis.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Michelle for sharing your results! So glad you enjoyed them!