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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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Jo says
I made these tonight, and I think with a bit more practice I'd get a really decent tortilla. There's a bit of a learning curve I think. First, not a single one of my tortillas came out in a circle shape (that's a me problem lol!). Even when I got close, they immediately went wonky when I picked them up to cook them, which tells me I didn't use enough flour on my hands and surfaces/rolling pin.
Second, I was so worried about overcooking them and making them stiff, I didn't get enough heat to bubble or toast them at all. They bubbled only a tiny bit, and went a little stiff, but didn't brown. I wonder if my baking powder is dead?
On the bright side, my poor ugly tortillas were indeed soft, pliant, and floury. I won't serve them to guests without dialing in on my technique, but for now I've got a whole stack of squishy fresh tortillas all to myself 😉
To anyone who's reading and wondering if a 6 inch tortilla is too small for a taco... These are the correct side for what you'd think of as a street taco, most likely. 3 of these stuffed with a protein and a little veg would be an adequate adult serving. They're too small to fold the ends over, or wrap completely, so adjust the sizing a little if you're aiming for fajitas, breakfast tacos, sandwich wraps, etc.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jo, so happy you enjoyed the results. I'm sure that you will get better at rolling them into circles. If you flatten each ball and roll from the center out, turning the flattened disc as you go it will help to make more round tortillas. I also find that I can use my hands when I'm finished rolling to shape the tortillas to be more round.
Regarding the size, just to clarify a bit: the Mission brand Street Tacos that you can purchase at most larger grocery stores are 4.5-inches so these 6-inch tortillas are not small tortillas like that but more like the regular "fajita" size that you can purchase in many brands. They are not large enough for a burrito although I use them frequently for tacos and small sandwich wraps.
Nikki says
I was sorely disappointed when I was expecting to make tortillas big enough for tacos. The recipe is fine but I got extremely upset and frustrated from wasting ingredients when I saw how tiny these tortillas were. They'd be good for big dolls. 16 equal portions made me have to do it all over again for decent sized ones and then dinner was so late I didn't even want to cook. I wish I could write a better review but our taco night became miserable.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nikki, so sorry this recipe was frustrating to you, however, I'm quite puzzled. A 6-inch tortilla is a perfect size for most tacos. I can't imagine trying to hold a taco that's larger than 6 inches. Perhaps you didn't roll them to this size and that's why they turned out small.
I make these frequently for tacos. In fact, I made them last week for 6 people around my table. I served steak and slow-roasted pork along with lots of fun toppings to make the tacos. Everyone had their fill and there were still leftover tortillas.
Lisa G says
I made these for the first time and I think they are wonderful. I am allergic to corn which is also in all ready-made flour tortillas and mixes. I make sourdough bread and I had bookmarked your sourdough recipes. Tonight I gave it a try and I will make these forever. My starter is whole wheat, so I made your whole wheat version that is partly with white four.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Lisa!
Ellie says
Has anyone tried using corn flour for all or part of the flour?
Rose says
Lordy, this is my 3rd try making Tortillas using a different recipe each time. I've now found my winner. I made these as written the first time. 2nd time I used lard. I don't know which I love more, both are good, the lard ones are lighter in color. My last Tortilla I buttered as soon as I got it out of pan, sprinkled cinnamon and sugar. Wow was that a mistake. Soooo freaking good. Thank you so much for your great recipe, exceptional instructions and great story.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for your review, Rose!
Jesper says
I tried these and though the taste was great, when putting the dough in the pan, they would simply shrink and thicken, and not like these flat ones you have made. I put oil in the pan when frying them. Was that a mistake, should I just have cooked them on a dry pan?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jesper, yes, you just cook these in a dry pan. Give them another try sometime!
Steph says
The best tortillas I've ever tasted! And I've had some great ones made by Mexican chefs 🙂
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Steph!
Emily says
This was great. I always scroll to see how many reviews a recipe has and if there are any comments. Needless to say, I was sold. I made this (with the help of my two year old mixing the dough) and it was a hit! I’ll never buy from the store again. Can’t wait to share with my family.
I also appreciated your information prior to the recipe. While the dough was resting I took time to go through it and found it helpful. Thanks again!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these, Emily!
Stephanie says
Please, please help me. There are so many five star reviews that this has to be something I am doing wrong and I would love some help or suggestions as to how to improve.
I am trying to make larger 8-10” tortillas for burritos. My initial cutting of the dough into 16 pieces got our tortillas to about a 4” wrap. So I put two of the dough balls together and got it to about 6” diameter. I added a third dough ball and it got to 7” diameter (and then I rolled them with a pin to get them to 8”), but then I only got five wraps per recipe. That is fine. However they are so doggone thick!
The wraps in the photo for the recipe are gorgeous! Thin, they look quite large in diameter. I am clearly doing something wrong.
I did use white whole wheat flour. I let them sit for 15 minutes as stated. I purchased a tortilla press, but I could not get them any thinner despite taking a rolling pin to them after the press.
I want to love these, but I need some guidance on how to make these as thin and beautiful as pictured and loved as stated by so many happy reviewers. This is my first time making tortillas and they are breaking as I try to roll them up. I welcome any help and suggestions-it is clearly something I am doing wrong. Thanks in advance!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Stephanie,
It sounds like you may have used a little too much flour, Stephanie (or not quite enough water). Whole wheat flour will absorb more moisture so you may need to add a bit more water. Start with an extra teaspoon at a time until you get a nice pliable dough.
You may also want to start with half WW flour and half all-purpose until you really get the hang of this. That will make the dough easier to work with.
You shouldn't need a tortilla press as, if the dough is the correct consistency, the balls roll out really nicely to 6-inch, nice thin tortillas.
One other thing, with whole wheat flour, the dough may need a little extra resting time. Try giving it a little longer and flatten the dough balls with your hand to give them a head start while they rest.
Hope that helps!
Daniela Amato says
Really loved these! Easy to make and delicious. I won’t buy them from the store anymore.
One question: I stored the uneaten ones in a biodegradable zip bag(only mention that because it isn’t plastic and may be the reason) inside the refrigerator and they got hard over night. Any ideas on why or how to avoid?
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
So glad you enjoyed these, Daniela! I would freeze the extras instead of refrigerating them. Because they are fresh, they will get hard if left out. You can thaw them quickly in the microwave or on the counter and warm them in a pan.
Shyrene Thompson says
So easy to make!! My son absolutely loved these tortillas. I will never buy from the store again. Thanks for the simple, delicious recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Shyrene!
Ang says
I've been making these for some time. Best recipe. I cant justify buying tortillas. Sadly in Canada they have a kniwn cancer causing ingredient in alot of the store bought brands. The simpler the ingredients the better. So... I decided to stop eating wraps from the store. To be honest...... they weren't fresh to me. But these!!
My husband eats these! I love cooking them on a skillet.
Might I recommend trying them as a quesadilla with herbed havarti in the center. Absolutely fantastic! We will never go back to the old kind. I fry mine in a very tiny amount of butter on a readied skillet. 👀❤️
Thankyouuuuuuuuu.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your review, Ang! So glad you are enjoying these 🙂
Kristina Diaz says
I made these for enchiladas. They were excellent. Very easy to make and delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks, Kristina!
Stephanie says
These turned out absolutely wonderful. I made them with whole wheat flour. Definitely one to write down in my recipe book. I will never be able to buy tortillas again.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, Stephanie!
Carmen Cubas says
I haven’t made these yet, but look forward to trying them. Another use for flour tortillas, beyond burritos, tacos, pizzas and sandwich wraps, is a treat my mom makes. Fry the cooked tortilla in some oil until they puff up and are golden, then sprinkle them with powdered sugar and drizzle them with honey. So decadent and delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
That sounds delicious, Carmen!
Michelle M says
I can’t believe how good these turned out! The only bad part is my family will expect no less on burrito nights now. They really are fun to make though and not difficult at all. Thank you so much for the excellent recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Michelle!
Jinky Paragas says
I tried this recipe today, and I absolutely love it... no more store bought from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Jinky!
Adrienne Fraser says
I was a bit nervous about trying these out but they were a success apart from the slightly odd shape but that will be just practise, they taste great too!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Adrienne!
Doris says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Worked perfectly for me this time. I am learning to use common sense as I gain more experience cooking. Our flour, climate, humidity, temperature of water may be different. So if the dough feels stiff and dry, add a bit more water. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Doris!
S. Billmyer says
I never knew I could make homemade flour tortillas that taste as good as a commercial tortilla, but lo & behold, I found it! The recipe is simple and does not need any special tools to make the tortillas and to store them. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
That's wonderful, S! Thanks for letting us know!
Ingrid says
I just made this recipe and it came out perfect! I love the fact that you included instructions in case somebody is using their stand mixer as I recently bought one and I am still figuring it out! Super helpful! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Ingrid!
Jason says
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t pan out as planned. The proportions of dry to wet ingredients are not right. In the end i made dough which was prone to cracking even after letting the gluten rest. Ive made these in the past using a third of the flour being called for with much better results. I dont think i would ever recommend this recipe for anyone trying to make a tortilla.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jason, not sure what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. Many other readers (well over 2,000 who have left reviews) have made these tortillas with great success with the proportions given.
Lina says
Unfortunately it didn’t work out for me. Everything seemed to be working out fine until it was time to cook. There were grease pockets of olive oil in the tortillas after I cooked them. I had to throw it away. I thought I measured everything correctly but maybe olive oil isn’t the best oil for it. I will try out one more recipe from the blog because it might have been bad luck on my part but annoying to have wasted a morning on it
Chris Scheuer says
I'm sorry you had trouble with these, Lina. It's hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Give them another try, you can see that lots of people have had success with these.
Capucine Maneckjee says
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. My tortillas turned out perfectly - so wonderfully flavorful and tender. There is no going back to the rubbery purchased ones. I used 1/3 of whole wheat flour.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Capucine!
Cat says
I haven't made these yet but just wanted to say that you reply to the nut jobs on here so graciously when really we all know what you really should say to them. Hope you have a wonderful day and never let the miserable people put you down. I hope these work when I make them, but if not..oh well, I'll blame my wooden spoon instead.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Cat 🙂
Michael R. says
GREAT RECIPE WHICH I HAVE BEEN USING FOR YEARS. I THINK FOR ANYONE NEW TO THIS RECIPE AND WHO WEIGHS THE DOUGH WHEN IT'S DIVED INTO PORTIONS SHOULD KNOW THAT EACH PIECE SHOULD WEIGH APPROX. 40-42 GRAMS.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Michael!
Renee says
I absolutely despise that you take half a page to yammer on and on about tortillas as if you invented the food when all we want is the recipe. What is up with you food bloggers thinking we care about a story… about a torilla?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Renee, thanks so much for your kind and gracious comment. I’m sorry you are offended by this post. But no worries! We have installed a “Jump to the Recipe “ button at the top of every post just for folks like you!
Hope the rest of your day goes better!
Kind regards,
Chris
Rose says
That was glorious. Question, may I use lard or shortening to make these and if so should it be room temp or melted? Thanks, and keep up with the stories, I LOVE them
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Rose! I see that you figured out the lard 🙂
Tracy Casteels says
I'm so sorry that this pained soul felt the need to leave such a rude comment. Thank you for sharing your recipe and a little sliver of your happiness.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Tracy 🙂
Vicki says
Hi for your information there is a juno to recipe link...just saying
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Vicki.
Maria says
Renee,
We all get frustrated sometime by information overload. Seems like all we do is read and scroll. But these people are not book publishers and you got to be respectful. While this page is on internet, it's their space that you stumble upon, they're not pushing it on you. No need to offend people!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Maria!
Cs says
Ouch! You can skip the story and go right to the recipe. The blogs are all part of the business. I think some people like to read the story unlike yourself. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Chris was very gracious to your mean-spirited remark. Like he said, it clearly has a section where you can jump straight to the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Cs!
Ferrell says
Just made these. Followed the instructions. Measured everything. Used name brand organic flour. The result: Terrible. Dry. Can't roll them without breaking. Making 16 resulted in too small size. Wasted time and ingredients.
Chris Scheuer says
Hmmm... first of all, I'm sorry this recipe didn't work out for you. I hate wasting good ingredients. It's difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. But with over 2,000 super positive reviews, I think that something must have gone wrong.