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4.8 from 10 votes

Flour Tortillas

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •4/21/22 7 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

These homemade Flour Tortillas require only 5 ingredients! They’re simple, perfectly tender, and the perfect versatile flatbread for any meal of the day. You’ll never want to go back to store-bought tortillas after trying this recipe!

a stack of flour tortillas
Table of Contents Open
  • Easy Flour Tortilla Recipe
  • Why You Should Make These Flour Tortillas
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How To Make Flour Tortillas
  • What Are Tortillas?
  • Can I Use Other Types Of Flour?
  • Can I Make Corn Tortillas?
  • Can I use A Mixer To Knead The Dough?
  • Expert Tips
  • How To Store Leftover Tortillas
    • Freezing
  • How To Serve
  • More Great Mexican Recipes To Try
  • Flour Tortillas
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Easy Flour Tortilla Recipe

I’ve been dying to try out some homemade tortillas ever since I stumbled across this traditional tortilla press. While, of course, these can be made with a rolling pin, there’s just something so satisfying about squishing each ball of dough down into a perfect round.

With such a short list of ingredients, I’ll wage a bet that you already have everything you need to make this recipe! While we enjoyed these tortillas small for fajitas, you can make them larger if you’d like. You can even roll half the dough out as large tortillas, and the other half small to give yourself a variety.

Why You Should Make These Flour Tortillas

  • Only 5 Ingredients. That’s right, only 5 ingredients are required which you probably already have in your pantry or fridge.
  • Incredibly Easy To Make. Not only do these tortillas only require a handful of ingredients but they are simple and quick to make. Make the dough, roll or press into tortillas and cook them!
  • Super Versatile. The best part of these tortillas is that they are perfect for literally anything. Use these tortillas to make tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, you name it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

overhead shot of all ingredients needed to make tortillas
  • Flour – I used all purpose flour for this recipe. Read below for more flour options.
  • Baking powder – This is what will give the tortillas their signature brown spots from the air bubbles. Don’t use baking soda in its place or you’ll end up with an odd taste.
  • Salt – You can add more or less depending on your preference, but salt is a must to give your tortillas taste.
  • Butter – While tortillas are traditionally made with lard, butter is much more accessible to most of us and will work just as well.
  • Water 

How To Make Flour Tortillas

process shots showing how to make flour tortillas
  1. Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. Pour in the water and mix until everything starts to come together. Dump the shaggy dough onto a clean surface and knead until uniform and smooth. Divide into 12 equal pieces for large tortillas or 24 equal portions for small tortillas. Roll each piece into a ball, then cover the balls with plastic or a clean kitchen towel and let rest 20 minutes.
  2. Finish the tortillas: Using either a tortilla press or a rolling pin, roll each piece into a ball and flatten until about 2mm in thickness. Heat a large skillet over medium-high and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat with remaining dough.

What Are Tortillas?

In reference to Mexican cooking the name comes from the Spanish word torta which means cake. In other words, a super flat savory pancake. You’ll typically find them made with different varieties of corn in Mexico, but North of the border we see flour used for the most part.

Can I Use Other Types Of Flour?

Yes you can! If you want to use whole wheat flour you’ll have to use an extra 3-4 tbsp water to get the same consistency for the dough. Looking to make gluten-free tortillas? Replace the all purpose flour with 1 1/2 cups rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch, and add 1 tsp xanthan gum. This ingredient is becoming much easier to find. It’s perfect for replacing the gluten in homemade breads so that everything will stay together without drying up or cracking.

Can I Make Corn Tortillas?

For sure! Corn tortillas are traditionally made with Masa Harina which is a type of flour made from dried corn kernels. Basically all you need is 2 cups of masa, 1.5 to 2 cups of water and a bit of salt.

Can I use A Mixer To Knead The Dough?

Absolutely, you can use your stand mixer equipped with a dough hook attachment.

a bunch of tortillas in a tortilla holder

Expert Tips

  1. If you’re using a tortilla press, make sure you read the instructions for it. Mine said to place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, or take a ziploc bag and cut it in half and use that. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the press.
  2. You can use lard or shortening instead of butter if you prefer.
  3. Roll each tortilla right before cooking it. They tend to shrink up pretty fast, we want to keep them nice and thin.
  4. Make sure the pan is preheated before starting to roll and cook your tortillas.
  5. Adjust the heat of your pan as needed to make sure the perfect golden brown color without burning.

How To Store Leftover Tortillas

You can store these either in the pantry or your fridge. Keep your cooked tortillas wrapped with plastic, in a freezer bag, or a bread holder so they don’t dry out.

They will last about one week at room temperature or 2-3 weeks refrigerated. To reheat, stack them on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 10-15 second intervals until warm. You can also use a hot pan and let each tortilla sit for about 10 seconds on each side to warm up.

Freezing

To freeze your flour tortillas, lay them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover with plastic, and let them sit in the freezer for 45 minutes. After that, you can add them all to an airtight container or freezer bag. This will make sure they all don’t freeze together in one big lump. Your tortillas will last 6-8 months frozen.

an stack of homemade tortillas

How To Serve

The options are endless! You can load these flour tortillas up with different meats:

  • Pork Carnitas
  • Chicken Enchilada Taquitos
  • Easy Chicken Fajitas
  • Crockpot Mexican Chicken
  • Quick and Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • White Chicken Enchiladas
  • Chicken Burritos
  • Birria Tacos
  • Sheet Pan Quesadilla

Or you can serve them with these delicious dips:

  • Pico de Gallo Recipe
  • Joe Montana’s Touchdown Guacamole
  • Baja Spinach Dip
  • Homemade Salsa
  • Avocado Shrimp Salsa
  • Easy Guacamole
two steak fajitas on a cutting board

More Great Mexican Recipes To Try

  • Birria Tacos
  • Carne Asada
  • Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • White Chicken Enchiladas
  • 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
  • Mexican Wedding Cookies
  • Mexican Street Corn Salad

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a stack of homemade tortillas
Print
4.80 from 10 votes

Flour Tortillas

Prep 15 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour
Rate Recipe
These homemade Flour Tortillas require only 5 ingredients! They're simple, perfectly tender, and the perfect versatile flatbread for any meal of the day. You'll never want to go back to store-bought tortillas after trying this recipe!
24

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted, cold)
  • ¾ cup water

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix it into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. Pour in the water and mix until everything starts to come together. Dump the shaggy dough onto a clean surface and knead until uniform and smooth.
  • Prep the dough: Divide into 12 equal pieces for large tortillas or 24 pieces for small tortillas. Roll each piece into a ball, then cover balls with plastic and let rest 20 minutes.
  • Finish the tortillas: Using either a tortilla press or a rolling pin, roll each piece into a ball and flatten until about 2mm in thickness. Heat a large skillet over medium-high and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat with remaining dough.

Equipment

  • Tortilla Press
  • Pastry Cutter

Video

Notes

  1. If you’re using a tortilla press, make sure you read the instructions for it. Mine said to place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, or take a ziploc bag and cut it in half and use that. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the press.
  2. You can use lard or shortening instead of butter if you prefer.
  3. Roll each tortilla right before cooking it. They tend to shrink up pretty fast- we want to keep them nice and thin.
  4. Make sure the pan is preheated before starting to roll and cook your tortillas.
  5. Adjust the heat of your pan as needed to make sure the perfect golden brown color without burning.
  6. You can store these either in the pantry or your fridge. Keep them wrapped with plastic, in a freezer bag, or a bread holder so they don’t dry out.
  7. They will last about one week at room temperature or 2-3 weeks refrigerated. To reheat, stack them on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 10-15 second intervals until warm. You can also use a hot pan and let each tortilla sit for about 10 seconds on each side to warm up.
  8. To freeze your tortillas, lay them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cover with plastic, and let them sit in the freezer for 45 minutes. After that, you can add them all to an airtight container or freezer bag. This will make sure they all don’t freeze together in one big lump. Your tortillas will last 6-8 months frozen.

 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1tortillaCalories: 42kcal (2%)Carbohydrates: 8g (3%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 1g (2%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Cholesterol: 1mgSodium: 98mg (4%)Potassium: 32mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 15IUCalcium: 11mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

a stack of homemade tortillas

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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7 Comments
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Jessica
Jessica
Posted: 1 year ago

Can I make these using my kitchen aid paddle or hook attachment?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Jessica
Posted: 1 year ago

Sure!

0
Reply
Ida Kraft
Ida Kraft
Posted: 2 years ago

Can you make these with brown flour instead of white?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Ida Kraft
Posted: 2 years ago

Use 3/4 cup whole wheat flour fr every cup of AP called for.

0
Reply
Sobia Seneviratne
Sobia Seneviratne
Posted: 2 years ago

Hi there! I know this is for the soft tacos. Is it possible to fry them in oil and make crunchy taco shells?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Sobia Seneviratne
Posted: 2 years ago

Yes if you have a form to fry them around that should work!

0
Reply
Grace
Grace
Posted: 3 years ago

Hi: Love your recipes, Always looking for something to try. Would like to see vegetarian entrees.

1
Reply

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Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More
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