Our Homemade Flour Tortilla recipe will have you wondering why you ever bought grocery store tortillas. Our easy recipe is made with 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
Take Taco Tuesday to the next level with our easy, fresh recipe.
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Skip the store-bought packs; nothing compares to warm, soft, homemade flour tortillas. They're surprisingly easy to make with just a few pantry staples, and trust me, they’re well worth the effort.
We love using this recipe for our chicken quesadillas and pork belly tacos recipes.
Once you've tasted the fresh, pillowy texture, you'll never go back to pre-packaged again. Whether you're using them for tacos, burritos, or as a side with soups and stews, our homemade flour tortillas will turn a meal into a fiesta!
If you enjoy making homemade breads, try our Pita Bread Recipe for restaurant-style pita bread at home, and our Homemade Focaccia Bread for a taste of Italy.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Homemade Flour Tortilla recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means "everything in its Place."
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Recipe Variations
- Whole Grain Upgrade: Swap half the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat for a nutty flavor without losing tenderness.
- Charred Tortillas: After cooking, place them directly over a gas flame for a few seconds to add smoky, blistered spots like a restaurant tortilla.
- Infused Tortillas: Mix roasted garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, or minced herbs into the dough for tortillas that stand alone as a side.
- Gluten-Free Tortillas: You can make gluten-free tortillas by using a good cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
How to Make Flour Tortillas
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Flour tortillas in your home kitchen.
You need hot water to make this recipe. You can either heat the water in a saucepan or place it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. It does not need to boil, although you do want it to be very hot.
- Add the salt to the hot water and stir together until it dissolves.
- Melt the shortening we used, Crisco, for this recipe. You can also use margarine or butter to make the recipe.
- Add the flour and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and sift together with a fork.
- Add the melted shortening to the flour mixture.
- Stir together until the flour becomes slightly crumbly in texture.
- Add the hot water to the flour and shortening mixture.
- Combine using a fork or your hands to shape it into dough. If more water is needed, add a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be slightly sticky but not overly sticky to the touch.
- Transfer the dough mixture to a cutting board or pastry sheet.
- Kneed for 2-3 minutes and press it into a rectangle.
- Folds it over, pressing down on the dough as you fold it together.
- Form a ball out of the dough.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel for 30 minutes, allowing the dough to rise.
*If the dough is in a drafty or cool spot, place the towel over the dough and place a bowl over the top to keep it warm while it rises. - Divide the dough into small balls about 2' in diameter. This will make 8 dough balls. For larger tortillas or smaller street taco size, adjust the size of the dough balls.
- Use a rolling pin or tortilla press to make the tortillas.
- The tortillas should be pressed into a thin translucent layer.
*You should be able to see the shape of your fingers through them. If they are too thick, they will not cook properly and will burn during the cooking process. Place a piece of parchment paper or tinfoil between the pressed flour tortillas to keep them from sticking together. - Heat a cast-iron pan or sautee pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil or olive oil. Wipe away any excess with a paper towel.
- Place the tortillas into the pan and lightly press down with a spatula so all of the edges are in contact with the pan.
- After about 30 seconds, you will start to see slight bubbles popping up. At this time, flip the flour tortilla to the other side.
- Continue to cook for thirty seconds to a minute until the tortilla shells begin to puff up.
- Flip the tortilla back to the other side for another thirty seconds and remove it from the heat.
Chef Tips
- Rest the Dough: For at least 30 minutes for a soft, pliable flour tortilla.
- Roll evenly: From the center out to keep them round.
- Pan Heat Matters: Cook the tortillas on a hot, cast-iron skillet or comal. If it's not hot enough, they'll dry out before they brown. Too hot, and they'll scorch before cooking through.
- The Puff Test: A great tortilla should puff up when it hits the heat. That's steam creating layers inside - the sign of perfect hydration and resting time.
- Lard vs. Oil: If you want authentic flavor, use rendered pork lard (that’s how my grandmom made them). Neutral oils or shortening will work, but nothing beats the richness of lard.
Continue this process until all the tortillas have been cooked. Lightly grease the pan if needed between each addition.
Use are restaurant method and keep cooked tortillas wrapped in a clean towel inside a covered basket to trap steam and keep them soft until serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Pair with slow-braised carnitas, fajitas, or grilled shrimp for a taco night that feels like a taquería experience.
- Use them as the base for breakfast tacos filled with scrambled eggs, chorizo, and queso fresco.
- Serve warm with queso fundido or salsa verde as a handheld appetizer.
Homemade flour tortillas are easier to make than you think. With just 5 simple ingredients, you’ll be making a flour tortilla that will rival your favorite Mexican restaurant.
They’ll take your next Taco Tuesday to a whole new level of deliciousness!
How to Store and Reheat
Separate each tortilla with a piece of parchment between them to keep them from sticking together. Store in a ziplock bag on the counter or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Flash-freeze tortillas flat before stacking with parchment paper so they don’t stick together, then place them in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months.
Reheat in a hot pan with a little oil or butter. To microwave, sprinkle lightly with water to restore that just-made softness.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you would like to make them in advance, you can make the dough and roll it out. Then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.
You want to make sure you allow time for the dough to rise. Also, do not use too much flour when rolling out the tortillas or handling the dough. Roll them out thinner than you think they need to be; a thick tortilla shell will not cook properly without burning. Lastly, make sure you are allowing time for them to puff up slightly before removing them.
Tough tortillas usually mean the dough was overworked, too dry, or cooked too long. Resting the dough helps relax the gluten and keeps them soft.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Flour Tortilla Recipe
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ⅔ cup hot water
- 6 tablespoon vegetable shortening melted (or lard)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
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Enter your email below & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
Instructions
- Hot water is needed to make this recipe. You can either heat the water in a saucepan or place it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. It does not need to boil, although you do want it to be hot.
- Add the salt to the hot water and stir together until it dissolves.
- Melt the shortening we used, Crisco, for this recipe. You can also use margarine or butter to make the recipe.
- Add the flour and baking powder to a large mixing bowl and sift together with a fork.
- Add the melted shortening to the flour mixture and stir together until the flour becomes slightly crumbly in texture.
- Add the hot water to the flour and shortening mixture and combine using a fork or your hands to shape it into dough. If more water is needed, add a tablespoon at a time. The dough should be slightly sticky but not overly sticky to the touch.
- *Make sure the water is hot when added!
- Transfer the dough mixture to a cutting board or pastry sheet
- Kneed for 2-3 minutes, folding over and pressing down on the dough.
- Form a ball out of the dough and cover with a towel for 30 minutes, allowing the dough to rise.
- If the dough is in a drafty or cool spot, place the towel over the dough and place a bowl over the top to keep it warmer while it rises.
- Divide the dough into small balls about 2' in diameter. This will make 8 dough balls. For larger tortillas or smaller street taco size, adjust the size of the dough balls.
- Use a rolling pin or tortilla press to make the tortillas. The tortillas should be pressed into a thin layer that is translucent. Meaning you should be able to see the shape of your fingers through them. If they are too thick, they will not cook properly and will burn during the cooking process.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or tinfoil between the pressed flour tortillas to keep them from sticking together.
- Heat a cast-iron pan or sautee pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil or olive oil. Wipe away any excess with a paper towel.
- Cook the flour tortillas over medium heat in the cast-iron pan.
- Place the tortillas into the pan and lightly press down with a spatula so all of the edges are in contact with the pan.
- After about 30 seconds, you will start to see slight bubbles popping up. At this time, flip the flour tortilla to the other side.
- Continue to cook for thirty seconds to a minute until the tortilla shells begin to puff up.
- Flip the tortilla back to the other side for another thirty seconds and remove it from the heat.
- Continue this process until all the tortilla shells have been cooked. Lightly grease in between cooks as needed.
Notes
- Whole Grain Upgrade: Swap half the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat for a nutty flavor without losing tenderness.
- Charred Tortillas: After cooking, place them directly over a gas flame for a few seconds to add smoky, blistered spots like a restaurant tortilla.
- Infused Tortillas: Mix roasted garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, or minced herbs into the dough for tortillas that stand alone as a side.
- Gluten-Free Tortillas: You can make gluten-free tortillas by using a good cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
- Rest the Dough: For at least 30 minutes for a soft, pliable flour tortilla.
- Roll evenly: From the center out to keep them round.
- Pan Heat Matters: Cook the tortillas on a hot, cast-iron skillet or comal. If it’s not hot enough, they’ll dry out before they brown. Too hot, and they’ll scorch before cooking through.
- The Puff Test: A great tortilla should puff up when it hits the heat. That’s steam creating layers inside – the sign of perfect hydration and resting time.
- Lard vs. Oil: If you want authentic flavor, use rendered pork lard (that's how my grandmom made them). Neutral oils or shortening will work, but nothing beats the richness of lard.
- Pair with slow-braised carnitas, fajitas, or grilled shrimp for a taco night that feels like a taquería experience.
- Use them as the base for breakfast tacos filled with scrambled eggs, chorizo, and queso fresco.
- Serve warm with queso fundido or salsa verde as a handheld appetizer.
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