With just 5 easy ingredients, these Homemade Flour Tortillas will quickly replace the store-bought version for your next taco night. They're softer, tastier, and so easy to make!
Who knew that soft flour tortillas could be so easy to make?! This homemade tortilla recipe calls for just 5 ingredients (with two of them being salt and oil - so maybe just 3 ingredients??). Just thirty minutes later and you have soft, warm tortillas for your mini quesadillas, ground pork tacos, burritos, shrimp fajitas, sandwich wraps, Mexican-inspired casseroles, hot honey shrimp tacos, or snacking. They're also great for baked tacos because they hold up well to baking.
You’re going to LOVE making tortillas if you love…
- Mexican food
- Knowing EXACTLY what’s in your food
- Easy homemade versions of store brands
- The idea of cooking and baking from scratch (maybe you find it relaxing to put on Netflix on a tablet in the kitchen and roll out some tortillas??)
- Quick and easy lunches (well, at least once you have tortillas made)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups flour (all-purpose flour works best!)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water (warm water is key! Not cold water!)
You'll also need:
- A stand mixer
- A rolling pin
- A clean kitchen towel
It also really helps to have a stand mixer to do all the mixing for you. Of course, a KitchenAid is the gold standard in stand mixers, but I've also owned a much cheaper brand for many years and it was great and got the work done! And of course, you can always mix the tortilla dough by hand.
And I'll show you how to roll out tortillas without needing a single-use gadget like a tortilla press.
How to make homemade tortillas:
Step 1: Mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl (if using a stand mixer, do this in the stand mixer bowl!).
Step 2: Add the vegetable oil and warm water.
Step 3: Use the dough hook accessory on your stand mixer, on medium low speed, to mix the dough until it turns into a cohesive dough ball. Or mix by hand!
Step 4: Move the dough ball to a floured cutting board or clean kitchen counter. Cut into 16 slices. Roll each slice into a ball. It doesn't have to be perfect!
Step 5: Place a towel over the dough balls and allow them to rest for 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour (this is a great time to make some taco meat and get your other taco toppings!). This resting step helps the gluten expand and absorb water, which then results in chewy, stretchy tortillas that are easy to roll and a pleasure to eat.
Step 6: Preheat a skillet to medium heat. If you want to cook these faster, preheat 4 skillets at a time and multitask!
Step 7: Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each ball into a flat tortilla. Transfer to the skillet.
Step 8: Cook until you see brown spots forming then flip. When you see the brown spots again, transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
Step 9: Enjoy with your favorite ingredients!
Tips for flour tortillas
- For the softest tortillas, roll the dough as thin as possible, but don't stress about it. Chewy thicker tortillas are also super delicious!
- If you’re having trouble rolling the dough, allow it to rest for an additional 15 minutes
- To keep the tortillas warm and soft, stack them on top of each other and cover with a towel as you cook them
- Take care to not overcook the tortillas or cook on high heat, as the tortillas can become tough
What to eat with flour tortillas
- Soft tacos – try these ground pork tacos, trout tacos, or make this chili lime swai for fish tacos!
- Fajitas – beef or chicken with your favorite veggies
- Quesadillas – try these Air Fryer Quesadillas or make mini broccoli quesadillas (a healthy kid-friendly lunch)
- Pizza – yes, you can use these flour tortillas as a thin pizza crust! Perfect for kids!
- Casseroles - this Mexican lasagna with flour tortillas instead of lasagna pasta is AMAZING!!
- Snack wraps – perfect for breakfast with eggs and bacon, or for lunch on the go with cheese and deli meat
However you decide to serve these tortillas, please take a picture and tag me on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK. You can find me at @babaganoshblog on both. I love seeing your creations!
How to store homemade tortillas
If you don't devour these fresh tortillas in one sitting (like we do), these tortillas will stay fresh in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 7 days after preparing them.
How to reheat tortillas
Cold tortillas will feel hard and inflexible. When you’re ready to reheat, toss one or two in the microwave with a damp paper towel on top and heat for 10-15 seconds at a time until soft and warm, or reheat on the stove in a nonstick pan.
Can I use a different type of oil in this recipe?
I recommend sticking with vegetable oil or olive oil. Other oils, such as peanut oil or coconut oil, have a strong flavor that will alter the tortilla flavor.
Don’t miss these other Mexican-inspired recipes:
- Taco burgers with salsa
- Instant Pot white chicken chili
- Easy chicken mole
- Black bean pineapple salsa
- Easy avocado shrimp tostadas
- Black bean turkey quesadillas
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water - (warm water is key! Not cold water!)
Special equipment
- Large non-stick skillet
- Stand up mixer
Instructions
- Mix together flour, salt and baking powder in your mixer bowl (or a large bowl). Then add the vegetable oil and warm water.
- Use the dough hook accessory on your stand mixer and mix the dough on medium speed until it turns into a cohesive dough ball.
- Move the dough ball to a floured cutting board or clean kitchen counter. Cut into 16 slices. Roll each slice into a ball. It doesn't have to be perfect!
- Place a towel over the dough balls and allow them to rest for 15 minutes (or up to 1 hour).
- Preheat a skillet to medium heat. If you want to cook these faster, preheat 4 skillets at a time!
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each ball into a flat tortilla. Transfer to the skillet. Cook until you see brown spots forming then flip. When you see the brown spots again, transfer to a plate and allow to cool for a few minutes, then cover with a towel to keep them soft and warm.
- Repeat with the rest of the tortilla balls, and enjoy in your favorite taco recipe!
Notes
- You can mix the dough by hand if you don't have a stand mixer
- For the softest tortillas, roll the dough as thin as possible, but don't stress about it
- If you’re having trouble rolling the dough, allow it to rest for an additional 15 minutes (up to 1 hour)
- To keep the tortillas warm and soft, stack them on top of each other and cover with a towel as you cook them, just let them cool for a few minutes first
- Take care to not overcook the tortillas or cook on high heat, as the tortillas can become tough or burn in spots before they cook through
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.