Elevate your meals with these easy-to-make flour tortillas from scratch. Perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or even just snacking straight from the pan, these tortillas are soft, pliable, and sturdy enough to hold all your favorite fillings. With only five simple ingredients, you can mix them by hand, with a stand mixer, or even a hand mixer—whatever works best for you!
After mastering homemade corn tortillas, it was only natural to explore the wonders of flour tortillas. And let me tell you—they’re absolutely worth every roll, flip, and bite. The process itself is surprisingly fun, but the real magic lies in eating them fresh off the skillet.
Why You’ll Love These Tortillas
- Simple Ingredients: Just flour, salt, baking powder, oil, and water.
- Versatile: Use them for tacos, wraps, quesadillas, and more.
- Fun to Make: Rolling and cooking each tortilla is as satisfying as eating them.
- Perfect Texture: Soft, flexible, and durable enough for hearty fillings.
How to Make Flour Tortillas
- Mix the Dough: Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add vegetable oil and warm water, then knead until the dough is soft and elastic.
- Divide and Rest: Divide the dough into 16 equal portions (for taco-sized tortillas), shape into balls, and let them rest.
- Roll Out: Flatten each ball slightly, then roll into thin circles with a rolling pin.
- Cook: Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each tortilla for 1-2 minutes per side until bubbles form and light brown spots appear.
Cooking Tips
- Rest the Dough: Letting the dough rest helps it roll out more easily.
- Even Heat: A hot skillet ensures evenly cooked tortillas with perfect bubbles.
- Keep Warm: Stack cooked tortillas and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm and soft.
Serving Suggestions
These homemade tortillas pair beautifully with:
- Chipotle lime shrimp fajitas
- Jalapeño lime fish tacos
- Skinny Baja chicken tacos
- Black bean tacos with pico de gallo
Or simply enjoy them plain, hot off the skillet. Trust me, no one will judge!
Why Homemade is Best
Store-bought tortillas can’t compete with the fresh flavor and texture of homemade ones. Plus, you can customize the size and thickness to suit your needs. Once you’ve tried these, you’ll never look back!
Ready to Impress?
If you’ve never made tortillas from scratch, now’s the time to try. They’ll add a special touch to any meal, and you’ll feel a sense of pride knowing you made them yourself. So grab your skillet, roll out that dough, and get ready to savor every bite of these incredible homemade flour tortillas!
Easy Flour Tortillas From Scratch
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil shortening, or lard
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
Using a Stand Mixer:
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix briefly to blend.
- Gradually add the oil and hot water while the mixer runs at medium speed. Mix for 1-2 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Once the dough begins to form a cohesive ball, reduce the mixer speed to low and continue mixing for another 1-2 minutes until smooth.
Mixing by Hand:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the vegetable oil and mix until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pour in the hot water and stir until a craggy dough forms.
- Knead briefly with floured hands until the dough comes together.
Shaping and Cooking:
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Divide into 16 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Flatten slightly with your palm, then cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rest for 15 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
- Roll each dough ball into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Avoid stacking rolled tortillas to make transferring to the skillet easier. If needed, use parchment paper for staging.
- Place one tortilla at a time into the hot skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbles form on top and brown spots appear on the bottom. Flip and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Adjust the heat if tortillas cook too slowly or brown too quickly.
- Remove cooked tortillas and stack them under a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft, pliable, and warm.
