Homemade flour tortillas are delicious, perfectly soft, and so easy to make! This is a staple ingredient to have in your back pocket because you can use them to make everything from wraps, quesadillas, tacos, fajitas, burritos, and so much more.
These homemade flour tortillas are soft and tender yet durable enough to hold an over-stuffed burrito together. Plus, they are easy to make with just 5 pantry staple ingredients (which you probably have right now) and can be ready in under an hour - or quicker if you follow some of my easy tips below.
Why You'll Love Homemade Flour Tortillas
- It has just 5 ingredients. Did you know that you only need five ingredients to make flour tortillas at home? And one of those ingredients is water. For these homemade flour tortillas, you only need flour, salt, baking powder, oil, and water.
- They're easy to make. This homemade flour tortillas recipe is so simple that you can memorize it and make it over and over again. Just blend all the ingredients, knead the dough, roll and shape into tortillas, and cook in a hot pan. That's it!
- You'll always have tortillas. You can say goodbye to last-minute runs to the store because you can make homemade flour tortillas yourself in less than on hour. With this homemade flour tortilla recipe, you can make tortillas anytime and enjoy any recipe that calls for tortillas - even if the store is closed.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make these delicious Homemade Flour Tortillas, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- baking powder
- oil
- water
You will also need a kitchen scale (or measuring cups and spoons), mixing bowl, and cast-iron skillet.
How to Make the Best Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder until evenly combined. Stir in oil and water. Mix well with a spatula until no dry flour is visible. Make sure to scrape off any remaining flour from the sides of the bowl.
- Knead the dough. Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean and dry surface. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it turns into a smooth dough ball. You can also knead the dough on medium speed in a stand mixer for 6-8 minutes until smooth.
Tips for Kneading Dough
- How to knead dough: Knead the dough by pushing it down and outward using the palms of your hands. Fold the dough in half toward you and press down. Repeat this motion by pushing the dough down and outward, and then folding over towards you. This helps build up gluten strength in dough that is responsible for making the bread fluffy.
- How to test if dough is well-kneaded: A well-kneaded dough is smooth and can hold its shape. You can test the dough by giving it a firm poke with your finger. The indentation should bounce right back. If it doesn't bounce back and stays like a dimple, keep kneading for a few more minutes.
- Let rest. Cover the dough with plastic cling wrap and let it rest for 10- 15 minutes. This will help dough develop gluten strength.
Shaping Tortillas
On a clean surface, roll the dough into a 16-inch long log and use a bench scraper or knife to divide it evenly into 12-14 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 6-inch disc.
How to Cook Homemade Tortillas
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 1-2 minutes. Place one tortilla on the skillet at a time and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side until lightly browned. You should see the tortillas rise and form bubbles on top.
Repeat with all tortillas and cover with a clean tea towel to keep them soft.
How to Serve
Serve Homemade Flour Tortillas with your favorite Mexican dishes. They are great to use in any taco, fajita, or quesadilla recipe. I like to use them in:
- Fish Tacos with Lime Crema
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Mexican Ground Beef Tacos
- Shrimp Avocado Tostadas
- Vegetarian Quesadillas
- Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw
- Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Cut your cooking time in half: To speed up the cooking process, put two or more pans on the stove to heat your tortillas at the same time!
- Make ahead tip: If you know you'll want to reheat your tortillas in a pan later, consider undercooking them slightly. That way, they won't overcook or burn the next time you put them on the pan.
- How to store: Homemade flour tortillas can be left at room temperature, covered in a tea towel, for 12 hours. After that, you'll want to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- How to reheat tortillas: For a crispy tortilla, reheat on the pan the same way you cooked them. For soft tortillas, wrap in aluminum foil and then bake in a preheated 350F oven for 5 minutes until warm.
More Mexican Recipes
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
- Beef and Bean Burritos
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Guacamole
- Beef Taco Soup
- Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
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Recipe
Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 medium tortillas (6-inch)
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Homemade flour tortillas are delicious, soft, and so easy to make! They are easy to make with just 5 pantry staple ingredients and ready in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (350 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt (6 grams)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder (6 grams)
- ¼ cup oil (55 grams)
- ¾ cups water (180 grams)
Instructions
Prepare the dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder until evenly combined.
- Stir in oil and water. Mix well with a spatula until no dry flour is visible. Make sure to scrape off any remaining flour from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough mixture onto a clean and dry surface. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until it turns into a smooth dough ball. You can also knead the dough on medium speed in a stand mixer for 6-8 minutes until smooth.
- Cover the dough with plastic cling wrap and let it rest for 10- 15 minutes. This will help dough develop gluten strength.
- On a clean surface, roll the dough into a 16-inch long log and use a bench scraper or knife to divide it evenly into 12-14 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 6-inch disc.
Cook the tortillas:
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 1-2 minutes. Place one tortilla on the skillet at a time and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side until lightly browned. You should see the tortillas rise and form bubbles on top.
- Repeat with all tortillas and cover with a clean tea towel to keep them soft.
Notes
Cut your cooking time in half: To speed up the cooking process, put two or more pans on the stove to heat your tortillas at the same time!
Make ahead tip: If you know you'll want to reheat your tortillas in a pan later, consider undercooking them slightly. That way, they won't overcook or burn the next time you put them on the pan.
How to store: Homemade flour tortillas can be left at room temperature, covered in a tea towel, for 12 hours. After that, you'll want to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
How to reheat tortillas: For a crispy tortilla, reheat on the pan the same way you cooked them. For soft tortillas, wrap in aluminum foil and then bake in a preheated 350F oven for 5 minutes until warm.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Kristen Drennen says
Will never be buying store bought tortillas again after making this homemade recipe! So simple and these tortillas took the tacos to a whole new level. I loved that it was an easy and quick from scratch recipe that I had blast making with my four year old daughter. And the texture turned out perfect - chewy, soft and delicious!