Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Homemade flour tortillas make every Tex-Mex meal that much better! They’re simple to make and the flavor is unbeatable. I tested and re-tested to make sure this recipe turns out PERFECT.
How long it takes: 30 minutes, plus an hour of resting
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, pan or griddle
Servings: 6 (12 tortillas total)
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Pin ItHomemade flour tortillas are easier to make than you might think, and friends, let me tell you—they are SO worth it. They’re warm and tender, flecked with toasty charred spots, and so delicious you might just be tempted to eat them as is, without any toppings at all. In other words, homemade tortillas aren’t just a vehicle for delivering taco fillings to your belly—they bring a lot of tastiness to the table all on their own!
And in case you were wondering, no, you don’t even need a tortilla press to make them. It might make them prettier and more uniform but I love the rustic look. They are easy to roll out and perfectly delicious.
Best of all, you can make a big batch of these homemade flour tortillas and freeze them for later. Your future self will thank you next time Taco Tuesday rolls around!
Why Make Homemade Flour Tortillas?
That little extra something. Do you NEED homemade flour tortillas for your next Taco Tuesday? Okay, no. But making them is a surprisingly easy way to add a little something extra to your meal. And trust me, once you taste the difference between homemade tortillas and store-bought ones, there’s no going back. You’ll be spoiled! P.S. If you’re familiar with Tortilla Land tortillas, these homemade tortillas are very similar in taste.
Budget-friendly. You probably have everything you need to make these flour tortillas in your kitchen right now (flour, shortening, salt, and water), so why spend money on them at the grocery store? And hey, if you are hungry for tacos but are plumb out of tortillas, why not make your own?
Fun to make. There’s something satisfying about making your own tortillas and your kids will love rolling them out. It’s a fun way to get the whole family into the kitchen and there’s minimal mess potential which is always a plus in my book!
You know exactly what’s in them. These tortillas have no preservatives or additives—just simple and natural ingredients. In comparison, take a look at the ingredients in name-brand tortillas: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour, Water, Interesterfied Soybean Oil, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Corn Starch, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Glutamate, Enzymes, Salt, Mono-and Diglycerides, Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Carboxymethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Propionate, Fumaric Acid, Sodium Metabilsulfite. Yikes!
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour: Nothing fancy here, just plain flour is all you need. If you want to, you can substitute whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour.
- Salt: This is the only seasoning in the recipe, so don’t skip or skimp.
- Shortening: I tested this recipe a number of times with different fats, and shortening performed far better than butter and various oils. It yields perfectly soft, pliable tortillas.
- Hot water: I also found that hot water is key when making homemade flour tortillas with shortening. Not lukewarm—hot!
How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together flour and salt in large bowl.
Heat the water and shortening. Add the hot water to a 2-cup microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Add the shortening and heat the mixture in the microwave for a minute, or until the shortening melts when stirred into the water.
Make the dough. Pour the shortening mixture into the flour mixture and stir to form a ball. If needed, you can add more water a tablespoon at a time; this largely depends on the humidity in your kitchen. (In the winter when it’s dry, you’re more likely to need some extra water.)
Rest. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for an hour. This is a critical step; the flour absorbs the liquid during this time, which helps make the tortillas soft.
Form the tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions; roll into balls, then roll out each ball with a rolling pin as thinly as you can. I like to do this on parchment paper so it’s easy to peel the thin tortilla off but you can easily do it on the countertop, too.
Cook. Place 1 tortilla in the pan at a time and cook for 10 to 15 seconds, or until it puffs up and the bottom is brown in spots. Flip with tongs and cook for another 10 seconds, then transfer to a plate or skillet with a towel draped over the top, or use a tortilla warmer.
Recipe Tip
I don’t have a tortilla warmer so instead, I simply line one of my cast iron pans with parchment paper and cover the tortillas with a kitchen towel to keep the them warm without getting soggy.
Tips for Making Tortillas
Roll the tortillas out thinly. The thinner you can roll out the dough, the more pliable and tender your tortillas will be.
Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or griddle. These are ideal for cooking tortillas as they distribute heat evenly and provide a nice char on the surface of the tortilla.
Make sure the pan is hot. If it’s not warmed up enough before you add the dough, the tortilla will get dry and crispy before it’s fully cooked.
But also not too hot. A pan that’s too hot will burn the tortillas. It can take a little finessing to figure out just the right temperature and it’s likely that near the end of the batch, you’ll need to reduce the heat a bit as your pan heats up.
Serving Ideas
- Tacos. Soft shell tacos are the classic way to use flour tortillas! Try my healthier taco meat made with ground turkey or these salmon tacos. Mushroom tacos are a good meatless option.
- Burritos. Make larger tortillas and roll them up with cilantro lime rice, beans, and other fillings.
- Quesadillas. This pizza quesadilla recipe is a kid-friendly favorite!
- Tostadas. Bake or fry flour tortillas until they are crispy and top with Instant Pot refried beans and your favorite toppings.
- Wraps. Use soft homemade tortillas to make sandwich into a wrap! I like filling them with chickpea salad or avocado chicken salad. We also love this roasted vegetable wrap or turkey wrap. Sheet pan eggs work perfectly in wraps, too, for a grab-and-go breakfast.
Store: Cool your homemade flour tortillas completely before placing them in a zip-top bag; store at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheat: While you can eat flour tortillas at room temperature, warming them up is totally worth it and they’ll be more pliable that way. Reheat the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for about 15 seconds on each side.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour can be substituted for up to half of the flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water, more if needed
- ⅓ cup shortening
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in large bowl; set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Measure out hot water in a 2 cup glass measuring cup (microwave safe); add shortening. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir well until shortening is completely melted. If necessary, microwave in 10 second increments until shortening melts and water is very hot.⅓ cup shortening, 1 cup hot water, more if needed
- Pour the shortening mixture into the bowl with the flour; mix well until mixture forms a ball. If necessary, add more hot water in 1 tablespoon increments. The dough will be somewhat sticky but should form a ball.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel; set aside for at least 1 hour. This step is important because the hot water hydrates the flour, ensuring that the tortillas are soft and pliable.
- When ready to bake tortillas, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot. Meanwhile, divide dough into 12 balls; on a clean surface, using a rolling pin, roll each ball thinly as possible.
- When pan is hot, place 1 tortilla in the pan for 10 to 15 seconds, until it puffs up in places and is lightly freckled with light brown spots. Using tongs, flip tortilla over and bake another 10 seconds. Adjust heat if tortillas are browning too quickly. Remove from pan, place on a plate, and cover with a clean towel. Continue cooking tortillas, as directed.
Notes
- Cooking tip: Be sure pan is hot enough before cooking the tortillas. If it’s not hot enough, the tortilla gets too dry and crispy. It should be lightly freckled with brown spots but not black spots. It’s okay if the tortilla puffs up in spots.
- Testing note: We tested this recipe several different ways. Hydrating the flour with the hot water/shortening was by far the best way to achieve soft pliable tortillas.
- Storage & reheating: Cool flour tortillas completely before placing them in a zip-top bag. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for about 15 seconds on each side until warm and pliable; they can also be eaten at room temperature.
- Originally posted as Southwestern Homemade Tortillas which included 1 teaspoon taco seasoning. Recipe retested and revised 9/2024.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I grew up in East L.A. in the forties. The abuelas used to sit on their front steps and make tortillas. They’s hike their skirts and flatten the tortillas on their thighs. No tortilla press needed. Heh . . .
How could you not love these homemade tortillas. Love the addition of taco seasoning.
Such a great idea to add taco seasoning for extra flavor!
I’m always so impressed that people make homemade tortillas! Look great :)
wow!
I love homemade flour tortillas! And LOVE that you threw some taco seasoning in there too. Pinned! :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe Rachel! I love that I could sub gluten free flour and make them for myself, pinning!
Homemade tortillas have always been on my bucket list-I might just have to tackle them! Yours looks delicious!
I made homemade tortillas for the first time ever this weekend. And I’m completely blown away by how easy it is. I was thinking it’d be fun to put a few spins on them and you totally read my mind! I love these!
Oh man, those photos of E are SO adorable!!! I’ve never made a tortilla before, but these sound amazing! Love the taco seasoning addition! Pinned!