Elevate your next Mexican meal with these incredible flour tortillas from scratch. The perfect vehicle for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more, these tortillas manage to be soft, pliable, and sturdy all at once. Plus they’re amazingly easy to make – five ingredients and mixed either in the stand mixer or by hand.
After falling hard for homemade corn tortillas, it was only a matter of time until we went all the way and started experimenting with homemade flour tortillas, as well. And, well, what can I say? It’s worth every roll and spatula flip.
To be honest, the process is kind of the fun part. Other than, you know, eating them all!
It will surprise no one to learn that there are quite a few flour tortilla recipes floating around out there. I make no claim that this particular interpretation is “pure” or “authentic.” As an American of Slovak-German descent living in Belgium, I might actually be the last person you’d want to consult for advice on truly authentic Mexican cuisine. 😉
I can, however, tell you without a doubt when something is delicious, and believe me when I say that these tortillas meet and exceed all your tastebuds’ expectations.
How To Make Flour Tortillas From Scratch
One of this recipe’s many advantages is that it can be mixed quite easily with a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or by hand. Whichever approach you choose, the basic process is the same: combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in some vegetable oil, mix in warm water, and knead it into a soft, supple dough ball.
Then, just pluck off a portion for each tortilla. The recipe should yield about 16 taco-sized shells. You can certainly measure these to be precise, but I find it a lot easier to just divide the ball in half, then divide those halves again, and so forth until you have 16 portions. No one in my family has ever complained about slightly uneven tortilla mass. :)Stretch and roll each portion into a smooth ball, flatten each slightly with your palm, and let the discs rest for a few minutes. Then you’ll just roll each one out thin, and – boom – tortillas!
Well, you do have to cook them first. That takes 1-2 minutes each in a hot cast-iron or non-stick pan. As explained more in the recipe notes below, you’ll know they’re cooking properly when you get small bubbles on the top side and light brown spots on the bottom.
I have the extreme good fortune to have recruited my husband to be the designated family tortilla flipper. He finds it pretty zen. Plus, the flipper gets first dibs on sampling, so it’s not a bad job to claim.It goes without saying that these add an extra-special touch to any meal with which you would normally serve tortillas! Some of our favorites include:
- Sheet pan chipotle lime shrimp fajitas
- Jalapeño lime fish tacos
- Skinny Baja chicken tacos
- Black bean tacos with pico de gallo
For more inspiration, don’t miss this round-up of more than 35 amazing taco recipes – there is definitely something for everyone here! And of course, don’t forget your skinny margaritas. 🙂
With a soft tortilla that manages to be pliable and sturdy all at once, you’re not really going to go wrong. If you dispense with the fillings and just eat them straight off the hot skillet, well, you won’t get any judgment from me.
Go ahead and give this recipe a try – I’m willing to bet you’ll love the results, and be pretty darn proud of yourself for making tortillas from scratch! Enjoy! ♥
If you’ve tried these tortillas or any other recipe on the blog, please remember to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
Elevate your next Mexican meal with these incredible flour tortillas from scratch. The perfect vehicle for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more, these tortillas manage to be soft, pliable, and sturdy all at once. Plus they're amazingly easy to make - five ingredients and no special equipment.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil, shortening, or lard
- 1 cup hot water
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix briefly to combine.
-
With the mixer running at medium speed, add oil and water. Mix for 1-2 minutes, stopping at least once to scrape the sides of the bowl. After the dough begins to come together into a ball, reduce mixer speed to low and continue mixing for 1-2 minutes, until dough is smooth.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk briefly to combine, then add vegetable oil. Stir until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
-
Pour in warm water and stir to combine. Knead briefly with well-floured hands until the mixture comes together into a craggy dough.
-
Whether you used a stand mixer or your hands, transfer dough at this point from the mixing bowl to a well-floured work surface. Divide into 16 roughly equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour.
-
When ready to cook, warm a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
-
Keeping the work surface and rolling pin lightly floured, roll each dough ball into a circle about 6” in diameter. (Try not to stack the rolled tortillas on top of one another - this makes it more difficult to transfer them to the pan. If you need additional staging area, a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper works well.)
-
Transfer tortillas one at a time into the hot skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, until small bubbles form on the top and brown spots form on the bottom surface. (If it takes much longer than a minute to see golden brown spots on the underside, increase the heat slightly. If instead the tortilla browns too much or too quickly, reduce the heat.) Flip and cook the other side for about 30 seconds.
-
Remove from the pan and stack cooked tortillas loosely wrapped in a clean kitchen towel. (This will keep them soft, pliable, and warm.)
-
Serve immediately or allow to cool for later use. Tortillas can be stored for 2-3 days in the fridge in a plastic zip-top bag; before using, wrap tortillas in slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds. Tortillas can also be frozen for 2-3 months; to freeze, separate tortillas with sheets of parchment or waxed paper and store in a zip-top freezer bag.
Before You Go…
Don’t forget to PIN THIS to save the recipe for later. You can also subscribe to receive recipe updates each week by email, or follow me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, or Twitter to see a lot more delicious food and other happenings.
Hi Monica! Being Hispanic, I’ve been making tortillas and authentic Tex-Mex food since I was 10 years old…Spanish rice, carne guisada, menudo, fideo… and well the list goes on. I don’t mind sharing the recipes or even FT when I’m cooking. But Anyhoos vegetable shortning is the best and yesss hot water since this will keep the dough soft. I don’t measure just kinda throw it together but the ingredients are the same. I cook the tortillas on a “comal” which is an iron griddle sold in most Mexican stores. 😊
Just made the Tortilla’s with Organic Sprouted Spelt flour and they turned out delicious! I also used avocado oil 🙂
Hi Dina – that is wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this feedback – I really appreciate it! 🙂
This looks amazing!!! I’m going to try it this weekend!! But I did have a quick question. Can I use a different type of oil? I just really don’t like vegetable oil.
Hi Natasha! Yes, definitely! I have also tried this with butter and lard, and it works well with either, and I’ve heard from friends that coconut oil worked, as well!
What would the ratio be for butter?
Just use it as a one-for-one swap with the oil/shortening – 1/3 cup! It’s roughly 5 tablespoons but should be marked on a standard stick of butter!
Monica – these look amazing! I can’t wait to make them – thanks for the recipe!
You are so very welcome – I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! 🙂
I love flour tortillas and have been thinking about making them! This recipe sounds like the one for me. I can almost taste them 🙂 I need a pastry mat- may I ask what brand yours is? I like the polka dots! Thank you Monica!
Hi Mari- of course! Mine is De Buyer and I do really love it! I just checked on Amazon and it is here but insanely expensive – it might be worth checking at Bed Bath & Beyond or Sur Le Table or anywhere else near you that sells kitchen stuff in case you can find at a more reasonable price! It really is nice to have in the kitchen for things like dough and these tortillas!
Tried these for the first time tonight! My 6 year old loved rolling them out, and we all loved the taste. They remind me.a little of the Gordita shells from Taco Bell! Will definitely make these again….and again….and again
Hi Ashley, I’m so glad you all enjoyed them and that your little one helped! Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Just to let you know that TACOS are made with corn tortillas the same as enchiladas, and well most Mexican foods go with corn tortillas. The flower tortillas are from Northen Mexico specially Sonora and Nuevo León, even Sinaloa is were they are most common. Flower tortillas are used to make burritos and to eat your meals in lew of bread. But never enchiladas.
Hi Pattye – thanks so much for your information! I suppose tortillas, like anything else, have been adapted quite a bit into Tex-Mex, American, and other cuisines, but it is so great to know more about their authentic origins. Thanks again!
Does the recipe work with whole wheat flour?
I have not personally tried it to say for sure, but I would think it’s pretty likely to work with white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour! If you are just using plain whole wheat, it might be worth subbing half just to see how it goes. 🙂
Mmm! Hot off the griddle fresh tortillas with orange butter, life doesn’t get any better than that.
Although we eat a lot of tortillas (I always have ground beef filling, chicken or pork carnitas in the fridge for “emergency tacos”) I’ve never had the nerve to make them. Your recipe is so simple and approachable that I’m making a small ¼ batch this week just so we can have them for breakfast.
Try using butter flavored Crisco instead of oil. It gives the tortillas a slight buttery flavor. My mother used lard but I’ve been using butter flavored Crisco for 29 years now. Give it a try see if you like it.
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Yes! I would recommend storing them in a stack with a sheet of waxed or parchment paper between the tortillas, and then allowing them to thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days before you need them. Defrosting in the microwave does not work well!
Thank you! I can’t wait to try these.
You’re very welcome! 🙂 Please come back and let me know how they turn out for you!
Hand mixing has a better consistency. And I I
Used really hot water as well(which I add salt to when boiling.
These are absolutely amazing!!! Made them. Tonight and everyone went back for more tacos
Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Hooray, I’m so happy to hear they were a hit! Thank you so much for letting me know, Carrie, I appreciate the feedback! 🙂
Great recipe. Mine is similar. And, I find using extremely hot water makes the dough easier to work with and tortillas soft and fluffy.
Thanks, M, that’s a great tip!
Yes, using very hot faucet water helps the flour and lard come together, makes very soft tortillas
Man those look great! I am definitely going to try your recipe…
Terrific, Jeff, I hope they turn out well for you!
Have you ever tried freezing the rolled out tortillas uncooked? Just wondering about making big batches and having a stock of them ready to cook in the freezer…
Hi Lyndsey – I have not tried that personally but would be very curious to know if it works! I may try that soon just to see, or if you do, please please let me know how it goes!
I am Hispanic, and am always looking for easier ways to make tortillas. My grandmothers were experts, but I never got the actual recipe. I saw yours, and instantly had to try it! They turned out great! Although I know my grandmothers used “Manteca” (vegetable shortening) I was pleasantly pleased by substituting the vegetable oil….we didn’t miss it at all. Great recipe! It’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Lisa, I’m thrilled to know that you liked them! 🙂
HELP! I made these and they are crispy? They are beautiful and delish but they are not soft and pliable. What did I do wrong??? 🙁
Hi Jackie–I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble with these! A couple of possibilities spring to mind–is it possible they cooked a little too long, or on very high heat? My cooktop is induction, and I do find that sometimes the pan gets SO hot by the end of the batch that it cooks the tortillas really fast, which I suppose could increase the risk of them getting a little crispy! A second possibility is that they simply dried out a little after cooking, especially if they sat out for very long not wrapped in a kitchen towel or similar. Could either of those be the culprit? I’d love to help you figure out what happened and see if we can make the next batch beautiful, delish, AND soft!
Great recipe! I let the dough rest for 30 minutes allow for more gluten to form.
Thanks so much for the feedback and the idea, Melissa! 🙂
Those tortillas look so nice and the texture makes me feel like I could eat them on their own! I’ll be trying these.
Haha, I often do exactly that! Just last night we had these with black bean tacos, and when I asked my husband if he wanted to split one last tortilla (just the tortilla) he laughed and said that’s why we are married, because he was thinking exactly the same thing!
My secret to a nice soft tortilla is to sift the flour first ……
Thanks for sharing this tip, Steve! I will definitely try sifting next time I make these myself!
Love homemade tortillas, they are a million times better than store-bought, and so easy to make!
Agreed on all counts, Andrea! Thanks for stopping by!
I can’t believe I have never made homemade tortillas before! These look so good and so easy to make!
Thanks so much, Sam! They really are a game-changer!
LOL I love your authenticity disclaimer… That said, they certainly look convincing… and not too complicated at all! Great recipe!
Haha, thanks, Anne! Yes, I feel like I need to be upfront that I’m not claiming they’re grandma’s original, you know? Just that they are achievable and delicious!! 🙂
I’ve totally got to try this recipe and I’m going to try the corn tortillas too. How far in advance can I make them, like are they ok to be reheated and still be soft. tysm
Hi Cindy – yes, you can make them 2-3 days in advance, and just rewarm briefly, ideally on the stove!
I almost bought a tortilla press a few months ago because our family loves tacos. This recipe couldn’t be any easier to make at home and I always hear rave reviews about homemade tortillas!
Thanks so much, Jessica – I love the tortilla press we got for corn tortillas, but I have to admit I love the flour ones even more, not least because I can just roll them out so easily!
I’ve always wanted to try making tortillas from scratch. I guess I thought that a tortilla press was necessary. Happy I was wrong!
Right!? I thought the same for a long time! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! 🙂
I recently got into making my own pitas because they’re so much better than store bought. I clearly now need to do the same for tortillas! Your recipe looks so soft a fresh. I’m imagining all kinds of yummy tacos and fajitas to be enjoyed in them!
Thanks so much, Rachel! I agree with you, in fact I can’t even do store bought pita anymore, it’s like card board! I hope you enjoy the tortillas just as much!
I’ve never attempted my own tortillas before but you make it sounds simple enough! The taste must be unbelievable. We will have to try this the next taco Tuesday!
Definitely! Let me know how you like them! 🙂
These will make tacos 1000 percent better! They look just so fresh and supple. I need them for my next taco Tuesday. YUMM!
Absolutely! They make the whole meal feel extra special! 🙂
Homemade tortillas are so good! They are totally 100% the extra time it takes to make them!
I agree – it’s really a game-changer! Thanks so much, Jenni!
My childhood friend’s mom used to make tortillas from scratch every time I came over, and I fell in love! I Have never tried it myself, but would love to recreate my childhood sometime!
That is a great friend! 🙂 Let me know if you try it whether they are similar to the ones you remember!
Ok, here’s a confession. I do not like tortillas, it’s something to do with the texture. However, just like I didn’t like caramel, (I’m a good advertisement for a food blogger?), until I made it myself I have hope. We love, love, love Mexican food. And when I make tacos for my family I just skip the tortilla part for me. Which, always leaves me feeling hungry and a bit left out. I’m going to make these this week and given the difference between homemade and shop bought im confident. Thanks for a great recipe that doesn’t require any special equipment! Pinned. X
Hi Sammie — I actually totally understand. There are certain things that I just don’t like, either, though I admit tortillas and caramel are not among them, haha! I am really really excited to hear whether these tortillas change the game for you — please come back and let me know!
How long will these keep for?
Hi Fiona! They taste the absolute best right away, but will keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge – just rewarm them briefly before using, ideally in a skillet!
I am so glad I found this recipe! I will certainly be making these soon!
Thanks!
~Ray
Thanks, Rachel, I hope you enjoy them! They are on serious repeat at our house, just as much as when I first started making them! x
Looks like an easy recipe! I have to make this one day.
I have never made tortillas but now I want to. These look just perfect!
I make some great flour tortillas with butter or veg oil. But my problem is making perfect, circular tortillas instead of odd-looking, shapes of countries and states or animals (?) LOL. Your tortillas look perfect.
Haha, you’re too kind! Believe me, some of mine turn out pretty misshapen, as well, but fortunately my family never complains! If they turn out REALLY crazy, I’m not too proud to destroy the evidence. I can chew pretty fast! 🙂
OMG this sounds fantastic. I make corn tortillas all the time, and yes they do fall apart. I have printed your recipe and will be giving it a try next time I make tacos.
Hi Gloria, that’s so nice! I’d love to hear how they turn out for you!
Good for you! Homemade flour tortillas are so much better. It is the only way I can enjoy them since I have celiac disease. Of course, I do have to use a gluten free flour. Guests and your family will love that you put the time in to make your own tortillas.
What a great way to adapt a favorite! And I’m so glad to know they work well with a gluten-free flour, too. One of my best friend’s husbands has celiac disease, as well; it would be super fun to surprise them sometimes with a dinner of tacos with gluten-free flour tortillas!
I have to agree with you that homemade tortillas are so much better than the store bought variety. When I lived in Ohio, there was this place that made homemade tortillas. . .really it is what kept me coming back for more.
And wouldn’t you know. . .I happen to have a tortilla press but have never gotten around to using it. This has inspired me to dust it off and give it a try.
Hubby and I learned to make these in Cabo!! The best!!
That sounds so fun! Learning to make tortillas in Cabo sounds basically like my version of heaven, ha!
Yum! There isn’t much better than freshly made tortillas. Love all of your photos!
Thank you so much, Tara!
These tortillas look amazing. I am going to have to make these next time we have fajitas.
Fantastic! I love mexican foods, always buy corn tortillas from the store! Sure this recipe tastes good!
These look so fresh and fluffy! Whee! No more buying them from the store! I can never finish the packaged ones from the store anyways so its awesome that I can make this and have a bit more control of how much to make! 🙂
I roll out chapattis in and out 365 days a year but never thought of making my own tortillas at home, I think now it’s time after seeing your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
We always make our own tortillas. They are so easy to make and much cheaper too. Having a tortilla press helps.
Hi Dannii! Totally agree that homemade tortillas are easy and more economical! I love using my tortilla press for corn tortillas – have you had much luck using it for flour, as well? I’ve found it much easier to roll out flour tortillas with a pin, as they don’t seem to spread out as nicely on the press. I always figured this was just due to the gluten, but I’d be super interested in any tips!
I’ve always to make my own tortillas, so now I’ve pinned the recipe for later use. They look amazing!
Thanks so much, Nicoletta! Please let me know how they turn out!