Easy Flour Tortillas From Scratch
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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.
In our journey to make more and more from scratch, it was only a matter of time until we started experimenting with homemade flour tortillas. And after many years and countless batches, I can still say with confidence that it’s worth every roll and spatula flip.
To be honest, the process is kind of the fun part. Almost as much fun as getting to eat 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, 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 will meet and exceed all your tastebuds’ expectations.
Why You’ll Love Making Your Own Flour Tortillas
- You’ll never enjoy a tortilla more pliable and tender than hot off your own skillet
- The process is fun, un-fussy, and has simple options to get kids involved
- It’s nice knowing exactly what’s in your food
- Worth it for the pride factor alone—you made your own tortillas!
What Others Say:
“These are SOOOOOOO GOOD, I have never made tortillas before but I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND these to anyone.” -Diane
“I never knew making homemade tortillas was so easy! So incredibly simple and delicious!” -Angela
Ingredient Notes
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, an electric hand mixer, or just 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 yields 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. I have yet to hear a single complaint 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 about 15 minutes. Roll each one out thin, and you’re ready to cook!
No Tortilla Press?
Traditionally, one does not use a tortilla press to make flour tortillas, though it’s an ideal tool for corn tortillas. This is because flour tortillas naturally contain gluten, a protein that gives structure and resists being stretched. These balls of dough tend to spring back when smashed in a press; rolling with a pin lets the dough stretch much more gently into a thin yet pliable round that will puff up in a hot skillet with lots of gorgeous, tender air pockets.
Cooking tortillas will take truly just 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.
When we first began making these, I recruited my husband as the designated tortilla flipper, a job he found pleasingly zen. Plus, the flipper gets first dibs on sampling!
Years later, our son is perfectly capable of flipping, as well, and our daughter is getting handy with a rolling pin, so it’s a true family affair. And we all know food is more exciting and tasty to the kid who helps make it!
With a fresh, tender tortilla that manages to be pliable and sturdy all at once, you can’t possibly 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 you ought to be pretty darn proud for making tortillas from scratch!
More Easy Mexican Favorites
- Sheet Pan Shrimp or Chicken Fajitas
- Skinny Agave Margaritas
- Easy Black Bean Tacos
- Baja Chicken Tacos
- Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Jalapeno Lime Fish Tacos
Easy Flour Tortillas From Scratch
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil, shortening, or lard
- 1 cup hot water roughly 110°F
Instructions
Electric Mixer Instructions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix briefly to combine.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 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.1/3 cup vegetable oil, shortening, or lard, 1 cup hot water
Mix by Hand Alternative:
- 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.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, shortening, or lard
- Pour in warm water and stir to combine. Knead briefly with well-floured hands until the mixture comes together into a craggy dough.1 cup hot water
Either way, to proceed:
- Whether you used an electric 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. 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, dry 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 30-45 seconds.
- Remove from the pan and proceed with the next tortilla. 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. Enjoy!
Notes
- Why No Tortilla Press?: Traditionally, one does not use a tortilla press to make flour tortillas, though it’s an ideal tool for corn tortillas. This is because flour tortillas naturally contain gluten, a protein that gives structure and resists being stretched. These balls of dough tend to spring back when smashed in a press; rolling with a pin lets the dough stretch much more gently into a thin yet pliable round that will puff up more beautifully in a skillet with lots of gorgeous air pockets.
- Why The Rest?: Letting the dough balls rest on the counter for even 15 minutes after portioning them out allows the developed gluten to relax a bit—literally. This in turn yields a noticeably softer, more supple dough that has less of a tendency to snap back when rolled. Your goal is a dough that you can gently press out into a thin tortilla shape without having to press so hard down on it that you press out all the air bubbles and puffiness.
- Don’t Overcook! Keep close tabs as the tortillas cook, because if they stay on too long, especially after flipping to the second side, they’ll become crispy around the edges once they come off the skillet.
- Short-Term Storage: Tortillas can be stored for 2-3 days in the fridge in a plastic zip-top bag; before using, wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 15-30 seconds.
- Longer-Term Storage: Tortillas can also be frozen for 2-3 months; to freeze, separate them with sheets of parchment or waxed paper and store in a zip-top freezer bag.
- Recipe: Adapted from Cooks.com via A Dash of Sanity and The Cafe Sucre Farine.
Nutrition Estimate
This post was originally published on July 11, 2017, making it one of the earliest posts on this site! I’m proud to say we still use this exact recipe in our family, and have updated the post over time with additional tips, tricks, and background on the “why” behind certain steps.
This recipe is truly amazing. I make it multiple times a week sometimes! I substitute about 20% whole wheat and use lard….. they are to die for.
I use this recipe since I was 9 years old. The only difference is that I use 2 teaspoons of baking powder. I did notice they were not cooked longer because they were somewhat raw on the ends. I like mine browned a little more. Otherwise they are great!
Thank you, Janey, I’m so glad these are a winner for you and you’ve adapted to suit!
Been making these for a few years now, I wanna say since 2017. Still my go to recipe for tortillas, perfect every time.
Yummy & easy!!!
I made Today with additional mixed herbs, and turned out amazing, Everybody loved it
So happy to hear that, and what a fun idea to add herbs. 🙂
These tortillas are delicious and easy to make.
AMAZING! I don’t like food waste from the packs of 20 tortillas you buy in the store or all the added junk. I will never use store bought tortillas again. This recipe was so easy and perfect! I halved the recipe as it’s just my husband and I and used melted butter and these came out to perfection. Thank you!!!
Delicious and easy!
These were so incredibly easy and turned out perfectly. Thank you so much, keeping this recipe forever
Omg!! I tried these today and they turned out so beautifully, I added mixed herbs to it and mmmmh delicious 😋. Thank you
Made these twice before and getting ready to do it again tomorrow. Thinking of trying lard this time. Wish me luck
Do you use any oil in the cast iron pan?
Nope, just cook on a dry pan!
I made these starting at 4 pm on a whim and at 6 pm was rolling them with butter, stuffing them with black beans, avocado, and salsa, and making quesadillas. Oh, yum ! Easy, fun, and rewarding.
Just made tortillas for the first time using this recipe and they turned out perfectly…. better than store bought!
I forgot to buy tortillas for fish tacos for dinner so I tried this recipe which I had pinned a while back. I’m SO glad I did!! The recipe was easy to follow and my daughter said they taste better than store bought!
Made these many times, always great! Always just use veg oil because that’s what I always have. Want to try lard sometime. Last time I made these my toddler helped so I was distracted and accidentally shorted the flour by a 1/2 cup, and I didn’t notice until I was shaping the dough balls and went “this dough is awfully soft!” Lol. Still turned out great, just had to use a little more flour when rolling.
That’s so great to hear, Jess – thanks for sharing this!
mine were reeeally dry and i followed recipe exactly? was it because of the vegetable oil? shld i try shortening instead?
These were as easy as can be and turned out great. A quick easy recipe for a quick meal with veggie taco fixings.
New family recipe, AMAZING!
I’ve made these a couple of times using my tortilla press. They turn out great! Thank you for an easy and good recipe.
Made these last night and they turned out great! I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil but otherwise followed your recipe!
Question – If I freeze them, what’s the best way to warm them up when I am ready to use them?
So happy to hear that, Heather! Frozen tortillas can be thawed in the microwave. Remove the parchment or waxed paper and wrap the stack of however many you want in a very slightly damp kitchen towel. 30-60 seconds should do it, but do another 20 second interval if they’re not yet soft and warm. Enjoy!
Tried them today in my mixer and came out pretty yummy, my hubby really enjoyed them😋 Thank you!
These turned out perfect ! Now wondering if I could switch the flour to all purpose gluten free flour?
15/10 will make again! I never leave a comment on theses type of thing but this was such a simple and delicious recipe! I had to let you know that it’s going in my cook book now!
I just finished making these and they are amazing! The dough came together so easily and had great flavor. I will be making these again!
I made this recipe and loved them. Very easy and delicious. My husband also liked them. Could I use these for taco bowls? If so, should I fry as usual then bake? Has anyone tried to make taco bowls from this recipe?
Obviously, others have had great success. I did exactly what the recipe called for, mine were a sticky mess. I used my Kitchen Aid, dough hook and all. I had to keep adding a little flour as there was no way I could even begin to handle the dough. It kept being sticky between my fingers. I finally threw it all away. Not sure what was wrong.
Hi Gina, sorry to hear you had such trouble. Is there any possibility you added extra water or oil?