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.
Seriously,Who Makes Tortillas With A Stand Mixer?that is not the way to make authentic tortillas!! You must be Caucasian. Real tortillas are done by hand. back in the day when Hispanics started making tortillas a stand mixer was never even heard of . To take the authenticity of making homemade tortillas away by posting a recipe using Stand Mixers Is Fake..
Hi Nora – did you miss the part of the post where I specifically explain that I don’t claim these are authentic? Just tasty and accessible.
I am in fact Caucasian, as also mentioned in the post. I would not personally go around saying to others: “You must be Hispanic,” or “You must be Black,” especially in the context of an insult or implied shortcoming. I don’t know if seeing that language applied to other groups makes it more clear how distasteful it is, but there’s really no justification for using racial or ethnic distinctions as a slur or a put-down against *anyone*.
Have made these multiple times now and they are always so delicious! I used to buy tortillas for taco night, but no more! They remind me of the fresh tortillas that Chuys makes. My family is happy I found this recipe. I make suing the vegetable oil.
I had my kids make these tonight- the kids had a blast and the tortillas tasted amazing! They definitely bring taco night up a few levels- thank you!!
So happy to hear that, and major kudos on having your kids make them! I cannot wait til mine are both at that level, haha. 🙂 I’m so glad these were enjoyed and really appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Can you use any other type of flour ??
I haven’t tested it but I suspect a whole wheat blend would work well!
They look perfect to touch and taste!
This was a very easy but great recipe. The dough was a dream to work with. The hardest part was making them round when rolling them out! Thanks for sharing!
Just finished dinner. Spatchcock chicken and vegetables and homemade flour tortillas. I hand kneaded the dough for roughly 5 minutes and they turned out fantastic!! For dessert we will have them with butter cinnamon and sugar.
That sounds absolutely delicious, Lisa! Thank you for leaving this review!
I LOVE these tortillas! This recipe is so simple and it’s my go to for from scratch tortillas. I always sub lard for the oil because I just feel it adds great authentic flavor and make sure to rest them. Also make sure that your pan or comal is nice and hot to get those bubbles and browning. Just some tips!
Has anyone frozen this dough or does the creator herself have any tips for that?! Thanks
Have made these often. Love the recipe. But today I used shortening instead of oil. They turned out great. The middle was so soft. They didn’t puff but they were good.
These are the real deal! I placed them in a tortilla warmer as soon as the were done cooking and it helped to keep them soft. I let them cool in the warmer until I refrigerated them to store. A key to the success of these tortillas is to use hot water. The hot water activates the baking powder. Letting the dough rest let’s the dough start to rise some giving the light texture to the tortilla.
I MADE THESE FLOUR TORTILLAS TODAY. I WANTED BIGGER TORTILLAS SO IT ONLY MADE ABOUT 10. IF I HAD MADE THEM AS THICK AS YOUR PICTURE SHOWED, IT WOULD
PROBABLY ONLY HAVE MADE 8. MINE SEEM TOO THIN AND DO NO SEEM VERY SOFT OR PLIABLE, BUT TASTE OK. ALSO, THEY DIDN’T BUBBLE THAT MUCH BUT LOOK FINE. I DID HAVE TO ADD EXTRA WATER, TOO, BECAUSE THEY SEEMED DRY WITH THE AMOUNT IN THE RECIPE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED COOK SO NOT SURE WHY THEY AREN’T SOFT LIKE THE STORE BOUGHT ONES. I DID PUT OLIVE OIL ON EACH SIDE BEFORE COOKING, LIKE I DO WITH FLAT BREAD. COULD THAT BE THE REASON??
I agree with you. I am experienced also…but cannot master this! I buy them at Mexican grocer and so soft and flexible for days and never get hard. I need to try this but your response is telling me they will not be like pictured.
If made as instructed, these tortillas turn out perfectly! Better then store bought. Pillowy soft pliable and delicious! You stated you added more water and put oil on the pan, so you didn’t make the recipe as directed. You won’t get the best results that way.
These make a great addition to my kitchen :). Very satisfied with the tortillas. Lovely, soft, and warm. Planning to start prepping these to store for use during the week.
So easy to make and delicious , I let the dough balls rest for about 20 minutes then rolled them really thin . They turned out perfectly and taste so much better than the store bought ones .
Rating this a 4/5 because it just wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. But it’s a great base recipe. I made it with vegetable oil, so next time I will make it with a different fat to see if it improves the flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Have been looking for a good home made tortilla recilpe so I am going to try these. Thank you.
Omg best home made tortillas I’ve ever made I definitely will continue to keep making them this way .
These turned out great. The disc’s did start to get a little dry after 30 minutes resting so I’d either cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap next time. It is winter so really dry in the house also. Made the dough in my stand mixer and it couldn’t have been easier. My go to recipe from now on for flour tortillas.
These are just ok. I would not recommend and would not make again.
Sorry these did not work out for you!
I make fresh flour tortillas every week. My mother-in-law showed me how. My in-laws were Mexican. If after you make one and you have a gas stove put your tortillas on the fire and they will puff. You should have a pocket if you cut in half.
Your instructions are clear I’m sure everyone
Should be able to successfully make a couple of dozen even I that grew up eating only. Corn tortillas till the age of 15, I prefer corn with some meals , I will try to make some for burritos as I always purchase them
Happy coking from California
I made these exactly as the instructions stated. They came out wonderful!
These were so good thank you
Being single, I mix everything together ahead of time, including shortening and store up to 30 days in the pantry, then just measure out what I need and add warm water. Kind of like having tortilla “Bisquick” it’s really convienent when I only want a few fresh tortillas.
These turned out great!
Thank you, Chris, so happy to hear that!
First time making homemade tortillas, very easy to make! Made 3 batches! I weighed out the dough balls; 3oz I rolled to 12″ and 2.5oz rolled to 8-10″ depending on how thick they are rolled.
Will make again! Very good!!
So happy you enjoyed them, Kathleen! I wish I’d been at your house to help eat those 3 batches, yum! 🙂
Made these for the first time. So easy turned out perfectly!!