Homemade Flour Tortillas Easy Recipe W Step By Step Instructions

Flour tortillas are the starting point of so many popular Mexican-inspired meals – enchiladas, burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more. Up your taco night game by swapping your regular store-bought flour tortillas for these delicious homemade ones. Sure it takes a little more time, but the resulting taste is well worth it! Keep reading to learn all the tips and tricks to make flour tortillas.

Ingredients To Make Homemade Tortillas

You can make these delicious tortillas by using only 5 simple ingredients, with one of the ingredients being water! Here’s what you need to make this flour tortilla recipe:

Flour – all-purpose flour works great Salt – I like using fine sea salt because it seems to distribute throughout the tortilla better Baking powder Shortening (or lard if you are wanting to make these super authentic) Hot water

Is It Better To Roll or Press Flour Tortillas?

If you have a tortilla press, perfect, use it! A tortilla press will make the process a lot faster. A tortilla press is great when making soft tacos or enchiladas because you can make a lot at one time. However, they aren’t great if you are trying to make a large burrito because most presses are only between 8-10 inches in diameter. When we are making big, Cafe Rio sized burritos or salads we have better success rolling the tortillas by hand.

Things To Keep In Mind

While the most authentic Mexican tortillas are often made with lard, this recipe uses shortening, which can sometimes be easier to find. However, if you are averse to the idea of using shortening or lard, you can swap butter or vegetable oil for shortening in most recipes. One reader suggested trying coconut oil if you’re looking for a healthier alternative. If you try any of these substitutions, let us know in the comments how your tortillas turned out. If you’re planning to make tortillas large enough for a salad or a burrito, you are going to need a fairly large griddle or pan. For soft tacos or smaller meals, you can use a normal frying pan or a cast iron skillet.

Tips For Making Homemade Tortillas

When cooking the tortillas, cook until little bubbles form on the tortilla, then flip. Much like a pancake. Don’t overcook or the tortilla will get too dry. Remember to let the dough rest. This will help the starches and gluten to expand, making it more pliable and easier to roll out. These tortillas will keep well in the refrigerator for 5-7 days when stored in a Ziplock bag with all the air pressed out. Once they are cold they will lose their softness. To re-soften, just place them under a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 10-20 seconds. They’ll be nice and soft again. If rolling by hand, it is helpful to press the dough as flat as you can with a heavy pan or cast iron skillet. Then place the flattened dough on a piece of parchment paper to roll thinner. That way the dough won’t tear when trying to lift after rolling. You may need someone to help steady the paper so it doesn’t slide too much when rolling.

Great Ways to Use Tortillas

Our site is FULL of delicious recipes that start with a tortilla. For example, as mentioned above, Our Version of Cafe Rio / Costa Vida Salad and Burritos. We also love using these tortillas for Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas or Thai Chicken Enchiladas. These Homemade Flour Tortillas are also great for soft tacos. Here are some more great recipes to try with homemade tortillas: Read Next: 33+ Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights