If you’ve never had freshly-made flour tortillas, you really have to. After I had them the first time, I knew I could never go back. Yeah, there are times when I buy them and I always end up regretting it because I know what flour tortillas can be and a package of Mission tortillas ain’t it.
I tried a couple of times to make my own tortillas, but I always failed–they were always too thick because the dough was so tough that I wasn’t physically strong enough to roll them to the size and thickness and shape that I actually wanted them. And then I met Mel–Fabulous Fajita Mel–and I learned from her how to make my own gen-u-ine flour tortillas. And it’s really not THAT much work. Plus, the results are SO worth any extra effort it might take! I promise you, once you make these, you will never return to store-bought tortillas in good conscience.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- All purpose flour
- Very hot water – The water needs to be hot enough the melt the shortening but not hot enough to make an ooey-gooey mess. I usually get relatively warm water from my tap and then heat it for 45-60 seconds in the microwave.
- Kosher salt
- Shortening – Will this work with butter, coconut oil, lard, or any other fat? I have only ever used shortening in this recipe, but readers have reported luck with butter and other substitutes. If you try out an alternative, come back and let me know how it turned out!
How to Make Flour Tortillas
- First you’ll mix up some flour, salt and shortening in a heavy duty mixer. This mixture will look like bread crumbs.
- Then you’ll add some hot water to bring it all together.
- Portion your dough out into balls.
- When ready to cook, you’ll flatten each ball with your hand, then roll them thin, and pop them into a hot skillet to cook. In my experience dark spots on the tortillas mean they will cool and be a bit brittle. For best results I like to see gentle browning on the bubbled spots and a doughy look to the rest. You want them cooked through but supple.
- Serve immediately!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover tortillas in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days if left at room temp or 5-7 days if stored in the refrigerator.
- That first tortilla is sometimes like the first pancake: a bit of an experiment. Depending on how quickly it cooks, you can adjust your heat for the rest!
- This recipe will make 10-12 fajita-sized tortillas, about 8 medium-sized tortillas, or around 6 jumbo burrito/wrap tortillas.
- If your dough is a bit sticky, try letting it rest for 10 minutes so the flour can fully absorb the liquid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! These make great enchiladas!
You can! For best results, layer them between parchment or wax paper, seal in a zip top bag, and freeze up to 3 months.
You can reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, wrapped in a damp paper towel.
Nope! A rolling pin works well here. A tortilla press is more necessary with corn tortillas.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup very hot water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup shortening
Instructions
- In a heavy-duty mixer, combine flour and salt. Add in shortening and mix until well combined (it will resemble coarse bread crumbs). Add hot water. The water hotness is the key to these being easy to make–it needs to be hot enough to melt the shortening, but not SO hot that the dough turns into an ooey-gooey mess. (I usually get relatively warm water from my tap and then heat it for 45-60 seconds in the microwave.)
- When the dough is fully combined, remove from mixer and divide into portions (see recipe yields in notes) and shape portions into round balls.
- Preheat a non-stick or cast-iron skillet to medium-low heat. If necessary, spray your work surface with non-stick cooking spray; you may not need to because the dough isn’t particularly sticky, but it may be and you also don’t want to add any more flour to your dough. Press your palm against the surface of the dough ball, trying to maintain as much of a round shape as possible. Place rolling pin in middle of flattened dough ball and roll to desired thickness, shaping in a circle as you go.
- Place raw tortilla on preheated skillet. You’re going to be watching for bubbles. If you get little blistery bubbles, your skillet is too hot and you need to reduce the heat. You’re looking for big, fat, slow-bubbling bubbles. When you start to see them, flip the tortilla over and cook for another 30-45 seconds or so.
- If you’re cooking these quickly, you can just stack them on top of each other and they’ll stay warm. You can also wrap them in damp paper towels and then wrap them in foil and keep them in a warm oven (170℉) until you’re ready to use them.
Notes
- Store leftover tortillas in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days if left at room temp or 5-7 days if stored in the refrigerator.
- That first tortilla is sometimes like the first pancake: a bit of an experiment. Depending on how quickly it cooks, you can adjust your heat for the rest!
- Yield: This recipe will make 10-12 fajita-sized tortillas, about 8 medium-sized tortillas, or around 6 jumbo burrito/wrap tortillas.
- Nutrition facts were calculated for one medium-sized tortilla.
Questions & Reviews
I just made these. Used margarine instead and worked very well! At one point the hot water made it into a sticky mess but I just let the dough sit there for a moment and all was good again.
just made these they are wonderful and really easy!! thanks!!
Omigod! I just made these to use for enchiladas at my dinner party a few days ago and I am still getting rave reviews! What an easy recipe! Thanks Ladies!
Total yum!!! Made these tonight and they totally reminded me of our time living on the border of what we affectionately refer to as "Mexas". So good! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so incredibly much for this recipe! I made it twice in one day. The first time I made it with butter and my husband loved it. I wanted a more figure friendly tortilla because I ended up eating a lot of them before they even made it to the dinner table, so I made a version with a corn oil (just a little- maybe 2 tablespoons) and they turned out great too! Not as tasty but now I have an excuse to eat more;)
By the way, I added the oil to the water then gradually added them to the flour.
Rachel–It sounds like your skillet probably wasn't quite hot enough. Hope that helps!
So, I love the creative ideas I get from your blog, and last night I tried these flour tortillas. I'm not sure if I did something wrong because they did not bubble. Not even little ones. Also, they were pretty dry…I just used "regular shortening." Any thoughts?
Can't wait to try these, and for the record, I grew up with Lyle Lovett crooning from the car speakers… His music was the only thing our whole family liked. Personal favorite: If I Had a Boat. Also, the fabulous Ms. Mia M. rocks my world.
Deni–I'm so glad you loved them! They do kind of spring back, so I just generally roll them out a little bigger than I plan on having them. Also, if you roll them out thinner, there seems to be less shrinkage. Part of the charm of homemade tortillas, I guess! 🙂
Made these yesterday morning for the first time and my kids LOVED them. So I made another double batch last night and made them into your taquito recipe. Yummy,yummy and so worth the little effort.
I had some problems with my tortillas springing back into a thicker circle than the one I had rolled out. So, my tortillas were thicker than I wanted. Suggestions?