If you want the best-tasting tortillas, you need to make them from scratch at home. Once you taste this Easy Tortilla Recipe, you will wonder why you ever settled for store bought.
Looking for an over-the-top, tasty filling to put inside your homemade flour tortillas? Look no further than my Carne Asade recipe!
Making homemade tortillas is extremely easy. If you have ever tried making my crepe recipe, this process is very similar.
As an added bonus, they taste so much better than store bought. You’ll be so proud of yourself for making your own tortillas, you’ll never go back buying them again.
Ingredients for Homemade Easy Tortillas
- Flour – You don’t need anything too special here. Good quality, all-purpose flour will do the trick. My personal favorite flour to use is Bob’s Red Mill.
- Hot Tip: If you want your tortillas to have more fiber and health benefits, use all-purpose wheat flour instead.
- Salt – Kosher sea salt, pink salt or even garlic salt will work perfectly.
- Baking Powder – Any plain old baking powder will do.
- Oil – A high-quality, light olive oil works best. You can also use avocado or canola oil.
- Water – Use filtered, lukewarm water.
How to Make Homemade Tortilla Recipe
- Gather all your ingredients.
- Combine all the dry ingredients. Pour oil in slowly as you mix.
- Add water in slowly as you continue to mix. Keep kneading the dough until it isn’t sticky anymore. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide your dough into even pieces. On a well-floured surface, form each piece into a smooth, round ball with your hands.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out each dough piece into a thin round tortilla shape.
- Preheat a skillet over medium-heat. Cook the tortilla for about one minute on each side.
- Keep tortillas warm by wrapping them in a towel until your ready to serve.
Hot Tip: Purchase a cheap warmer to store your tortillas. This little gadget will keep your tortillas nice and hot while you prepare the rest of your meal.
Tips For The Best Tortillas
- Let the Dough Rest – Let the dough rest for at least ten minutes before you start separating and forming it.
- Roll Out The Dough – Roll out the dough evenly all around, including the edges. Make sure that its as thin as possible.
- Cooking Tortillas – Cook your tortillas on a cast iron skillet if you have one. Once cast iron gets nice and hot, it allows you to cook your tortillas in just 30-60 seconds on each side.
- Reheat Tortillas – Reheat tortillas by wrapping a stack in paper towels and reheating in the microwave. You can also wrap them in foil and reheat them in the oven.
Storing Homemade Tortillas
- Freezing Tortillas – Freeze tortillas by stacking tortillas with a piece of wax paper in between each layer. This will prevent the tortillas from sticking to one another. Wrap the entire stack in foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Tortillas will keep for 2-3 months.
- Room Temperature – Place tortillas in a tightly sealed plastic storage bag on the counter. They will stay fresh for up to a week.
- Refrigerating Tortillas – Place tortillas in a tightly sealed plastic storage bag in the fridge. They will stay fresh for up to two weeks.
Ways To Use Tortillas
- Philly Cheese Steak Wrap – Everything you love about Philly Cheesesteaks stuffed into a tortilla instead.
- Breakfast Burrito – Arguably the best on-the-go breakfast out there.
- Breakfast Quesadilla – Quesadillas are awesome, but when made with homemade tortillas they are an absolute game-changer.
- Carne Asada Street Tacos – Swap out corn tortillas for fresh flour tortillas.
- Flank Steak Wrap – Your kids will love you for packing a hearty steak wrap in their lunch.
- Mexican Crock Pot Chicken – Stuff the tortillas with Mexican Crock Pot Chicken and your favorite toppings and rolls them up into burritos.
Recipe
Homemade tortillas really elevate any dish. This simple recipe will have you wondering why you ever settled for store bought.
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients together. Slowly add in the oil while the mixer is going.
- Add in water slowly. Continue kneading until the dough isn't sticky. Let the dough sit for about 10 minutes.
- Divide dough into 16 even pieces. On a well-floured surface, roll each piece into a round dough ball.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out each dough ball into a tortilla shape.
- Preheat a skillet over medium-heat. Cook each tortilla for about one minute on the first side and 30 seconds on the other.
- Keep tortillas in a tortilla warmer or kitchen clean kitchen towel until you are ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Tortilla Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Sodium 146mg6%
Potassium 56mg2%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Protein 2g4%
Calcium 17mg2%
Iron 1.1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Hi we're making these today with a beautiful wood tortilla press my husband bought me for Christmas. First batch turned out like Naan bread 🤣. I'm assuming maybe a tortilla press doesn't get them flat enough? Going to keep making batches till we perfect it for my sister's birthday tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe, eating the first batch with my daughter!
Hi Justine, I have not used a tortilla press for this recipe, however based on previous comments, I gather that you will get the best thin and round results if you hand roll the tortillas. I hope you get it to where you want them! Wishing you the best of luck!
I am doing this recipe for the 1st time and since my hubby is on a low to no salt diet, I will be using no salt. I think I'm going to leave the dough to sit a little longer. It seems to me from the comments that they might tend to be more workable and soft.
Hi there! I am wishing the best of luck! It's going to work out great! I would love to know how it works out!
I can't wait to make this again! I did have to add more flour though I ended up not using the entire cup of water. I had them rolled into balls and covered with plastic wrap when life intervened and we had to go. They ended up with a VERY long resting period. When we returned, the balls were very easy to roll out on a floured surface with my old wooden rolling pin. I made some mistakes but we ate more than one while they were warm. Yum.
Hi Grace, I am thrilled that the recipe was a success! Thank you for sharing your process and feedback. Enjoy
Hi!
Looks like a great easy recipe I’m going to try
Just wanted to make sure, you don’t grease or oil the pan?
And you mixed in the stand mixer?
Hi Kim, Yes, I use the stand mixer for this recipe and I dont use any oil in my cast iron skillet. I hope this helps clear things up. Thank you for reaching out. Have a wonderful day!
I couldn't roll the dough thin no matter how much I rolled it. Mine came out like a flatbread. Delicious, but not a tortilla. Any tips for getting it thin?
Hi Cindy, Some people have left very helpful tips and tricks in the comments on how they worked with the dough. I have never had that problem, but some people used wax paper to keep the it from bouncing back too much. You don't want to overwork the dough. If you find that its still bouncing back, let it rest for a few extra minutes. I hope this helps!
Great Recipe Thank you!
Hi Jessica, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your feedback!
I never thought that making tortillas by myself would make me cry missing my grandmother today Feb 14. When I was little and she was making some and on a Saturday told me I was going fishing and she was getting my bait ready. And of course some burritos for lunch with Tata while we went fishing. Thank you.
Hi Chris, thank you for sharing that story, so fascinating. Hope you love the recipe, its so good!
I made these with whole wheat flour..they turned out great. Thanks
Rosana, thats great to hear. Thank you for sharing your feedback!
Using the metric measurements resulted in a dough too wet to kneed. Not quite a batter, but didn’t hold its form even as I tried to knees it. Had to add around 100 more grams of flour.
Otherwise tho, perfectly fine!
Hi Franz, I am sorry to hear that. Flour can be so different from one another. Depending on which one you used, its possible you would have needed to add some. I am so glad that it worked out in the end. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
This is a great recipe, thanks for sharing it. It was very easy to make with ingredients I had on hand. I wish I could upload the photos I took because it came out perfect. I made a cheese quesadilla with 2 of the tortillas and it was delicious. I had no idea it was that easy. I ended up with 12 tortillas so I am going to freeze some. 2 thumbs up!!!!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Hi Paulette, I am thrilled to hear that! Thank you very much for your feedback. Enjoy!
Just made tortillas for the very 1st time and it is really easy, just like you say and exceptionally good. I made the breakfast tacos I’ve been craving since moving from Austin TX. Perfect recipe - thank you!
Hi Cathy! I am so thrilled to hear that this recipe was a success! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! Enjoy!
About what diameter should the dough ball be?
Hi William, You would portion out the dough into 16 pieces. I have not measured or weighed the dough balls because everyone's turns out slightly different. I hope this helps!
I'm planning on trying out this recipe but my question is: am I able to freeze the tortillas once it's made and when do I freeze it?
Hi Patricia, You can freeze cooked tortillas by stacking tortillas with a piece of wax paper in between each layer. This will prevent the tortillas from sticking to one another. Wrap the entire stack in foil or plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Tortillas will keep for 2-3 months. Thank you for reaching out!
I see other people had some trouble... I shaped the dough into balls and let them rest for 10 min. Roll the dough thinner than you think you need--half the thickness of the final desired cooked thickness. While rolling, keep lightly dusting the surface with flour, quarter turn, flip, dust again, as you roll. I was at a friend's house and he did not have a rolling pin, so I used a wine bottle and covered the dough ball with a large sheet of waxed paper. The waxed paper gave enough of "grab" to keep the dough from snapping back. After baking on a fairly hot ceramic skillet (med high heat), I stacked them together on a plate, with a pot lid over the stack. The steam will keep them soft for a few minutes. If they cool too much and get a little rigid, spray surface very lightly with water (mist), stack on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and heat just till hot (don't overdo it or they will get tough). There are tortilla steamers made for this very purpose.
Bev, so many great tips. I love that you used a bottle! My grandma in Ukraine used a bottle on regular basis, so your comment made me smile. We may need to add some of your tips into the recipe, thank you so much!
Made 1/3 of recipe and it was enough for two large breakfast burritos. Very good. Very easy. Very tasty. Thank you!
Hey Bev, this is great to know. I love the idea of making a fresh tortilla for a breakfast burrito. Thanks for sharing all the feedback!
The first pic of the dry ingredients... What is the brown ingredient? It looks like yeast but the ingredients doesn't call for yeast. Thanks.
Hi Judy, thank you for the question. That is pink himalayan salt. Good luck!
I followed the recipe but halfed it. The were perfect.
Hi Steve, I am so delighted to hear the recipe was a success! Thank you for the feedback! Enjoy!
I doubled the recipe, and oh how quickly they got eaten! I used my tortilla press, and they didn’t turn out as thin as I hoped. However, they were delish! I did increase the amount of salt and the resting period. Definitely will use this recipe again. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
A tortilla press is best used for corn tortillas. Flour tortillas really need to be rolled to get them properly thin.
Hi Soli, I am so glad you enjoyed them. I need to get a tortilla press, sounds like it would be useful. I usually use a rolling pin and it takes some time rolling them out one by one. Thanks for sharing.
I tried these a couple times, once with a tortilla press and another find rolling them. They taste okay but I can’t ever get them thin enough. I follow the recipe exactly and they just never come out soft
Hi Shea, the idea is not to over work the dough. When the dough gets overworked, it's hard to roll it out thin. They should be soft if you store them in an air tight container or a ziplock bag. Hope the tips are helpful for the next time. I am sorry tortillas didnt come out perfect for you.
These turn out like bread, if you're going for gorditas then this recipe is perfect. I used a tortilla press and only got six 6-7inch tortillas. They bounce back way too much.
When you say bounce back? You mean they shrink? That means the dough was over worked, you can let it sit for about 10 minutes and roll them out again, it should keep its shape. When the dough is overworked, it's hard to keep the shape. Hope this helps.
This recipe works really well and makes a really supple and workable dough. A couple of notes:
-It could use a little extra salt because typically lard brings flavor to your tortillas that the olive oil doesn't
-Use hot water instead of luke warm and absolutely mix the olive oil in first (should be crumbly) then the water slowly until you have a wet and sticky dough.
-knead gently until smooth without additional flour.
-For the resting period, it seemed to work better if you divide and roll the dough into individual balls first, then rest. If you rest the dough first then divide and roll into balls, they spring back too much when rolled out.
-Absolutely rest at least 45 minutes (covered with plastic wrap on the counter)!!! 10 minutes is waaaayyyy too short.
-absolutely use a well floured surface like suggested above! You will get a much better shaped tortilla.
Overall, I will absolutely use this recipe again!
Hi Ali, Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience with the homemade tortillas. Your tips are super helpful and very detailed. I am glad you found a tortilla recipe you love. Enjoy!
The resting period isn't correct. They shrink considerably. Usually with dough you would then let them rest again.... Still shrinking.... I finally had to look at other recipes and they have an hour to proof, roll into balls, rest again, THEN you can finish them and cook.... I wasted 2 recipes of ingredients to figure out this was wrong
Hi Geri, Thank you very much for your feedback and helpful tips! The way I made them always worked for me in the past, When I make them again, I will keep your tips in mind and see if that makes a difference.
Hi, i want to start making my own tortillas but was wondering if i could freeze the dough balls for later cooking?
Hey Tammy- I haven't tried it, so I can't advise. You can freeze already cooked tortillas though, just separate each tortillas with wax or parchment paper in between and then wrap the entire bundle in plastic wrap. They'll keep for a few months!
Instead of rolling can a tortilla press be used?
I don't think a tortilla press will get them thin enough. Gotta roll them.
Hi Heather- absolutely! If you have a press on hand, feel free to use it. 😀
Thank you. This is just the best tortilla recipe. My whole family loved it. My kids asked me to make this nd never buy store bought tortillas again. This is the only tortilla we will ever eat again.
Wow, what a compliment!! I'm thrilled you discovered a new family favorite!
Would self rising flour and leaving out the baking powder work with this recipe? My picky eater has found a new love with tacos but but I almost never keep store bought tortillas on hand and it would be wonderful to find a recipe I can throw together with what I keep in my pantry. I don't always have baking powder but I do keep self rising flour
Hi Sara- I haven't tried using self rising flour instead, but it could work. I can't guarantee 100% since I've not used it in this recipe myself, but if you give it a try please let us know how the tortillas turn out! Enjoy! 🙂
I will definitely try this recipe. I’m not big on lard so this recipe sounds great.
Hi Martha- I hope you enjoy it! Traditionally lard is used, but I do like my spin on these tortillas without the lard as well. 🙂
Our family made tortillas but seeing our mom bless here heart she used manteca, (lard).
We came from a large family an tortillas were always made fresh. Manteca, lard is the best choice. I've never nor my children use oil. But its peoples choice. Con amor siempre.
Hi Glo- thanks for sharing with us! Yes, we have had a few commenters mention that the most authentic way to make tortillas is with lard. That is a great tip, thank you!
I will try recipe…..but shortening or lard is what is actually used instead of oil. Also use a cast iron skillet for cooking.
Manteca is best.
Is your recipe the same EXCEPT you use lard?
Hi- thank you for sharing these great tips!
Can I use a different type of flour?
Hi Lisa! Other than trying all purpose wheat flour, I don't know if I would recommend using a different type. If you decide to try a different flour, let me know how it goes!