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These Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas are so much better than anything from the store. Homemade tortillas are extra soft, doughy, and chewy. I like to add salted butter, for extra deliciousness. Fresh flour tortillas are so easy to make at home and pretty difficult to mess up. No yeast + no rising time = simple as can be!
When it comes to flour tortillas, I never thought I would care to take the time to make them at home. But after realizing just how simple they can be, I’ve been making them almost weekly. They’re pretty much a staple for our family’s Mexican dinners.
These are DELICIOUS, and like nothing you’ll find in the grocery store.
Homemade tortillas are softer, chewier, and you just can’t beat the flavor.
Details – mix the dough
Simply mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. Then, add softened butter and hot water. Mix this until a soft, shaggy dough forms, then use your hands to need the dough into a smooth ball.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to allow the gluten to settle.
Roll the dough out
Divide the dough into 12 to 14 dough balls, then roll each out using a rolling pin. If you have a tortilla press, that will make things very easy! I don’t have one, but it’s on my list of items to invest in.
I like to roll all the dough balls out before I start cooking any of the tortillas. This helps the cooking process go much easier and smoother.
Cook the tortillas
It’s best to use a cast-iron skillet if you can, then add a drizzle of olive oil. Most people don’t use oil to cook the tortillas, but I’ve found you get a much better outcome with just a small amount of oil in the pan.
Cook until bubbles appear on top. Then. just like a pancake, flip and cook until lightly golden.
These are delicious warm, right off the skillet. Fresh fajitas or tacos can also be stored for up to 3 days, or kept frozen for even longer!
These are also great with quesadillas, skillet verde chicken, chili, and more!
Lastly, if you make these Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas
Servings: 12 tortillas
Calories Per Serving: 172 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature (or coconut oil)
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter, then pour over the hot water. Stir until a shaggy dough begins to form.2. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter. Use your hands to knead the dough for 1-2 minutes until it forms a smooth ball. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rest 10 minutes. 3. Cut the dough into 12-14 equal wedges, then roll each wedge into a ball (they don't need to be perfect). Use a rolling pin or a tortilla press to roll the dough out into an 8 – inch circle.4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small drizzle of olive oil, then a tortilla. Cook 30-60 seconds, until little bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook another 30 seconds, or until the bottom is slightly golden. Set on a plate and cover with a towel. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5. Serve warm (yum!) or save for later. Keep the tortillas stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Butter: I like the flavor of butter best, but coconut oil can also be used.
Storage: the tortillas can be stored in a food storage bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
This post was originally published on April 19, 2022
The tortillas are very good but I think you should wait 20 to 30 minutes before rolling them out.
Hi Leigh,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xT
These are not tortillas. The baking powder being the only rising agent means that these taste like a baking powder bread, like cake or muffins or biscuits. They are too fluffy and have no chew or stretch. Not tortillas but more like a really fluffy naan
Could the flour be subbed for almond flour?
Hi Brittany,
So sorry, I have never tested that with this recipe, I think a gluten free flour blend would work better for you! xx
This is the BEST tortilla recipe. The dough was soft and easy to work with and they taste great. Thank you.
Hey Laura,
Happy November!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Glad to hear it was a hit! 🍂
I was wondering what a tablespoon of vinegar might do as a preservative to prevent mold growth. I travel for work and can’t keep them cold the whole time. My first attempt at these tasted great and I want to keep going with it. Any insight if this would work?
Hey Anthony,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! Honestly, I have never tried that so I am not sure how that would work for you! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
If I don’t have salted butter should I increase the salt?
Hi Angelia,
I would just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I hope you love this recipe! x
I didn’t get them as thin as I would have liked on this first try but it didn’t even matter. Everyone loved them and I was impressed with myself that I could make homemade tortilla shells! Definitely will make these again. I made them a day before my dinner party and just had to put them for a few seconds in the microwave so they’d be pliable again. Easy!
Thanks so much, Annie! So glad to hear these turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making them! Happy Friday! xT
I’ve tried a handful of other tortilla recipes in hung of a really great recipe and finally I’ve found it!!! Th butter vs all the other recipes I’ve made with oil, in my opinion makes all the difference. Thank you! My husband said he wouldn’t change a thing, perfect!
Hey Brealle,
Yay! So glad to hear these tortillas turned out well for you, thanks for trying them! Have a great day! Xx
If I want to freeze them, do you recommend freezing the raw dough balls or cooking the tortillas in the skillet and freezing the finished tortilla?
Hey Suzy,
You could really do either one! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Every time I have made these they have come out very thick even when using a press. Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong?
Hi Jimmy,
Thanks for making this recipe! I have never used a tortilla press. Have you tried rolling them out by hand? I would try that and then roll them as thin as you possibly can. I hope this helps! xx
Hey, Jimmy. I have the same issue. I made them paper thin, but the cooked product is thick or too crispy. I’ve tried different pan temps as well. Ended up using mine as more of a chip/bruschetta concept. I’m new to baking, but felt my ‘shredded dough’ wasn’t right. How was your dough?
I am going to give it a try easy recipe
I hope you love the tortillas!
Great and simple recipe BUT there FANTASTIC came out thin and even used a press to make it easier. But better than most that I’ve made or tried! The oil in the pan to cook them even better than ones I’ve done THANKS
Hey Diann,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! Xx
I love these! So easy and i make them all the time. It really never dawned on me that i could make homemade tortillas, so it’s always a nice touch to our meals, even our Mediterranean meals.
Hey Elizabeth,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try:) So glad it turned out nicely for you! x
Just made these and they turned out great! Loved making them.
Hey Terri,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
I made these on a whim for a family taco night. I made them in the cast iron pan and only used a little olive oil. Easy like making pancakes, but rolling them out they were a little asymmetrical. Didn’t matter b/c they tasted great.
Hey Kathleen,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
Made tonight for some quesadillas. I am out of baking powder so I substituted it with baking soda and vinegar combo. Flavor is great and family loved them!
Hey Lexy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Thursday! x
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Hi Devora,
Sure, I think that should work for you. I hope you love this recipe! xT