Skip the store-bought tortillas and whip up the fastest and freshest recipe for 30-Minute Homemade Flour Tortillas.
How Do You Make Flour Tortillas?
In all my years of cooking and eating Mexican food, that is one question I never realized I would have such a succinct answer for! And that answer is… with four ingredients and in 30 minutes or less.
It’s really that simple. Add a few expert tips and tricks to the equation and you’ll be ditching the store-bought tortillas for good, as you transform your DIY tortillas into burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas and more.
Homemade Tortilla Ingredients
So what exactly do you need to make tortillas from scratch? I’m so glad you asked!
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Water
- Vegetable oil
Let’s break things down a bit more when it comes to the type of flour to use for making tortillas.
When my friend Rosa taught me how to make tortillas, she introduced me to El Rosal flour, which is a Mexican flour that can actually be purchased at several stores throughout the United States, including Walmart!
While I learned to make flour tortillas using El Rosal (and they were incredible), I tested out the exact same recipe and technique using American all-purpose flour. The results were the same! So while El Rosal flour makes absolutely delicious tortillas and is the most authentic route to go, you can still get the same results using any other good quality all-purpose flour from the U.S.
Important Tips for Making Flour Tortillas
As simple as the ingredient list and method of preparing tortillas is, there are a few expert tips and tricks that will guarantee success:
- Mixing the Dough: You must use very hot water, as in, as hot as your hands can stand. The water should not be boiling, however it should be very hot so that the dough comes together quickly and smoothly.
- Rolling the Tortillas: It’s important to roll all the way over the edges of the tortillas so that they are the same thickness all around. The goal is a super-thin tortilla that’s see-through before cooking.
- Cooking the Tortillas: Cook the tortillas for 30 to 60 seconds on one side before flipping them only one time and cooking them an additional 30 seconds. The goal is achieve slight browning in various spots as the tortillas puff and cook.
How to Store Homemade Flour Tortillas
While you are cooking the tortillas, it’s important to keep them warm inside a towel as each one finishes cooking. Stacking them atop one another in a folded towel helps the tortillas stay warm and moist, as the residual heat stays trapped within the towel.
Once the tortillas have cooled completely, store them inside a sealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to one week.
How to Re-Heat Homemade Flour Tortillas
To re-heat the tortillas, you can either use the stovetop pan method (just as you cooked them), or you can pop them in the microwave in between two damp paper towels for 15 to 20 seconds or until they’re warmed through.
When I make the boys’ quesadillas, I add the shredded cheese (and chicken or beans) atop the tortillas then microwave them for 20 to 30 seconds before folding, slicing and serving. So easy and so fresh!
Ready to give it a go? Read on for my recipe for 30-Minute Homemade Flour Tortillas and stay tuned for the corn version coming your way in a few weeks!
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Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 2/3 cups hot water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Add the water and vegetable oil and using your hands, mix together the dough until it is a cohesive ball and all of the liquid has been absorbed. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. (The dough should be soft and Playdoh-like in texture, but not sticky.)
- Transfer the dough onto your work surface and knead it about 10 times until it becomes smooth all over.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls then flat each ball slightly into the shape of a hockey puck. Flour each piece of dough on both sides then set them aside and cover them with a towel.
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Roll out one piece of dough into an 8-inch circle then transfer it to the hot pan. Cook the tortilla for about 1 minute then flip it once and continue cooking it an additional 30 seconds or until golden brown spots appear on both sides. Transfer the tortilla from the pan into a towel and cover it while you roll out and cook the remaining tortillas.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
My go to recipe. Always on standby.
Love reading this, Heather! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Omg so delicious!! Thank you for this recipe! I won’t ever buy flour tortillas from the store again! So easy & healthy to make. I used all organic ingredients from my pantry and they came out so soft and tasty! My 3 year old gobbled up 2 of them without her usual cheese within 10 minutes and she usually wants them with cheese (quesadillas). I ate 3 right off the bat while warm!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled to read this, Jenny!
I’ve been chasing my mom around to teach me to make them for about 4 years now. Thanks to you I no longer have to chase her around! LOL
Is it ok to make an extra batch of the masa and storing it? If so, how do I go about doing so?
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Susan! It depends on how long you’d be storing it for — a few hours or a few days?
These look wonderful and the instructions seem very clear!
Can you substitute whole-wheat flour in equal amounts, or would that require changing some ingredient proportions (probably the water, I’d guess)?
Hi Chris! I’ve never made this recipe using whole wheat flour, so I can’t say with certainty what the results would be. If you try it, I recommend starting with a small amount of whole wheat flour by replacing 25% of the AP flour with the WW, then leaving the remaining AP flour. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Easy to make. My family loves these tortillas. Thank you.
You are so welcome, Sasha!
These were easy, quick, and tasty. For best results, roll thin. All the family of picky eaters liked them. Will definitely make again.
I’m so thrilled to read this, Nette!
I love your recommendation to use hot water and roll on the side. This gives the tortilla a kind of softness. It reminded me of my mother teaching me how to make chapati, which is so common as East African street food. I’m surprised to learn there’s so much similarly between tortilla and chapati.
Great recipe. Thank you.
You are so welcome. I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe! :)
These are delicious! I would highly recommend rolling them on parchment rounds! Makes it easy to get them nice and thin all the way to the edges, to get them circular, and a cinch to get them into the hot pan! I made two batches in one day because the disappeared so quickly!!!
Awesome! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Janice!
Made this and it came out great, however I wasn’t that good my rolling skills weren’t perfect but it tasted homemade and great, added butter and some garlic salt afterwards and ate it, seems great for breakfast burritos too.
YUM! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Chef!
I just made homemade tortillas they are delicious
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Rachel!
I would like to get your recipe of flour tortillas.
Hi Norma – The recipe is underneath the last image of this post :)