Oh my gosh! If I had known how easy and delicious this homemade flour tortillas recipe is when I was younger, I would’ve been making these for decades now rather than using store bought flour (or corn) tortillas.
So easy and delicious! These homemade flour tortillas are a real treat for taco night!
Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe
Seriously, the flavor difference is amazing…so much so that once you make your own flour tortillas you simply won’t want to settle for anything less than the absolute freshness of handmade tortillas that you have made at home!
Most likely, you will have all of the necessary ingredients on hand (with the possible exception of lard) as all that is required is flour, salt, baking powder, water and lard.
With just these 5 simple ingredients you can take your Mexican dishes to a whole new level with these super easy to make flour tortillas!
There is also something to be said for quite literally making something by hand (although you can use a food processor or stand mixer to cut in the lard, and gradually add the water). The whole family has found that we really do enjoy making these tortillas by hand, rather than any other method.
If you love your Mexican dishes and family taco nights as much as we do, you will love adding this homemade flour tortilla recipe to any Mexican themed dinners (and they will be in demand)!
5 simple ingredients; flour, baking soda, salt, lard and water!
Homemade Flour Tortillas Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- baking powder
- water
- lard
What Can I Substitute For Lard?
If you don’t have lard on hand, you can substitute vegetable shortening. The ratio in this recipe should be the same, 1:1 or 1 Tbsp of vegetable shortening, the same amount as the lard called for in the easy flour tortilla recipe below. In other recipes, you may need to add slightly more vegetable shortening when substituting for lard.
Vegetable oil is another alternative to using lard, and when I do use vegetable oil I add in the tablespoon portion then slowly add additional vegetable oil as needed in teaspoon size portions. Typically, the vegetable oil method requires 2 tablespoons to reach my desired consistency of the homemade flour tortillas dough.
How To Make Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Start out with a medium to large mixing bowl and combine your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder.
- Add the lard and use your fingers to mix with the flour mixture. You will want to do this until you have fine pieces of lard and a cornmeal type appearance.
- Once you have reached this consistency, add water and stir to combine…I frequently just continue to use my hands but this is oh so messy.
- Combine just enough so that all ingredients are wet and then turn out onto your lightly floured working surface. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes and then divide into equal portions and round each portion into a ball for rolling out your tortillas or placing them in a tortilla press. Press each rounded ball of tortilla dough flat with the palm of your hand and then cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for about 10-15 minutes.
- I divided this recipe into 8 portions and rolled out until fairly thin. You can always stretch your dough rounds out a little bit more when transferring to the frying pan. Have your frying pan at a medium high heat (and a touch of oil in a non-stick skillet helps too) and cook your tortillas individually. Cook until bubbly and golden brown on the underside, about one minute. Flip and cook the opposite side until golden brown as well, about 30 seconds to a minute.
When cooking your homemade flour tortillas, you will know the skillet heat is right and the flour tortillas are cooking correctly when bubbles are formed in the tortillas.
When the bottom side has golden brown spots, flip and cook the other side.
About 1 minute on the first side and 30 seconds to a minute on the second side. Voila! Perfect homemade flour tortillas that are soft enough to roll into burritos and enchiladas, yet sturdy enough to stuff full of your favorite taco fixins!!
Since we used all of our tortillas in this video for making enchiladas, there was no need for a tortilla warmer. If you do not have a tortilla warmer, you can also make a ‘pouch’ with aluminum foil to keep your freshly cooked homemade tortillas nice and warm before serving dinner.
Enjoy!
Taco Night Essentials
- Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Homemade Flour Tortillas (this page)
- Authentic Salsa Verde
- Pico de Gallo
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Crock Pot Recipe (Mexican Pulled Pork)
- Taco Seasoning Mix
- Creamy Guacamole
Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 c (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp (2.8 g) salt
- 1 tsp (5 g) baking powder
- 1 Tbsp (13 g) lard
- 3/4 c (177 ml) water
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder. Add lard and work in with your fingertips until crumbly (resembling cornmeal). Add the water and mix until all ingredients are wet.
- Turn the tortilla dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes and divide dough into 8 portions. Shape each portion into a ball then press each rounded ball of tortilla dough flat with the palm of your hand. Cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for about 10-15 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin or tortilla press to make a round, thin tortilla. Set rolled tortillas aside, without stacking them (as they tend to stick together).
- Preheat a large skillet or frying pan to medium high heat, and use a heat resistant basting brush to coat the surface with vegetable oil. Place each rolled out tortilla in the skillet or frying pan one at a time.
- Cook tortillas until bubbly and golden brown on the underside, about one minute. Flip and cook the opposite side until golden brown as well, about 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from heat and stack in a tortilla warmer, an aluminum foil pouch, or stacked on a plate for immediate use.
Notes
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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