Soft, homemade flour tortillas are so incredibly easy to make that you'll have no excuse but to mix, roll, and pan-fry your own. Make them any size, from thick street taco-style tortillas to extra-large burrito wraps. Be sure to make extras, too, as these tasty tortillas are so popular that you'll be inspired to make wraps, quesadillas, and much more.
Use your flour tortillas to make shredded chicken tacos, quesaritos, chicken enchiladas, or Mexican pizza. Also, you can use these to make healthier homemade tortilla chips.
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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 dinner.
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 homemade tortillas.
🥘 Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - Plain, all-purpose flour will act as the base of the dough.
- Salt - A little bit of salt helps to add flavor.
- Baking Powder - Baking powder is the leavening agent that makes the tortillas fluffy.
- Lard - I recommend using lard, but you can exchange it for vegetable shortening or vegetable oil (see below).
- Water - Some water to thin out the dough.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🧂 Substitutions & Additions
If you have self-rising flour, you can swap out the flour and baking soda in this recipe. Use 2 cups of self-rising flour instead.
What Can I Substitute For Lard in Homemade Flour Tortillas?
You can substitute vegetable shortening if you don't have lard on hand. The ratio in this recipe should be the same, 1:1 or 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening, the same amount as the lard called for in my 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 lard. When using vegetable oil, I start with a tablespoon and slowly add vegetable oil as needed in teaspoon-sized portions.
The vegetable oil method typically requires two tablespoons to reach the desired consistency of the homemade flour tortilla dough.
🔪 How To Make Flour Tortillas
You'll be shocked at how easy it is to make your tortillas. Grab a mixing bowl, whisk, measuring cup, and spoons to get started.
This recipe can make eight average-sized tortillas. Of course, it will make more small tortillas and less larger ones.
Make The Tortilla Dough
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. Start with a medium to large mixing bowl and combine your dry ingredients: 2 cups (250 grams) of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Step 2: Add lard and mix. Add 1 tablespoon of 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.
Step 3: Add water. Once you have reached this consistency, add ¾ cup (177 milliliters) of water and stir to combine. I frequently continue to use my hands (but this is oh-so messy).
Step 4: Combine. Mix the tortilla dough just enough to wet all ingredients, and then turn it out onto your lightly floured working surface.
Knead, Portion, Roll & Cook
Step 5: Knead and portion. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, divide it into eight equal portions, and round each portion into a ball for rolling out your tortillas or placing them in a tortilla press.
Step 6: Press and rest. Press each rounded ball of tortilla dough flat with the palm of your hand, cover it with a warm, damp kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rest for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 7: Roll out. I divided this recipe into eight portions and rolled them out until fairly thin. You can always stretch your dough rounds out more when transferring them to the frying pan. Have your frying pan at medium-high heat (and a touch of oil in a non-stick skillet helps, too) and cook your tortillas individually.
Step 8: Fry and flip. Cook until bubbly and golden brown on the underside, about one minute. Flip and cook the opposite side until golden brown, about 30 seconds to a minute.
Step 9: Serve. Once bubbled and golden in color, your tortillas are ready to use or serve.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Look for bubbles. When cooking your homemade flour tortillas, you will know the skillet heat is correct and the tortillas are cooking properly when bubbles form on them.
- Flip them. Flip and cook the other side when the bottom has golden brown spots.
- They cook quickly. 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 fixings.
- Make your own warmer. If you do not have a tortilla warmer, make a 'pouch' with aluminum foil to keep your freshly cooked homemade tortillas nice and warm before serving dinner.
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🥡 Storing & Reheating
Your freshly cooked tortillas can be left out at room temperature for up to 12 hours while you enjoy them. After that, store then in an airtight storage container or plastic storage bag. Refrigerate for up to 2-3 days.
Alternatively, traditional flour tortillas can be frozen for up to 6-8 months. Store in an airtight freezer storage bag. Thaw at room temperature before using.
Reheating
Tortillas are really simple to reheat! You can microwave one or a whole stack of tortillas. Use a damp paper towel sheet over each tortilla and heat in short 30-second increments until warmed to your satisfaction.
🌮 Essential Taco Night Recipes
- Ground Beef Taco Meat - Keep taco night extra simple with this ground beef taco meat.
- Authentic Salsa Verde - This green salsa can be made as zesty as you like.
- Pico de Gallo - Traditional pico makes a great topping for nachos, burritos, and more.
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Crock Pot Recipe (Mexican Pulled Pork) - Use this pulled pork for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and more.
- Taco Seasoning Mix - Homemade taco seasoning is so much better than the packaged version.
- Creamy Guacamole - Classic, creamy guacamole is the perfect addition to any Mexican meal.
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📖 Recipe Card
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp lard
- ¾ cup water
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add 1 tablespoon lard and work in with your fingertips until crumbly (resembling cornmeal). Add the ¾ cup water and mix until all ingredients are wet.
- Turn the tortilla dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes and divide the 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 or an aluminum foil pouch, or stack on a plate for immediate use.
Notes
- You can substitute vegetable shortening if you don't have lard on hand. The ratio in this recipe should be the same, 1:1 or one tablespoon of vegetable shortening, the same amount as the lard called for in this recipe below.
- Vegetable oil is another alternative to using lard. When I use vegetable oil, I add in the tablespoon portion and then slowly add vegetable oil as needed in teaspoon size portions. Typically, the vegetable oil method requires two tablespoons to reach the desired consistency of the homemade flour tortilla dough.
- When cooking your homemade flour tortillas, you will know the skillet heat is right, and the flour tortillas are cooked when bubbles have formed.
- Flip and cook the other side when the bottom has golden brown spots.
- 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 fixings!!
- If you do not have a tortilla warmer, make a 'pouch' with aluminum foil to keep your freshly cooked homemade tortillas nice and warm before serving dinner.
Nutrition
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Christine says
Excellent recipe. My family loves them