Soft, slightly chewy, and perfectly pliable, these homemade flour tortillas are the ultimate vessel for all your favorite fillings. They’re surprisingly easy to make, require just a few pantry staples, and taste a million times better than store-bought ones!
Save the Recipe!
I’ve always been hung up on the fact that most store-bought flour tortillas are packed with a long list of ingredients I can’t even pronounce. What’s wild is that traditional Mexican flour tortillas are made with just a handful of simple ingredients!
This recipe has been a total game-changer in our house. I keep a stash in the freezer and pull them out whenever Mexican dinner night calls. And they’re SO much better than the grocery store ones; they’re softer, fresher, and made with just 4 ingredients I can feel good about serving my family! Let’s roll!
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Simple ingredients: these have no fillers like most storebought versions.
- Easy to make: these aren’t going to take all day to make!
- Authentic texture and flavor: soft, chewy, and delicate flavor for all your favorite toppings!
- Make them ahead: and freeze them for later.
- Make big or small batches: scale the recipe up or down based on your needs.
Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make the best flour tortillas at home, and one of them is free!
- All-purpose flour – I’ve experimented with different types of flour, and regular all-purpose wins every time!
- Refined coconut oil (or butter) – while lard is the classic choice for flour tortillas, not everyone has access and let’s be honest, it’s not the healthiest. I swear by refined coconut oil which is flavorless and yields the same texture as lard! Look for “refined” which is flavorless, whereas “unrefined” tastes like coconut (and we don’t want that!). Don’t want to use coconut oil? Butter works too but will create a richer, slightly buttery taste.
- Salt – salt enhances flavor.
The 4th ingredient is warm water. Use an instant thermometer to ensure it’s between 110-115℉.
How to Make Flour Tortillas
Let’s make the best darn flour tortillas. Trust me; it’s easy! This is an outline with photos to help guide you; for the full recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Whisk together the flour and salt.
Step 2: Cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.
Step 3: Pour in the warm water and stir until a dough forms.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Cover the dough loosely with a damp paper towel and let rest at room temp for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
Step 7: On a floured surface, roll each ball into a thin round. Place the rolled tortillas between sheets of paper towel.
Step 8: Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas for 30–45 seconds per side, until lightly browned with golden spots.
Step 9: Wrap them inside a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm until ready to enjoy!
FAQs
I recommend coconut oil which creates soft, pliable tortillas with a subtle richness. Lard is often considered the traditional choice for the most tender, flavorful tortillas. You can also use vegetable shortening if preferred.
I don’t recommend using a tortilla press for flour tortillas because it compresses the dough rather than stretching it. Unlike corn tortillas, flour tortillas rely on stretched gluten for their soft, flexible texture.
Tough tortillas are usually caused by adding too much flour, overcooking them, or not allowing the dough to rest long enough.
For same day use, leave them wrapped in a clean kitchen towel. For longer storage, refrigerate them in an airtight container, after they’ve cooled completely, for 3-4 days.
Refresh by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving in quick bursts until warm and soft.
Yes! Let the tortillas cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper between each tortilla to prevent sticking. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Homemade tortillas are truly a blank slate and are perfect any time of day. Use them to make breakfast burritos stuffed with Scrambled Eggs, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole, or at lunch to make Chicken Tacos or Fish Tacos, Chicken Quesadillas, or as a side for Turkey Chili.
They’re even a great dessert, served warm, brushed with Homemade Butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
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If you’ve tried this Flour Tortilla Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
BEST Flour Tortilla Recipe
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup warm water, between 110-115℉
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, or butter if preferred
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the coconut oil into the flour mixture until evenly incorporated and the mixture is slightly crumbly.
- Pour in the warm water and stir until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Cover the dough loosely with a damp paper towel and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a thin round (as thin as you’d like them). Place the rolled tortillas between sheets of paper towel while you finish rolling out the remaining dough.
- Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook the tortillas one at a time for 30–45 seconds per side, or until lightly browned with golden spots and cooked through. If the tortillas are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
- As the tortillas finish cooking, wrap them inside a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft until ready to serve!
Video
Notes
- While lard is classic in Mexican flour tortillas, it can be difficult to find and not ideal for some health-wise. Refined coconut oil is my favorite option for homemade tortillas, creating the traditional soft and chewy texture and mild flavor, perfect for any way you want to serve them! Look for refined coconut oil that has a neutral taste NOT unrefined, which tastes like coconut! Butter is my second favorite option, yielding perfect texture but a deeper, slightly buttery flavor (which isn’t quite as traditional).
- Roll tortillas as thin as you’d like them to be when they’re cooked! I roll mine out to be about 6-7” wide.
- Want bigger tortillas for burritos? Roll 4 balls instead of 8 and cook them the same as directed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is so simple and DELICIOUS! Who knew you could use refined coconut oil. Thank you!
😀 Awesome to hear!! Thanks for your 5-star review!
Grace
Having eaten tortillas in the Southwest, I’ve always been disappointed by the store bought imitations, but never thought it would be worth the time and effort to make them at home. This recipe proves that assumption wrong.
I’ll never buy store bought tortillas again.
Couldn’t agree with you more! I’m glad these were worth the make!
Grace
These make store-bought tortillas look like crap! LOL! So good!!!
😀 So glad they were a success!!
Grace