The BEST Tortilla Recipe! These homemade tortillas are easy to make using just a few simple ingredients. They are soft and taste so much better than store-bought tortillas!

Homemade flour tortillas stacked together.

Best Tortilla Recipe

If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at homemade flour tortillas but worry that they are difficult to make, then this recipe is for you. The steps to making this flour tortilla recipe are so simple, you won’t believe it!

To make these tortillas, you’ll need just a few ingredients. You probably have all of them in your kitchen: all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, olive oil and water. When you make these homemade flour tortillas, you can feel good about feeding your family tortillas made from real, recognizable ingredients.

And the taste! There is just no comparison between homemade tortillas and store-bought. These homemade tortillas have the best flavor. They are soft and so good fresh and warm from the pan.

I often make this tortilla recipe to serve with tacos, Instant Pot Pinto Beans, Chicken Fajitas, Instant Pot Chicken Tacos and my favorite Instant Pot Carnitas. My delicious homemade salsa and guacamole recipe are the perfect sides to any dish made with these fresh tortillas.

Two folded tortillas on top of a stack.

How to Make Tortillas

Here is an overview of the steps to making tortillas from scratch. Find the full recipe with ingredients and instructions below.

  1. Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt.
  2. Mix in olive oil and warm water.
  3. Knead the dough for 1 minute.
  4. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
  5. Let the balls of dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a clean kitchen towel.
  6. Heat your pan to medium-high heat. A cast iron skillet works well, but any heavy skillet will work.
  7. Roll out one ball of dough at a time to a 6 to 8-inch round and place in the hot pan. Rolling out the balls of dough.
  8. Cook 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, until tortillas have a few light brown spots on each side. Cooking a tortilla in a cast iron skillet.
  9. Enjoy with your favorite fillings, or as is, warm from the pan!

Do I Need a Tortilla Press?

If you plan to make tortillas often, a tortilla press may be a worthwhile investment. A tortilla press allows you to quickly roll out tortillas with a uniform shape. However, I often make tortillas without a tortilla press. Rolling the tortillas out with a rolling pin is relatively quick and easy, and your tortillas will taste just as delicious even if they aren’t perfectly round.

Can I use Whole Wheat Flour in this Tortilla Recipe?

This flour tortilla recipe uses all-purpose flour as the main ingredient. I have also tested this recipe using whole wheat flour. If you want to make whole wheat tortillas, I recommend using half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. So, you would use 1 1/2 cups of each. If the dough seems too dry, you may need to add a few extra tablespoons of water.

Storage and Freezer Instructions

Tortillas taste best the day they are made. You can store leftover tortillas, wrapped airtight, at room temperature for up to two days.

Tortillas will stay fresh in the freezer for longer storage. Seal them in an airtight container, such as a zip-top freezer bag with the air squeezed out. Freeze for up to 3 months. Frozen tortillas may stick together, so I recommend freezing them in batches of the amount that you plan to defrost and use at one time. You can also place sheets of parchment paper in between to keep them from sticking together.

When you are ready to use the frozen tortillas, set them out on your kitchen counter. They will thaw quickly at room temperature.

Ready for serving.

Tips for Homemade Tortillas:

  • When you roll the tortillas out using a rolling pin, it helps to lightly flour your work surface. Try to avoid using too much flour.
  • Preheat the pan and wait for it to get hot before cooking the first tortilla. Cook tortillas in a dry, ungreased pan.
  • Tortillas are ready to flip when they have a few light brown spots on the bottom side. I usually cook mine for 45 seconds to 1 minute on the first side, and then 30 to 45 seconds on the second side.
  • As soon as you take the tortillas off of the pan, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel. This will keep the tortillas soft and warm. You can stack the tortillas on top of each other in the towel.
  • These tortillas are great for homemade enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and more. Combine with my Instant Pot Taco meat for a delicious family dinner.

More Homemade Bread Recipes:

Stack of flour tortillas.
5 from 2 ratings

Homemade Tortillas Recipe

Servings: 12 tortillas
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Once you try these homemade tortillas, you won't want to go back to store-bought! This easy tortilla recipe makes the best soft tortillas.
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup warm water

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour in the olive oil and warm water. Mix with a fork and then your hands until everything is well combined and the dough comes together in a ball.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for about 1 minute. Cut the dough into 12 equal sized pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Cover the balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for 10 minutes.
  • Heat a dry (ungreased) cast iron skillet or other heavy pan over medium high heat and let it preheat for a few minutes. Working with one ball of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a 6 to 8-inch round (roll the tortillas smaller for thicker tortillas and larger for thinner tortillas).
  • Immediately place the tortilla in the hot skillet. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute on the first side and then flip and cook for 30 to 45 seconds on the second side. The tortilla is done when it has a few light brown spots on each side. To keep the tortillas soft and warm, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or place them in a tortilla warmer as they finish cooking. Repeat the rolling and cooking process with the remaining balls of dough.
  • Serve tortillas warm, with fillings as desired.

Notes

  • You can substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. I recommend using half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour. You may need to add a few extra tablespoons of water if the dough seems too dry when using whole wheat flour.
  • Tortillas can be stored, wrapped airtight, at room temperature for 2 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before using.
Serving: 1tortilla, Calories: 154kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 146mg, Potassium: 67mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 19mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: Mexican
Course: Bread
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