Homemade Flour Tortillas (+Video)
Homemade Flour Tortillas are very easy to make! Just a small amount of ingredients and no special equipment are needed! So tender and soft!
SOFT AND TASTY TORTILLA RECIPE
Ever since I started making these homemade flour tortillas, my family doesn’t want to go back to the pre-made ones at all. Once you’ve made tortillas yourself and tasted them fresh, you really start to see the big difference.
TIPS FOR MAKING TORTILLAS:
- Fresh tortillas have such a soft and fluffy texture and they just add so much flavor to your tacos or burritos. And they are surprisingly easy to make. You don’t need a tortilla maker either. The key really is to roll them out super thin. Thinner than you would think they would need to be because they puff up nicely as they cook.
- The rolling out part is probably the longest part of this recipe. But do yourself a favor, try these. You will not be disappointed! This would make a great addition to any Cinco De Mayo party. Have a taco and burrito bar and let guests serve themselves. And you can have more fun!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- lard (recommended) or vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
- hot water
HOW TO MAKE FLOUR TORTILLAS:
In a large bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder and shortening.
Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening (or lard) until the mixture resembles pea-sized pieces.
Add the hot water and mix together using your hands or a wooden spoon until the mixtures starts to form. Knead on a floured surface for 5 – 10 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball. Place the dough into a covered bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Pinch off the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into golf ball-sized balls. Preheat your griddle, nonstick pan or cast iron pan on medium high heat. Flatten each dough ball a bit and then roll out on a floured surface forming a circle.
To make a round shape roll out the dough and then make a 1/4 of a turn of the circle and then roll and make another 1/4 of a turn. Keep doing this until the dough is rolled out to 1/8 inch thick. You really want these to be very thin, almost like tissue paper because they do puff up while cooking.
Place onto the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly. Flip and continue cooking the other side. Each side should cook about 30 seconds.
Keep the cooked tortillas warm while you continue rolling and cooking the remaining tortillas (I just put mine in between paper towels or clean dish towels.)
Cook’s Note: I highly recommend you use lard (or manteca) for these. Shortening will work great but the lard is just a bit better, in my opinion. These really are the best the day they are made. If you have any leftover, put them in a ziploc bag and pop them in the fridge. The next day, just fry them up and make tostadas or cut them into triangles and fry them for chips to have with salsa or sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on them for a sweet treat.
CRAVING MORE? GIVE THESE RECIPES A TRY!
Homemade Flour Tortillas (+Video)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons lard (recommended) or vegetable shortening (Crisco)
- ¾ cup hot water
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the flour, salt, baking powder and lard (or shortening.)
- Using your fingers (or a pastry cutter), cut in the lard until the mixture resembles pea-sized pieces.
- Add the hot water and mix together using your hands or a wooden spoon until the mixtures starts to form.
- Knead on a floured surface for 5 – 10 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough into a covered bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Pinch off the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into golf ball-sized balls.
- Flatten each dough ball a bit and then roll out on a floured surface forming a circle.
- To make a round shape, roll out the dough and then make a 1/4 of a turn of the circle and then roll and make another 1/4 of a turn.
- Keep doing this until the dough is rolled out to 1/8 inch thick. You really want these to be very thin, almost like tissue paper because they do puff up a lot while cooking.
- Preheat your griddle, nonstick pan or cast iron pan on medium high heat. Place one tortilla onto the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly.
- Flip and continue cooking the other side. Each side should cook about 30 seconds.
- Keep the cooked tortillas warm while you continue rolling and cooking the remaining tortillas (I just put mine in between paper towels or clean dish towels.)
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: May 2011
Updated and republished: May 2022
First time here and I am going to subscribe!
I've always wanted to make tortillas from scratch but I have a question… what is lard? Is it like vegetable shortening?
Thanks so much.
Brandie, you have one incredibly lucky husband. But he knows it, right – esp if you serve him the packet ones now and again to remind him 😉 Way to go, girl! Awesome photos, as ever.
When I was in NE, we neighborhood stay-home-Moms would get together once a month for a breakfast. One month, a native Corpus Christi-an made breakfast burritos with homemade tortillas! OMG, so good!
You've inspired me to try this on Thursday! We were planning tacos and sweet corn cake (from a mix, sorry) anyway!
Yumm!! My family loves Mexican food, but I've never thought to make the tortillas myself. Now I think I will. Yours look delicious!
Stopping by from Tempt my Tummy tueday, and your newest follower! Come on by and grab a recipe if you have a minute 🙂
Nothing beats a homemade flour (or corn) tortilla!!
Wow, well done on making your own torillas. They look fabulous so it is easy to understand why your hubby doesn't want store bought ones.
🙂 Mandy
I really love those that you made, they are perfect..and homemade which in my opinion even better! Thanks for sharing!!!
And just wait until you make your own homemade corn tortillas form fresh masa. Oh! Divine! Hehehe. I love all kinds of homemade tortillas 🙂
My mom has really bad food allergies to soy, so I grew up really spoiled by homemade tortillas! They are the best when they are warm with butter. Mmmmm.
Also, I believe all of the men of bloggers are super spoiled!
You would think living in the Southwest I would've tried my hand at making these wouldn't you? lol! Nope, but yours are incredible!
Ooo these look delicious!! Perfect for cinco de mayo coming up, can't wait to try them myself! 🙂
http://cookskinny.blogspot.com/
Homemade tortillas are the best! Those look delicious!
These look awesome! Def perfect for Cinco de Mayo!
I too, make homemade tortillas and Adam won't eat the store-bough ones either. The things we do for love! You are so right though, the taste is incomparable. What a week you've had! Quite a culinary journey from Merry Olde England to Mexico! Cheers and Olé
That looks like my kind of meal. I love homemade tortillas,
Your tortillas are perfect. Mine always end up just a little too thick. Beautiful job. I love the idea of the taco and burrito bar for guests too.
I'm impressed. Those look fantastic.
Your tortillas look so good, and I can just imagine how they Taste! Yum!
I may even have to try these!
Oh girl! These sounds great! I've never dared to make my own tortillas.. I thought they'd be way too difficult, but this sounds easy enough. I am printing this now! : )
These look sooo good! Out of all the things that I've missed since moving, it has to be the fresh tortillas that I miss the most. They may be first on the list to try when we move into our new place. Thanks, Brandie!
I tried my hand at some wraps this week and realized, "If I can do this, I wonder if I can make homemade tortillas!" Thanks for the recipe. I can't wait to try them.
Yummmm. Ok, fine. I'll pick up some shortening at the store. I've done naan and chapatti bread, why not this?
They look b-e-a-utifil!
These looks fabulous Brandie! So light and fluffy! Your husband is one lucky guy!!:o)
Homemade tortillas is something I have not tried. So I made your recipe after seeing it and wow – I will never buy them again!