Craving fresh, flavorful tortillas without the fuss? Look no further than this simple 4-ingredient recipe! These homemade flour tortillas are so easy to make, you’ll be whipping them up in no time. Plus, they’re incredibly versatile, perfect for tacos, burritos, fajitas, wraps, or simply enjoying warm with your favorite toppings.
4 simple ingredients will give you the best flour tortillas. Way better than anything you can buy at the grocery. And without any of the preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients inevitable with store bought food.
Of course, making your own flour tortillas will take more time than buying them. But I promise, it’s so worth it. They will completely transform your homemade fajitas, tacos, and burritos. Just a little extra prep time will reward you with delicious tortillas that you can feel confident serving to your family, because you know exactly what’s in them.
These homemade ones have become my go-to, offering both convenience and deliciousness. And with just flour, baking soda, salt, and your choice of coconut oil or butter, they’re incredibly budget-friendly!
What You’ll Need:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter)
- 1 cup hot water
I usually use coconut oil, and sometimes a little butter. I think coconut oil adds a lovely, slightly sweet flavour to the tortillas.
Steps
To make these, combine all 4 ingredients in a medium sized bowl and knead until a soft dough forms. Shape into a ball. Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
After the dough has had a nice little nap, divide it into about 14 equally sized pieces. I usually divide it in half and half again and so on until I have dough balls roughly the size of a half dollar. Based on what you’re making, you can make your balls bigger or smaller. Then comes my least favourite part: rolling out all your tortillas. This would probably be better with a tortilla press, but I don’t have one.
To roll them out by hand, lightly flour your work surface and roll out into a circle, as you would for pizza dough. Try to roll them out as thinly as possible, as they inevitably shrink back down as soon as you pick them up, and even further while cooking.
To save time, I usually try to cook them and roll them out at the same time. Though you have to be careful, as they cook very quickly. It’s easy to accidentally burn the one that’s cooking while you’re rolling the next one out.
To keep them warm, place each freshly cooked flour tortilla in a pancake warmer, or wrapped in a dish towel atop a plate. Both of these methods will ensure your tortillas stay perfectly warm and soft. These are best served with my leftover steak fajitas.
Make Ahead/Storing Extras:
If you don’t plan to eat all 14 tortillas, you can store the extras one of three ways.
Option one: Wrap the extra dough in parchment paper, place it in a freezer safe container, and freeze. The next time you need to make flour shells, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature and proceed as above.
Option two: Roll out all your tortillas as above, and divide each raw tortilla between sheets of parchment paper. Place in an airtight container or ziplock bag and place in the freezer until you need them. To cook, place directly in a hot skillet, allowing a few extra minutes of cook time.
Option three: Cook all the tortillas, and freeze whatever you don’t eat. Just wrap them in parchment paper and place in a freezer safe container. The next time you need tortillas, you can either thaw them at room temperature for a few minutes, or pop them in the oven or microwave straight out of the freezer to quickly soften and warm them up. This is usually my method of choice. I never think far enough in advance for Option One.
Tips
- Coconut oil adds a subtle sweetness, while butter offers a richer flavor. Choose whichever you prefer!
- To ensure evenly sized tortillas, divide the dough in half, then half again, until you have evenly sized dough balls.
- Don’t be afraid to roll them thin! They tend to shrink back a bit during cooking.
- If multitasking, be mindful of the cooking time as tortillas cook quickly.
- Leftover dough can be frozen for later use. Wrap in parchment paper and store in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge or for a few hours at room temperature before using.
- Cooked tortillas can also be frozen. Wrap them individually in parchment paper and store in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in the oven, microwave, or directly on a hot skillet.
Ready to try these simple homemade tortillas? Give them a go and let me know what you think in the comments below! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram (@gigicasero) if you share your culinary creations!
Flour Tortillas
Equipment
- Tortilla Press optional, but will make your life easier
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder aluminum free
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil*
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Sift together dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix until well combined. Knead in fat (butter or oil). Pour hot water over the mixture and stir. Knead until dough is soft and forms a ball, a few minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp (not wet!) towel, and allow the dough to rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Once dough has rested, divide into 14 equally sized balls (or close enough). Using a floured surface and a rolling pin, or a tortilla press, roll the dough out into circles, as thick or thin as you like! I always try to roll them out as thinly as possible, as they really fluff up when they cook. This is the worst part. Rolling out 14 balls of dough is time consuming. But persevere! I promise it will be worth it.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or crepe pan over medium high heat. Spray with a light coat of oil. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook until bubbles begin to form, 30-60 seconds. Flip and cook for 30 additional seconds. Place in a tortilla/pancake warmer or wrap in a towel atop a plate to keep warm until serving.
- Continue until all tortillas are rolled and cooked.
Notes
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