Easy Homemade Tortillas are so much better than store bought and are perfect for dinner tonight! Easier than you think with just 5 ingredients – including water! Make tonight fiesta night with these great recipes: homemade Taco Seasoning, Slow Cooker Refried Beans, and Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken!
Homemade Tortillas
If you asked any member of my family what their favorite type of cuisine was…every single person would answer “Mexican!” We like it anyway we can get it: burritos, tacos, flautas, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas…hungry yet??
I mean seriously, what’s not to love about Mexican food? Cheesy, spicy, amazing flavors and the most tender meat you can find. I love making Mexican-inspired dishes for my family and one of the best ways to make those meals extra-special is with homemade flour tortillas.
Why Make Your Own?
If you’ve never made tortillas before or maybe have never even had fresh tortillas – you are going to be in for a real treat! Here’s why you should make homemade tortillas:
- Because you want to save money! Tortillas are crazy inexpensive to make at home and fresh beats store bought every single time.
- Whenever you run out, you don’t have to make a trip to the store. Just make another batch!
- The flavor is so much better!
- You control the ingredients!
Better Than Store Bought
There is honestly nothing better than a fresh made tortilla. The flavor is unbeatable and once you’ve made them and realize how easy they are, you’ll be making our own homemade flour tortillas all the time
My husband loves these tortillas with this Crockpot Chili. Just spread on a little butter and then dip it in the chili – fantastic!
Just 5 Ingredients – Including Water
Yep. Really. Here’s what you’ll need:
- all purpose flour
- salt
- baking powder
- shortening
- water
How To Make Homemade Flour Tortillas
I found this recipe years ago in a magazine and it’s so easy! The dough comes together in a flash.
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
- Add the shortening and mix together with fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Make a well in the center and add the water. Slowly incorporate the dry and wet ingredients until dough starts to form.
- Place dough on a floured surface and knead until dough is nice and smooth. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide dough into quarters and then each quarter into thirds for a total of 12 portions. Roll out each portion into a 6-7 inch circle.
- Cook the tortillas in a skillet over medium-high heat for about two minutes on each side or until puffed and lightly browned.
- Remove to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Enjoy!
Fiesta Time!
Make your own spices to really give your meal some homemade flavor. Try this fajita seasoning or taco seasoning!
Minutes before you’re ready to eat, get a pan heated up and start cooking the tortillas. They take a couple of minutes on each side and then it’s off to a towel-covered platter where they can stay nice and warm while I finish up the remaining tortillas.
I love how easy Mexican food is to prepare and it’s a joy to make because I know my family is going to love it. These tortillas are going to be perfect for some quick quesadillas tonight after swim practice. I’ll make up some fresh guacamole and the boys – all three of them – will chow down for dinner 🙂
What To Serve With Homemade Tortillas
- Ultimate Crockpot Chili
- Mexican Rice
- Slow Cooker Refried Beans
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- The BEST Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans
How To Make Homemade Tortillas
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp shortening
- 3/4 cup water
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together with a fork.
- Add shortening and continue mixing with fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the water.
- Slowly incorporate the dry and wet ingredients until dough starts to form.
- Place dough on a floured surface and knead for several minutes until dough is nice and smooth.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide dough into quarters and then each quarter into thirds for a total of 12 portions.
- Roll out each portion into a 6-7 inch circle.
- Cook the tortillas in a skillet over medium-high heat for about two minutes on each side or until puffed and lightly browned.
- Remove to a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Originally published April 23, 2013.
T.J. says
I tried these yesterday and I was so disappointed! The dough went together fine but I let it sit, split it up as per directions, and ended up with tiny, awful little tortillas. The first one was barely the size of the palm of my hand, and if I had spread it any thinner it would have torn into pieces. I threw the rest out. I will not try this again.
Sarah says
Have you ever tried this recipe with whole wheat flour? Also, do you think the dough balls could be frozen then thawed to make fresh tortillas? Thanks for this recipe!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Definitely okay to freeze and I would try half and half with the flour first before going all wheat. Let me know how it turns out!
Lacey says
I made quesadillas tonight, but used the last of my tortillas and I still have lots of chicken left. So tomorrow I will give these a try. I hope they are as good as they look. Sometimes I am dough challenged.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I think you’ll like this recipe Lacey – it’s really pretty simple and fast too 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Emily says
Just made these for dinner tonight. Oh my goodness, they were delicious!! I texted the recipe to all my friends. This will be my new staple tortilla recipe. YUM!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Emily! It’s easy too so it’s perfect any day of the week. Thank so much for stopping by!
TrishAnna at A Homestead Heart says
Thanks so much for posting this! I’m glad I saw it on Pinterest. I’ve always loved Mexican food, but when I started buying freshly-made flour tortillas, I found out what I’d been missing. Fresh is SO much better! I really need to try these! I’ve been cooking “raw dough” tortillas for a while in a well-seasoned iron skillet (they don’t stick for me, or if they start to, I add a couple drops of oil). But now I can’t wait to try these (as soon as I get into a “real kitchen” – we’re moving and have been dealing with a hot plate in a hotel room for six weeks). Thanks again!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Good luck with the move and let me know what you think when you get a chance to try the recipe out. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Diana Mendez-Lucio says
OR you can buy Harina Preparada any brand all you add is warm water and follow all of the above steps!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
LOL! So true Diana!
G says
That isn’t sold all over the country. I haven’t seen it in years, since I moved.
Krystal says
Can’t wait to try this for my gluten free kids! They hate the corn ones and miss the flour ones! I have a GF flour mix that should work great with this!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Oh that’s awesome Krystal! Let me know how they turn out!
tara says
could something be substituted for the shortening?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
In most recipes butter can, but for these tortillas I’ve found that shortening really yields the best results. Good luck!
SueAnn says
Have you tried freezing them? I wonder if they would still be good after freezing/thawing?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I haven’t frozen them SueAnn but they should be fine. Just thaw at room temperature.
Victoria says
Similar to my recipe……you can double the recipe and freeze them for another day. I stash some in the fridge for a hot summer day when I don’t want to heat up the kitchen!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks for letting me know Victoria! I had a reader asking if they could be frozen. Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
Irene Carranza says
Cool down, then you can freeze. I used lard for years, changed to oil the last 10 years.
Nancy says
No oil for the cooking?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
As long you’re using a nonstick surface you’ll be fine. If you find they are sticking just use some cooking spray. Have fun!
Allyson @ All Our Days says
These look so yummy!
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The Big Green Bowl says
I had no idea they were this easy to make. Definitely going to try it, thank you!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Super easy! Definitely give them a try!
Laura @ The Rookie Cook says
These look delicious! I’ve been wanting to make my own tortilla for a couple of years but it always seems like so much work. You’ve taken the work out of it and made it look easy – thanks.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Laura! They really are very easy to make and delicious too!
Jocie@TheBetterHalf says
Yum, homemade tortillas have been on my to-make list for awhile but i never get around to it. I MUST move it higher on the list! 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
These are super easy to Jocie!