Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe

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Homemade flour tortillas are soft, flexible, and sturdy enough to hold everything from quesadillas to sandwich wraps. Made with a few basic ingredients, they're easy to make. Fresh tortillas have a softer texture and better flavor than most store-bought.

Stack of homemade flour tortillas with light brown skillet spots.

Why You'll Love These Homemade Flour Tortillas

Store-bought tortillas can be dry or stiff, especially once reheated. Making them at home gives you tortillas that stay soft, fold easily, and hold up to fillings without cracking. Once you get the feel for the dough, you can make these whenever you need flour tortillas.

Soft and flexible: Fold easily without cracking, even when filled.
Holds up to fillings: Sturdy enough for tacos, quesadillas, and sandwich wraps.
Freezer friendly: Make a batch and store extras for later use.

Several overlapping flour tortillas are arranged in a fan shape on a white surface, showing lightly toasted brown spots on their soft, thin surfaces.

Ingredients Overview

Flour, water, oil, and salt come together to form a simple dough that cooks into soft, flexible tortillas. Using hot water helps hydrate the flour quickly and improves the final texture, making the tortillas easier to roll and fold.

Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Bowls of flour tortilla ingredients including flour, water, oil, and salt.

How To Make Homemade Flour Tortillas

Made with just a handful of ingredients, they take only a few minutes to prepare. You can easily double or triple the recipe and store extras for later. Use the step-by-step photos below as a visual guide.

Flour and salt mixed in a bowl with a well in the center.

Step 1: Mix the salt into the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

Hot water and oil added to flour for tortilla dough.

Step 2: Add the boiling water and the oil into the middle of the bowl of flour.

Flour tortilla dough balls and one flattened dough disc on a wooden board.

Step 3: While the dough is still warm, divide into six equal portions and shape into balls.

Flour tortilla dough pressed into a thin rounds on a lightly floured surface.

Step 4: Flatten the discs on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin. Roll thinly to about 9" diameter.

Flour tortilla cooking in a hot skillet with bubbles forming.

Step 5: Cook until bubbles form and light brown spots appear, about 30-45 seconds per side.

Homemade flour tortilla cooking in a skillet with golden brown spots.

Step 6: Stack and cover with a towel or place in a covered container to keep them soft.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these flour tortillas warm with dishes like Chili's steak fajitas, birria quesadillas, chili lime shrimp tacos, or chicken burritos. They're soft enough to fold easily and sturdy enough to hold fillings without tearing.

They also work well beyond Mexican meals for wraps like Lamb Kofta Kebabs and BLT tortilla wraps, making them a flexible option to keep on hand for everyday meals.

Steak quesadilla made with a homemade flour tortilla and topped with pickled jalapenos.

Substitutions and Variations

These are some substitutions and variations you can use when making this recipe:

Flour options: Use all-purpose flour for classic tortillas, or substitute part of it with whole wheat flour for a slightly heartier texture. Gluten-free flour blends can also be used, but results will vary depending on the blend used.
Oil choices: Use vegetable oil, avocado oil, or olive oil. Each gives a slightly different texture, but all keep the tortillas soft.
Flavor variations: Add small amounts of powdered vegetables like spinach, beet, or carrot for color and mild flavor. Keep additions light so the dough stays soft and flexible.
Size options: Divide the dough into smaller portions for taco-size tortillas or larger portions for burritos and wraps.
Fat variation: Substitute the oil with melted shortening or lard for a more traditional texture and slightly richer flavor.

Tips for Success

Helpful tips to help you make the best homemade flour tortillas:

Use hot water: Mix the dough with hot or very warm water to help hydrate the flour and improve flexibility.
Rest the dough: Allow the dough balls to rest for at least 20-30 minutes before rolling to relax the gluten, which prevents the tortillas from shrinking back as you work.
Use a tortilla press: Aim for a translucent thickness when rolling or pressing with the tortilla press to ensure the tortillas cook quickly and remain soft rather than becoming thick and cracker-like.
Check the heat: Cook on a preheated, dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to get those signature brown spots within 30-45 seconds per side.
Steam after cooking: Immediately stack the finished tortillas in a clean kitchen towel or a covered container so the trapped steam softens the edges and keeps them pliable.

Storage Options

Here is how I store flour tortillas after making this recipe:

Refrigerator: Store your tortilla wraps in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freezer: You can also freeze them for up to a month.
Reheating: Warm the tortillas up in the microwave or using a skillet.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my flour tortillas stiff?

Stiff tortillas are usually caused by rolling them too thick or cooking them too long. Cooking quickly over a hot skillet helps keep them soft and flexible.

Why do my tortillas shrink when rolling?

If the dough springs back, it needs more rest time. Letting the dough rest allows the gluten to relax so it rolls out more easily.

Do I need a tortilla press for flour tortillas?

A tortilla press isn't required, but it can be helpful. It's an inexpensive tool that makes flattening the dough faster and more consistent, especially if you plan to make tortillas regularly.

Why aren't my tortillas puffing up?

Tortillas puff when the heat is high enough to create steam inside the dough. If your skillet isn't hot enough or the dough is too thick, they may not puff properly.

Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour?

Yes, but the tortillas will be slightly denser and less flexible. For softer tortillas, use part whole wheat flour and part all-purpose flour instead of all whole wheat.

How do I keep tortillas soft after cooking?

Stack cooked tortillas and cover them with a towel or place them in a covered container. Trapping steam helps keep them soft and prevents them from drying out.

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Stack of homemade flour tortilla on napkin.

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