The Best Homemade Flour Tortillas
After testing countless recipes, I finally created my own homemade flour tortilla recipe that actually works! These tortillas are soft, fluffy, puff beautifully, and are perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more.
I can’t even tell you how many homemade tortilla recipes I’ve tested over the years.
Some were too dry. Some were too thick. Some tasted okay but never puffed up the way a good flour tortilla should. And honestly, I was starting to think making restaurant style tortillas at home just wasn’t going to happen.
Then I played around with my own recipe and it happened…
These tortillas puff beautifully while cooking, they’re soft enough to fold without cracking, and they taste absolutely amazing. They’re perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, breakfast tacos, or simply spread with butter while they’re still warm.
If you’ve been searching for a homemade flour tortilla recipe that actually works, this is the one worth saving.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 cup lard
- About 1 cup hot water (you may need slightly more or slightly less)
How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt until everything is evenly combined.
Step 2: Work the lard into the flour
- Add the lard to the flour mixture.
- Using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter), work the lard into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with small pea-sized pieces of lard throughout. The flour should feel slightly sandy, and when you squeeze a handful together, it should hold its shape for a moment before crumbling apart.
- This step helps create soft, tender tortillas.
Step 3: Add the hot water
- Pour in about 3/4 cup of the hot water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough begins coming together.
- Continue adding a little more hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky enough to cling to your hands.
- Depending on the humidity and your flour, you may use a little less or a little more than 1 cup of water.
Step 4: Knead the dough
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle in just a little flour. If it feels dry, dampen your hands with warm water while kneading.
Step 5: Let the dough rest
- Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
Don’t skip this step! Resting allows the gluten to relax, making the dough much easier to roll into thin tortillas.
Step 6: Roll out the tortillas
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll each dough ball into a circle about 7 to 8 inches across, turning the dough often to keep it from sticking.
- Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly round. Homemade tortillas are supposed to have a little character.
Step 7: Cook the tortillas
- Heat a dry cast iron skillet or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Place one tortilla into the skillet.
- Cook for about 30 to 45 seconds until bubbles begin forming.
- Flip and cook another 30 to 45 seconds.
- Flip one final time if needed. This is usually when the tortilla will puff into a beautiful balloon.
- Transfer the cooked tortilla to a towel-lined bowl and cover immediately to keep it warm and soft.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
Be sure to save this for later on Pinterest!
More Tex Mex Recipes to Try
- Southwest Beef Enchiladas
- Tex-Mex Fish Tacos – A Simple Weeknight Dinner Idea
- Southwest Pepperoni Breakfast Tacos
- Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Homemade Flour Tortillas
After testing countless recipes, I finally created my own homemade flour tortilla recipe that actually works! These tortillas are soft, fluffy, puff beautifully, and are perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 cup lard
- About 1 cup hot water you may need slightly more or slightly less
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt until everything is evenly combined.
Step 2: Work the lard into the flour
- Add the lard to the flour mixture.
- Using your fingertips (or a pastry cutter), work the lard into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with small pea-sized pieces of lard throughout. The flour should feel slightly sandy, and when you squeeze a handful together, it should hold its shape for a moment before crumbling apart.
- This step helps create soft, tender tortillas.
Step 3: Add the hot water
- Pour in about 3/4 cup of the hot water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough begins coming together.
- Continue adding a little more hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should be slightly tacky but not sticky enough to cling to your hands.
- Depending on the humidity and your flour, you may use a little less or a little more than 1 cup of water.
Step 4: Knead the dough
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- If the dough feels sticky, sprinkle in just a little flour. If it feels dry, dampen your hands with warm water while kneading.
Step 5: Let the dough rest
- Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Don’t skip this step! Resting allows the gluten to relax, making the dough much easier to roll into thin tortillas.
Step 6: Roll out the tortillas
- Lightly flour your work surface.
- Roll each dough ball into a circle about 7 to 8 inches across, turning the dough often to keep it from sticking.
- Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly round. Homemade tortillas are supposed to have a little character.
Step 7: Cook the tortillas
- Heat a dry cast iron skillet or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
- Place one tortilla into the skillet.
- Cook for about 30 to 45 seconds until bubbles begin forming.
- Flip and cook another 30 to 45 seconds.
- Flip one final time if needed. This is usually when the tortilla will puff into a beautiful balloon.
- Transfer the cooked tortilla to a towel-lined bowl and cover immediately to keep it warm and soft.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
