Homemade Flour Tortillas are soft and tender and only require five ingredients.
These flour tortillas go perfect with any Mexican dish or served warm slathered with a bit of butter.
When my grandma passed away in 2004, my mom asked me if I wanted something that reminded me of my grandma. I remember thinking; all I want is one of the two rolling pins she used to make her legendary flour tortillas.
I called my mom a few weeks after her passing and asked if anyone had asked for them. It turned out my sister had asked for one of her rolling pins too and my uncle Carlos had the other one. However, he was more than happy to give it to me. I took that as a sign that her rolling pin was meant to be mine.
It’s that beautiful, old wooden rolling pin (similar to this rolling pin) that is displayed in my kitchen—that same rolling pin that sparked the idea to gather our family’s recipes and stories for my children.
Her rolling pin continues to inspire me to cook and write down recipes handed down from my mother and grandma, and encourages me to create some of my own recipes.
Making this video with my mom of her making homemade flour tortillas using the same rolling pin transported me to my childhood.
My cousin Brenda and I snuggled with our grandma Jesusita. I’m the one on the right eating a homemade flour tortilla.
I felt like a little girl again and couldn’t resist sneaking a fresh warm tortilla when my mom wasn’t looking just like I used to do when my grandma would make them.
My favorite way to eat a fresh warm tortilla is with a roasted chile, lightly salted, and rolled into one perfect spicy burrito.
Flour Tortilla Ingredients
To make this flour tortilla recipe, you will need five simple ingredients (amounts included in the recipe below):
- Flour: I made this recipe with standard all-purpose white flour. I have not tested it with whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour, but if you do, I’d love to hear from you.
- Lard: Lard works best in this homemade flour tortilla recipe, but you can substitute with vegetable shortening.
- Baking Powder: To give these tortillas a bit of lift.
- Table salt: No need for fancy salt. Table salt is essential to enhance the delicious flavors.
- Warm water: No special temperature required it should just be warm (not lukewarm or very hot).
Tools to Make Flour tortillas
- Rolling Pin: I like using a small rolling pin like my grandmas to make flour tortillas.
- Comal (Cast Iron Griddle): Perfect for cooking flour tortillas.
- Tortilla Warmer: Colorful handmade basket keeper for a pretty display.
How to Make Flour tortillas
Here is a brief overview of how to make flour tortillas (detailed instructions included in the recipe below):
- Place a comal (griddle or cast-iron skillet) over medium heat and allow it to heat up.
- In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add the lard or shortening and combine until you have the consistency of small crumbs.
- Add the warm water and mix well with your hand. The mixture may be a little sticky. Knead on a cutting board or smooth counter until dough is pliable and springy. Sprinkle with flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Form 2 to 2½-inch dough balls. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough balls to form 7 to 8-inch disks. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle board and rolling pin with flour to make it easier to roll out the dough.
- As you roll out each disk, place on the hot comal to cook, it will take 1 minute or less on each side. After cooking the first side, turn tortilla over and let it cook on the opposite side; when tortilla starts to form air pockets press down gently on it with a wooden tortilla press or rolled up a kitchen towel (like Grandma did) to release the air. Don’t press too much, or it will make tough tortillas.
- Keep the tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or under a clean dish towel while you make the rest.
Homemade Tortilla FAQs
Here are a few answers to some of the most-asked questions about making flour tortillas:
- Just 1 tablespoon of lard? Yes! My mom tested this recipe many times and that is all she used. If you feel you’d like to add more lard, feel free to add more.
- You don’t let them sit and rise before rolling the masa out? No. Being that there is no yeast in this dough, there is no need to let the dough rest.
- Can I use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of lard? My grandma and mother always used lard or shortening. This recipe has not been tested with oil.
How to Store Homemade Tortillas
- Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat.
- Keep tortillas warm and covered. Wrap tortillas in a dish towel to keep them warm.
- I recommend storing leftovers in a ziplock bag (with the excess air pressed out) in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.
Favorite dishes served with flour tortillas
- Mini Tortillas with Ricotta Cheese and Grilled Peaches
- Chiles Rellenos
- Homemade Refried Beans
- Machaca con Huevo (Machaca with Eggs)
- Burritos de Huevos con Chorizo (Egg and Chorizo Breakfast Burritos)
- Breakfast Migas Tacos
- Steak Fajitas
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below and leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out!
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lard or shortening
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
Instructions
- Place a comal (griddle or cast-iron skillet) over medium heat and allow it to heat up.
- In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add the lard or shortening and combine until you have the consistency of small crumbs.
- Add the warm water and mix well with your hand. The mixture may be a little sticky. Knead on a cutting board or smooth counter until dough is pliable and springy. Sprinkle with flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Form 2 to 2½-inch dough balls. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough balls to form 7 to 8-inch disks. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle board and rolling pin with flour to make it easier to roll out the dough.
- As you roll out each disk, place on the hot comal to cook, it will take 1 minute or less on each side. After cooking the first side, turn tortilla over and let it cook on the opposite side; when tortilla starts to form air pockets press down gently on it with a wooden tortilla press or rolled up a kitchen towel (like Grandma did) to release the air. Don’t press too much, or it will make tough tortillas.
- Keep the tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or under a clean dish towel while you make the rest.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photos by Jeanine Thurston / Video by Pure Cinematography
Originally published: November 2013. This recipe is also published in the Muy Bueno cookbook.
Just 1 tbsp of lard? I use a 1/3 cup to 3 cups of flour. Just wondering if that’s the correct amount of lard.
I also use 1/3 cup lard/shortening for 3 cups of flour. My tortillas come out really good, but I’m super curious about the 1 tablespoon of lard! I’ve never seen them made with such a small amount. I really want to try it, but I’m worried about messing it up and having to throw away 4 cups of flour!
Brings joy to have traditional delicious recipes. Thank you. Mary Lou
i added close to 1/3 cup lard and almost 2 1/4 cup of water to get even close to what you made on youtube. why? its this more of a abuelita resipe and thats why its off or just a secret for us to figuar out?
You don’t let them sit and rise before rolling the masa out?
No we do not. There is no yeast, so it is not needed.
Hi, can I use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of shortening?
I have seen folks use oil, but we never have. Feel free to try out.
I could taste and smell them online, these were like my Mothers and Grand Mothers! I don’t know why mine never taste as good as theirs? Thanks for the video!
There is no way the shortening to flour ratio In this recipe is correct. I followed the recipe exactly and the tortillas turned out like crackers. Did some research, and found that 1TBSP is way too little fat for 4 cups of flour.
I like to see other people’s grandmothers recipe’s! My grandma didn’t use salt in her tortillas because she said that made them tough. She never wrote any recipe down but would show you measurements using her hand. (She didn’t need to measure cause she’d been making them for most of her life.) I miss her tortillas. No one can make them like she did. Another last memory…when she set the stack on the table she would always say, “these are for the men.” Women and children would get to have some after the men took theirs! She was always watching out for the men of our family! ♥️
I will try your tortilla recipe.I use to make them,but it’s been a while. I would love to have a great carne guisada recipe if you have one. Also a Chile relleno one
Hi I received your recipes thru my email and I love them!!! Have just one request could you please add to this website how to make chorizo from scratch and how to make homemade Chile con carne please! I’ve tried to make both and it really doesn’t come out right!
I’d really appreciate it so much if you could!!!!
Thanks Mary A email: [email protected]
I keep putting my email in and my name will nut except it I love the recipes . . I wanted to see if you have a Tortilla press . You see I loved making them . I made them since I was 12 I’m 75 now . But for the life of me I can’t remember the recipe . But I will try yous if that’s alright ? Thank you Mary Lou Martinez
I have to admit, I was also skeptical about there only being 1 Tbsp of lard. I’m so happy to confirm that there’s no reason to be concerned! These tortillas turned out great! I was also happy to see that I didn’t need the let the dough rest either, as other recipes call for it. This recipe made me realize that past attempts with other recipes resulted in a tough/dry tortilla not because of how much fat was in the recipe, but if I used enough water. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!