Homemade Flour Tortillas! They’re super easy and require just a few pantry staples. Give them a shot next time you rock some tacos at home.

It’s Saturday, and it’s officially Spring! If that’s not good news, then I don’t know what is. Earlier this week, I took my laptop and morning coffee out to the covered patio with Tilly. We enjoyed some much needed fresh air and serenity. This new backyard of ours is such an escape and I am so so grateful for it.

My favorite thing about this neighborhood is the calmness of it. In the morning and throughout the day, we’re greeted by various bird chirps. In the evening, we’re treated to the conversations of crickets and toads, and the intoxicating smell of campfires lingering in the air. I couldn’t ask for more.

Spring goals.

With this extra bounce in my step, I’m really looking forward to tearing up our backyard to get a vegetable garden going. I’m also looking forward to hitting the town market and playing with some of the beautiful local produce folks have to offer. I’m so ready for the shift to bright and fresh flavors, which is exactly why I decided to rock some blackened shrimp tacos with a refreshing pineapple salsa earlier this week.

But first! I’ve been eager to learn how to make flour tortillas. And after several successful attempts, I wanted to bring these fluffy and chewy gems to you.

Like most things from-scratch, they’re so much better than store-bought.

I totally get that zipping by the grocery store is easier some nights. But if you’re ever in the mood to try your hand at homemade flour tortillas, I hope you’ll give these bad boys a whirl. They’re incredibly easy and call for simple pantry ingredients. If you have a tortilla press, awesome. If you don’t, there are ways around this that I’ll pop into my recipe notes.

I hope you’ll consider these for your next Taco Tuesday feast! Or any taco feast :)

Stack of homemade flour tortillas.

Dough ingredients being mixed.

Hands rolling out the dough.

Ball of tortilla dough.

Homemade flour tortillas spread out over cloth.

Hands topping tortillas with colorful salsa.

Looking for some scrumptious taco recipes to fill these beauties? Try my quick weeknight-friendly Instant Pot Ground Turkey Tacos or my Shrimp Tacos With Mango Habanero Salsa!

Here are some other great Taco Tuesday gems…

If you try this recipe or create your own variation, let me know in the comments! I love connecting with you.

Also, snap a photo and tag me on the Insta @killing__thyme and be featured in our newsletter.

Stack of homemade flour tortillas.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade Flour Tortillas! They're super easy and require just a few pantry staples. Give them a shot next time you rock some tacos at home.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 tortillas
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

For street tacos (about 4 x 4")

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 TBSP cold butter you can also use 1.5 tsp lard instead, but I wanted to avoid it
  • 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP hot tap water

For regular tacos (about 8 x 8")

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 TBSP cold butter you can also use 1.5 tsp lard instead, but I wanted to avoid it
  • 3/4 cup hot tap water

Materials

  • Tortilla press or heavy baking dish
  • a plastic freezer bag, cut down each side (so it can flap open and shut) See notes*
  • cast iron skillet

Instructions

To make the tacos (same instructions for both sizes).

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With clean hands, mix in the cold butter, crumbling it well with your fingers, until the flour somewhat resembles cornmeal. Add the hot water and mix the contents in the bowl until a dough comes together.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for a few minutes, or until it's smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll each piece into a ball.
  • Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. (I find that a well-seasoned cast iron skillet works best.) If you're using a tortilla press, place the cut open freezer bag onto the press, opened, so that half of it is covering the bottom of the press and the other half, the top. Place one of the dough balls onto the bottom surface of the press and bring the press down, pressing it tightly. Lift the press, and carefully remove the now flattened tortilla round from the plastic. Place it in the hot skillet and warm it through for about 1 minute each side, or until each side is golden brown. (Time may vary with different pans and stovetops, so always judge by the golden color.) When done, remove the tortilla and place it in a tinfoil pack or wrap it with a clean dish towel to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
  • If you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a heavy baking dish. Simply place the dough ball on a floured surface, cover with a freezer bag, and press the baking dish down onto the flour ball. This takes a lot more force than a tortilla press, but it can work in the same manner. 
  • Use the warm tortillas within a few hours for best results, or refrigerate up to three (3) days.

Notes

Using the plastic freezer bag seems to work best when it comes to preventing the dough from sticking to the press surface. I'm trying to minimize my use of plastic, so I have a freezer bag that I reuse for making tortillas. Plastic wrap doesn't work as well since it bunches up too easily. If you want to avoid plastic all together, you could try flouring your press surfaces, just be sure to not over flour.