How to Make Your Own Homemade Tortillas
Have you ever wanted to make your own fresh homemade tortillas from scratch? It’s so much easier than you think and you will absolutely love the flavor!
Homemade Tortillas
We had a discussion about these on the Facebook page a while back and in a post on the blog. Once you’ve had homemade tortillas you will never go back to the store bought ones. These are fairly simple to make and they have SO much flavor compared to the other ones! They are also really easy to make and can be made without any special equipment.
Homemade Tortillas
What you need:
- 2 c. flour
- 1 c. warm milk
- 1 t. salt
- 1 T. oil
- 1 1/2 t. baking powder
Mix all the ingredients together. I usually make a double batch because I like to keep half in the fridge and half in the freezer for another time. The recipe posted will make about 10 tortillas.
After you mix the ingredients, knead the dough until it’s very smooth. I love the texture of this dough. It’s slightly sticky but not sticky enough to need more flour. (I call it “Post-it Note sticky”!) After you knead it, let it rest for about 20 minutes. That’s the key to being able to get it rolled out.
Separate the dough into 10 pieces. Roll out each piece very very thin, you may need a little bit of flour on the counter to do this but not too much. Adding too much flour will give the tortillas a bitter taste.
Make sure the dough is thin! I like to think of it as a thin fabric that I can see my fingers through.
Put the dough down on a preheated griddle. A large frypan will work but won’t be as easy. You do not need to grease the griddle. Cook on each side for a few seconds (the amount of time will depend on what you are using to cook with and how hot it is.)
Flip the tortilla over after a few seconds. I just do this with my fingers. It will have nice brown spots on it. They only have to cook for about a minute. Don’t overcook or they will get hard.
If you do happen to overcook them, just break them apart and use as homemade tortilla chips!
These are amazing fresh off the griddle!
Need to print this Homemade Tortillas recipe? Grab it below!
Homemade Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
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Mix all the ingredients together. I usually make a double batch because I like to keep half in the fridge and half in the freezer for another time. The recipe posted will make 10 tortillas. After you mix the ingredients, knead the dough until it's very smooth. I love the texture of this dough. It's slightly sticky but not sticky enough to need more flour. After you knead it, let it rest for about 20 minutes. That's the key to getting it rolled out.
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Separate the dough into 10 pieces. Roll out each piece very very thin, you may need a little bit of flour on the counter to do this but not too much.
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Make sure the dough is thin!
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Put the dough down on a preheated griddle. A large frypan will work but won't be as easy. You do not need to grease the griddle.
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Flip the tortilla over after a few seconds. I just do this with my fingers. It will have nice brown spots on it. They only have to cook for about a minute. Don't overcook or they will get hard.
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These are amazing fresh off the griddle!
Alterations and Substitutions to Homemade Tortillas
- You can replace the regular milk with an alternative milk if you cannot have dairy.
- If you are looking for a gluten-free version, try these Gluten-Free Tortillas instead.
- If you are looking for a great corn recipe, try my soft Corn Tortillas recipe.
- You can make this recipe with a tortilla press. I own this CucinaPro Tortilla Maker and I just love it! I’ve had it for 6 years now and it’s still going strong. We use it all the time.
How to Freeze Homemade Tortillas
As I mentioned above, when I make this recipe I like to make a double batch and freeze the second batch for a future meal so we don’t have to make them again so soon. It’s very easy to do.
To freeze your homemade tortillas just make sure that you roll them out to a size that is no larger than a gallon zippered freezer bag. When they’ve finished cooking, let them cool down to prevent ice crystals from forming in the bag. Then gently stack the tortillas and place them inside the bag. Be sure and label them with a date and stick them in the freezer on a flat surface. You can move them around once you’ve frozen them, but by beginning with freezing them on a flat surface you will ensure that they will be easy to stack in the freezer.
I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as we have for the past decade!
Do you make your own homemade flour tortillas?
This recipe for Homemade Tortillas was originally posted on Little House Living in February 2011. It has been updated as of June 2019.
Thanks! I am one who asked for this post. I have a fabulous new French rolling pin that my Mom got me for Christmas just waiting to do something like this.
There is nothing better than home made flour tortillas. I would like to link to this page on my website. Good how too!
You are more than welcome too, just be sure to post a linky back to my original post:) Thanks.
I am going to link right to your post instead of putting your info on my site. I believe in giving absolute credit for the work you did.
Thanks! 😀
Thanks for posting this! I learned to make tortillas from a nice local lady in Mexico in college, but of course I’d completely forgotten how. I’m going to try this this weekend!
I used water instead of milk, and they didn’t puff up. Was making that substitution the reason why? (The taste was still very good!)
Mine aren’t too puffy but I roll them really thin. I haven’t made them with water so I’m not sure.
When you use milk instead of water with scrambled eggs, it makes it puffier so probably works the same with tortillas. If you want a nice thin omelette, you use water and not milk with the eggs.
My mother always made them with water and they were thin and flat, not puffy.
I wonder if you could do whole wheat instead of the white flour? Would you need to change any of the other ingredients? Or flavor it, like with basil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes? Hummm, my mind is spinning with all the flavor combinations.
You would have to maybe use a little bit more wheat flour than white flour. You want the dough to be what I call “post it note sticky” not super sticky but not too floury. Just add a little more flour or milk until it feels like the right consistency. 🙂
Merissa, how long will these keep? Are they pretty much a “make as much as you’ll eat in a meal” thing? Or will they freeze and thaw ok?
I make double batches and freeze them all the time. They last for a decent amount of time in the fridge but usually I only keep out what we will use within a week otherwise I freeze them. They freeze really well!
Do I use self riseing or plain flour
Regular all-purpose flour.
How long will they last in the freezer?
I don’t like to store breads int he freezer more than 3 months as they tend to get that “freezer taste” much longer after that.
I’ve been trying different tortilla recipes for months, trying to find the right one. This is it! These were perfect 🙂
This is an amazing recipe! I know I stumbled onto this site a bit late, but I was wondering how you froze the tortillas. Do you freeze them separately or do you just put them in a bag in the freezer? Thanks!! 🙂
Welcome! I freeze them all together in a gallon size freezer bag. Usually I make a large batch when I make them and then put about 8 tortillas in each freezer bag, enough for a meal or two for us. It works great!
I have come across your blog a couple times in the past but for some reason it took me this long to read the recipes. You will have me visiting often. It is hard to find breads, tortillas, crackers and other staples that my family can eat. Your recipes are so quick I don’t have to plan for two days to make sure they are done for dinner either. Thank you for helping me stay sane with our growing allergy list. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. Gonna make them this weekend. Love homemade tortillas!
Has anyone tried the mixing and kneading with a Kitchenaid mixer? Does it work as well?
I usually mix this up with my Bosch Mixer and it works the same:)
thank you for posting this…LOVE IT!
These are on my list of things to try…They will be part of my baking session on saturday.
These are on my list of things to try…They will be part of my baking session on saturday.
Once you roll out the dough…you can fry this is about one inch of vegetable oil…to get a puffy treat…use it as a base for beans, cheese and topping or sprinkle with powdered sugar…or drizzle with honey! Just another FAB use….
My dad ( i was like 17 years old ) got a recipe for tortillas once and he made them,,,,,,only he did the flip and pat and the works. i think he did it more for my brothers and my intertainment, as him and i both was cracking up,,,lol,,,,but they WERE actully pretty good.lol.
Will try these. Thanks!! ~Blessings, Amy
These look so amazing! I just got a tortilla press and can’t wait to make these! 🙂
I’d love for you to link-up this recipe to the Weekend Whatever Link-up!
http://creativechristianmama.com/weekend-whatever-link-up-511/
having been raised around Spanish people a good portion of my life, I observed that the majority of them use a rolling pin, made from a piece of heavy duty
broomstick, about l5-l6 in long, using the smaller roller enables one to make
the tortillas rounder.
Two of my grandchildren and I have to be gluten/egg/dairy/soy free. I wonder if I could use rice flour or other gluten free flour and almond or coconut milk. Anyone tried it?
I’m sure alternative milk would work and someone just posted on our Facebook page today that an all purpose gluten free flour blend worked for them with this recipe. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds promising!
“boughten” is not a word.
It actually is in South Dakota. It’s a regional word: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/boughten
It is in Canada too! Though we’d never say “store boughten”. It’s “store bought” or “boughten”, never together. Dialect enriches us.
We say boughten here in Ohio too!
We say boughten here in coastal NC too! :-).
The dough rolled out beautifully…all was a go… but it crumbled. What is the T. supposed to be. The totillas were too hard before they turned out with any brown spots. I used rice milk also. HELP!
I’ve never used rice milk so I’m not sure on that one. T= tablespoon. And when you fry the tortillas, make sure they are undercooked, or at least seem undercooked. Then they will stay soft and not get hard.
What T. (temperature) should it be if I use an electric griddle?
Thanks for your reply…I love in your site!
I put it on a pretty high temp (over 350). Just enough to brown each side.
What sort of container do you use to hold your tortillas in while in the frig? Baggy to get all the air out or a tupperware like container? We eat tortillas ALL the time, I might as well be making my own! I’m slowly transforming my baking into making all my ingredients, and relying less on store-bought items.
I just use a gallon size ziploc bag for the fridge or freezer.
I truly enjoy your blog! Thanks for all the great things you share and for all of the time you devote to it. I look forward to making this recipe. I know they will be a big hit with my family. God bless you!
Have fun making these! 🙂
Hello, thank you for this recipe. Cannot wait to try it. Can I ask if the c means cups? In Norway we use dl or liter 🙂
C = cup
I think I will try these using corn flour we are trying to eat less of items made with white flour. They sound very good.
check this recipe I highly doubt the 1 1/2 c baking powder. Please try again. :>
I’m sorry but I’m not seeing that in this recipe. Is it another one you are referring to?
A, I think you’ve misread the recipe – it’s 1 1/2 t(easpoons) baking powder, not 1 1/2 c(ups).
Tortillas are a staple in our home. We use them for breakfast, lunch, dinner–even dessert! Chocolate tortillas and Poor Man’s Crepes are two favorites.
Tortillas is so similar to indian roti !
Ive made home made tortillas but never heard of this way, still going to give it a shot ive always done my the old mexican way i guess you can say: flour, salt , baking powder, manteca, and warm water
I also thought of the traditional Mexican way using manteca, but I’m excited to try this version for a hopefully slightly healthier option….. 🙂
I have been making these using a kitchenaid mixer with dough hook but have to use much more flour than what it calls for. Has anyone else had this happen? They are great but was wondering.
I used a kitchen aid too and had to add extra flour also, on first mix it was way too wet 🙁
You should try with corn flour. I believe corn tortillas are better.
Sooo yummy…and think of all the flavour possibilities with just a pich of pesto here….a tsp of tumeric there….perfect for breakfast burritos
Could you give me an estimate of calories and carbs?? We have these a lot but have to buy low carb which makes them more expensive 🙁 Thanks a lot Linda
I’m sorry but I honestly have no idea, our diet is just from-scratch and real foods and I don’t count calories or carbs.
My diabetic son’s nutritionist gave us a link to a recipe calculator where you put in the ingredients and how many servings and it will tell you all those things. It’s been a huge help to us. Here’s the link: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
Try gram flour if you want gluten-free
I now make them every day -thank you! takes me about as long to make them as to brew a cup of coffee! I use warm water instead of milk. Works just fine. And the secret is in “resting” the dough for 30 minutes before cooking. Puff is determined by baking powder. I love the description :post it note sticky, that’s it exactly!
Hi there … I just love your site but have a question… could you explain what the amount/abbreviations mean in your recipe? I am a Dutch mom living in Danmark and I am not familiar with those. Love to try some of your recipes÷)
Greetings from Annelies
t = teaspoon, T = tablespoon, c = cup
We have been looking for this for ever.Thanks
Could you please tell me what kind of oil you used. I like olive oil, but am not sure if that would be a good one to use. Can’t wait to try this. Thank you.
I use a mild olive oil in this recipe.
I am going to try this recipe just so I won’t have to use the store boughten (that’s how we roll in southern WV) ones any more 🙂
You all are making me laugh 🙂
These homemade tortillas look simply wonderful!! So soft and chewy, I’m sure! I like Mexican food, but these would sure kick it up a few notches;)
Blessings,
Leslie
I am gluten intolerant and use Jules all-purpose flour. Do you think this will work with this flour?? Tortillas are the one thing besides bread that I miss. However, I do not miss the headaches.
I think it would work as long as the flour has xantham or guar gum in it, or you can add in some separately.
To keep warm, pace a clean towel in a paper bag …it will allow moisture to escape cause if you keep in the oven they will become hard
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I miss my Nana’s tortillas…..thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂
If you would like really thin tortillas, take a hint from Chinese Pancakes. They slightly roll out two, paint oil atop one, stack and finish rolling. After cooking, you peel apart and get two very thin ones.
Liking all these questions ! You will find tortillas are like everyones favorite biscuit or dinner roll recipe… They all can be a little bit different. I was raised eating these all my life (both parents from NM) so started making them on my own when I was about 12ish. I will add a few comments to all of yours. First corn and flour are made completely different. Corn you use a tortilla press, but flour you roll out. Corn only takes water to make the dough aka masa. Flour uses shortening, lard or oil. Warm water or hot, salt or no salt (for those of you who don’t want to use salt its okay) and baking powder. Resting the masa is vital ! I personally let mine rest about 10 minutes. My personal recipe uses 4 cups of flour which makes a dozen tortillas. Someone mentioned throwing them in hot oil. These are called sopapillas. When I was little and they puffed up we liked to tear a little end off and stuff with beans and cheese and whatever else was on out plates. Now with a family of my own we drizzle honey on them as a dessert. Also anyone ever have stuffed sopapillas at a restaurant? roll your dough out and then place your items on it. (meat, beans, cheese) and fold dough around it. Make sure nothins peakin. Fry in oil on both sides. Top with green chile, cheese and sour cream YUMMMM. As for storing I have my own special “tortilla towels” that I use to serve with. You can make ahead and place in gallon ziploc bags and freeze !
I skipped the rolling pin and went to the store and paid $20 for a tortilla press. Once I used the tortilla press this recipe made wonderful tortillas, and Also got a dozen tortillas out of the recipe. Made about 12 dozen in no time. I am the “Queen of Kitchen gadgets” as my hubby calls me, he laughed when I got the press but stopped when I made the first batch he loved them. Now I am looking for a good recipe for corn tortillas my favorite. Tortilla press is really not all that exspensive, and if you eat a lot of tortillas like I do at my house it is worth the investment if you are wanting to make them yourself.
Yes I agree, tortilla press is totally worth it if you are going to make these often!
So, as soon as I saw this recipe, I immediately went to amazon to start looking for a tortilla press. Two of my kids prefer “roll-ups” to sandwiches, so this would be great. Every tortilla press I see says they were really made for corn tortillas and not flour and that if you do flour tortillas, you should just roll them. Could you share what brand and/or where you got your press? Or is this just a “it’s really made for corn, but I use it for flour anyway” kind of gadget? Thanks!!
I actually ended up getting this Tortilla Cooker since I made tortillas so often. It takes a bit to figure out how to use but it works fine for flour tortillas and it’s nice that it cooks them too!
I just got mine yesterday in the mail from amazon. It is the IUSA brand for 8 inches. We are using it exclusively for flour. Just have to use a plastic wrap or a gallon baggie to cover the ball of dough so it doesn’t stick. The press and a griddle pan were less than $30. Made a batch last night and made 3 this am! Yum
I got the same one you got. I finally got around to making them today (snow days in Atlanta – yay!) and they were FAB! I used the half wheat/half white recipe from this site. My kids devoured them and proclaimed them better than store “boughten”! Victory is mine!
I’ll definitely try these! Thanks!
Boughten is a word in Montana. Love your posts. Thank you.
Yes it is.
Tried these tonight. Amazingly simple and ohh so good! Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe sounds so simple and I can’t wait to try it! I love knowing what goes into my family’s food… Love reading all the comments and tips/advice from the other readers as well. I only have one little problem…I don’t see a Pinterest button for this so I can pin it. 🙁 Thanks for all of the simple and frugal tips and ideas that you share! God bless.
The Pinterest button should be at the bottom of the post.
I have to use more flour every time I make this recipe but I love the results. Today I am using the sprouted wheat flour that I made from your other post to make my tortillas. Thanks for all you wonderful ideas. I love your site.
I love the word “boughten” adding it to my fun word stash. I enjoy local vocabulary words. Don’t think I would enjoy playing scrabble with Cathie 🙂
This recipe looks so easy and delicious! Going to try it soon. Thanks!
I love this recipe and have shared it with others but I have found I am dairy intolerant. Is there a substitution that will give the same consistency without the milk? I love your newsletters too. Thanks for the inspiration.
You can replace the milk with a milk substitute (almond, rice, coconut milk, etc) or you could just use water.
Hi,
I’m from SouthAfrica. This looks very nice but what do you put in as a filling or how do you assemble it
. And what is the difference with a enchilada and what is the difference in fillings?
An enchilada is more of a dish with some kind of chili sauce over the top. We use these for regular tacos, filling them with some kind of beans, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, maybe rice. We either eat them rolled up with the filling inside or lay them flat and pile the filling on top. Or my son will tear his apart and dip it in something like a chip! 🙂
My dough was so sticky I had to add quite a bit more flour (maybe 1/2 cup more). Any idea why? Even then it was too sticky to roll so I squeezed & stretched it & then gave it a final roll with even ore flour to prevent sticking to the rolling pin.
Hmm, I’m really not sure? Did you use a different kind of flour?
I made these last night. So fun to make. Total winner! I found I had to add quite a bit more flour as the dough was really sticky with just 2 cups….so I’m guessing maybe ambient humidity has an effect on the dough…? I made them smaller so I got more than 10 and could make them easily in a cast iron skillet. We ate them like pita bread with hummus and dipped them in soup. Kids and husband loved ’em!
I’m loving these recipes and all the comments! Thanks for the great ideas.
making tortillas is not an easy job, I ones tried well we can say anything to that except tortillas… after several tries, I was successfully able to make one, I was the fun experience truly! what was your story!
Thanks for the great post! I always enjoy reading yours………
I love making homemade tortillas! I’ve never made mine with milk. Can’t wait to try it. Hopefully they look as delicious as yours!!!!
Thanks again!
This is a keeper! I needed to use probably 1/3 cup more flour so the dough wasn’t completely sticking to everything, but that solved the problem. It was great! Love it and it’s easy!
How do U dry can? Like flour, sugar rice, beans etc
Dry canning is not a safe canning practice. Glass jars are not made for oven use and can shatter. I vacuum seal all my dried goods in jars instead.
Melissa, can you tell me where you purchase the sticky rice flour that is an ingredient in the the GF All Purpose Flour recipe. Thanks.
I buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dGS3ep It’s also known as Sweet Rice Flour.