These easy homemade flour tortillas are a versatile and delicious option for making tacos, burritos, or wraps.
We love these homemade flour tortillas with these Quinoa Tacos with beans. They are a great option for Taco Tuesday or if you want to eat a healthier vegan meal once or twice a week.
These would also be delicious with our easy grilled shrimp tacos or simply filled with black beans, avocado, and cheese for a quick lunch!
We're going to guide you through the process of making these delicious vegan flour tortillas from scratch, including tips on ingredients, as well as this easy technique for achieving the perfect texture and flavor.
Why We Love Homemade Tortillas
We like making homemade tortillas as it's the best way to ensure we know exactly what goes into our food. Surprisingly, making your own tortillas is easy with these simple ingredients.
I think you'll be surprised how easy it is to make this vegan tortilla recipe and may decide to never use store-bought tortillas again!
🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe
Flours: We use both whole wheat and all-purpose flour for these tortillas.
Baking Powder: Gives the tortillas just a little rise.
Coarse Salt: Adds to the flavor of the tortillas.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list and printable instructions.
How to Make Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas
1. Combine the all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Add in the vegetable oil to the dry ingredients. (You can also use olive oil.)
Stir until the oil is in small clumps throughout the mixture.
3. Slowly add the warm water into the mixture of flour. Stir well until it's combined. If it's very dry and all the flour is not mixing in, add more water about one tablespoon at a time.
4. Once the batter holds together, turn the dough out onto your clean counter and knead 5-7 times, just until it's smooth and soft.
5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp dishcloth to keep it moist. Allow the dough to rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature. This will help gluten to relax.
6. Cut the dough into 12 even pieces, rolling each piece into a ball with your hands.
7. Add a very small amount of flour to your work surface. Roll the ball of dough out as thin as you can using a rolling pin, aiming for about 8-inch rounds. They will shrink back a bit when they rest.
8. Repeat the steps with the rest of the dough. Keep the dough ball you are not working with covered with a damp towel so it doesn’t dry out. Continue until you have 12 tortillas.
9. Preheat a skillet or cast iron pan to just below medium heat.
10. Once the pan is hot (at least 2 minutes), cook the tortillas, one at a time, two at the most if you have a large enough pan. (Tortillas should not be touching).
11. Cook the first side for about 30-40 seconds, just until bubbles are beginning to form. If this process takes too long, the tortilla will dry out as it cooks, and won't be bendable when cool. This is why you must preheat the pan.
12. Flip the tortilla and cook on the other side for about 25 seconds until golden brown spots form in place of the bubbles.
When removing each tortilla from the pan, cover it with a kitchen towel or damp paper towels so they don't dry out. If there are any remaining bubbles, they will collapse as the tortillas cool.
These homemade vegan flour tortillas are best served right away but can be stored flat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You may want to add a slightly damp paper towel over the stack of tortillas to prevent them from drying out.
Variations
You can experiment with different flours like cornmeal or whole wheat flour to add flavor and nutrition to your tortillas. Why not try some of these variations to switch things up?
Corn Tortillas
Many people like the more traditional corn tortillas made from masa harina (corn flour) and water.
Whole Wheat Tortillas
This tortilla recipe is made with both all-purpose and whole wheat flour, but you can make them with only whole wheat flour for a different flavor.
Chickpea Tortillas
Use chickpea flour for a delicious option for gluten-free tortillas.
Spinach Tortillas
You may have seen green tortillas at your grocery store. These are usually made by adding spinach puree to the tortilla dough.
Tomato Tortillas
Just as above, we are simply adding a pureed vegetable to the flour mixture. For these, we're adding pureed tomato.
Sweet Potato Tortillas
Sweet potato tortillas are delicious and easy to make by simply adding pureed (cooked) sweet potato to the flour mixture.
Herb Tortillas
Add parsley, basil, or cilantro to the dough mixture for a delightfully different flavor!
Chipotle Tortillas
Spice things up by adding pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the flour mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are making tortilla wraps or a sandwich wrap, soft tortillas made with flour is definitely the way to go. For soft tacos, it's a matter of preference.
You can! Just proceed as you would with any variety of tortilla dough.
More than likely, you didn't use warm liquid when adding to the tortillas. Cold water changes the structure of the dough.
Top Tips for Making Homemade Tortillas
Use fresh ingredients: Start with fresh ingredients like flour, baking powder, salt, and warm water. This will ensure that your tortillas turn out soft and pliable.
Knead the dough well: Knead the dough well for at least 5-7 minutes to activate the gluten and develop a smooth texture. Don't rush this step!
Let the dough rest: After kneading the dough, don't forget to let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and make it easier to roll out.
Keep them warm: Keep the cooked tortillas warm by wrapping them in a clean kitchen towel or placing them in a tortilla warmer until ready to serve.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes: Making homemade tortillas can take some practice, so don't be discouraged if they don't turn out perfect the first time.
Keep trying and adjusting your technique for this easy recipe until you find what works best for you.
More Mexican Recipes
Easy Homemade Flour Tortilla
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup water warm
Instructions
- Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add in the vegetable oil and stir until the oil is in small clumps throughout the mixture.
- Slowly add the warm water into the mixture of flour. Stir well until it's combined. If it's very dry and all the flour is not mixing in, add more water about one tablespoon at a time.
- Once the batter holds together, turn the dough out onto your clean counter and knead 5-7 times, just until it's smooth and soft.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp dishcloth to keep it moist. Allow the dough to rest for 20-30 minutes. This will help gluten to relax.
- Cut the dough into 12 even pieces, rolling each piece into a ball with your hands.
- Add a very small amount of flour to your work surface. Roll the ball of dough out as thin as you can using a rolling pin, aiming for about 8 inch rounds. They will shrink back a bit when they rest.
- Repeat the steps with the rest of the dough. Keep the dough you are not working with covered so it doesn’t dry out. Continue until you have 12 tortillas.
- Preheat a skillet or cast iron pan to just below medium heat.
- Once the pan is hot (at least 2 minutes), cook the tortillas, one at a time, two at the most if you have a large enough pan. (Tortillas should not be touching).
- Cook the first side for about 30-40 seconds, just until bubbles are beginning to form. If this process takes too long, the tortilla will dry out as it cooks, and won't be bendable when cool. This is why you must preheat the pan.
- Flip the tortilla and cook on the other side for about 25 seconds until golden brown spots form in place of the bubbles. When removing each tortilla from the pan, cover it with a kitchen towel so they don't dry out. If there are any remaining bubbles, they will collapse as the tortillas cool.
- These tortillas are best served right away but can be stored flat in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may want to add a slightly damp paper towel over the stack of tortillas to prevent them from drying out.
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