I’m from California, and I grew up on Mexican food. The best part of the Mexican food for me has always been the flour tortillas on the burritos. Prior to moving to Georgia, the last place we lived in Southern California had Cardenas Markets, where you could go buy large, burrito-sized flour tortillas to make fresh burritos at home. Our last move, we were in Georgia, and there weren’t many options there, so I had to come up with my own!
I have tried out multiple recipes, multiple tortilla presses, multiple pans to actually cook the tortillas on, and am sharing the best of the best with you!
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Table of Contents
Rolling Pin vs. Tortilla Press
The recipe below will work regardless of the size of tortillas that you are hoping to make. If you are looking to make smaller, taco-sized tortillas, a tortilla press could be an option for you, but it is not necessary. Tortilla presses are a better option for tortillas that are made using oils and are harder to roll out, those tortillas that are meant to be smaller, and for those looking to make all of the tortillas a perfect size and shape.
For those looking to make larger, burrito-sized tortillas, I would invest in a good rolling pin and get to work! (It is very hard to find a tortilla press that isn’t industrial that can do large tortillas, and the only one I found, I am still on the waiting list over a year later!) It will take a little practice to master the shape and desired thickness of the tortilla, but once you figure it out, it will be like clockwork after that.
What Pan to Use to Cook Flour Tortillas
If you’re looking to make 12-13” burrito-sized tortillas, a 12” pan isn’t going to work! You have to go bigger! I initially went WAY bigger and bought a camping griddle (to go over a campfire!), and had some success with that in the kitchen. However, after having uneven cooking throughout the tortillas (since you had to light three burners at a time), I continued searching and found a 13” circular griddle. It is just the right size because you can still use the pan over one burner, and make large enough tortillas for a burrito. They both work, but for making tortillas every few days, I definitely gravitated towards the smaller pan that can be used on one burner.
Equipment Needed to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas
There are very few ingredients and tools that are needed to make homemade flour tortillas. I recommend the following:
Make this as easy as possible so that you actually make the tortillas because once you do, there is no turning back! You’re going to be hooked, and if you’re anything like me, you’re going to be making them a few times a week for the family to enjoy!
Best Flour Tortilla Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups Flour All Purpose or Bread Flour
- 1 tbsp Sea salt
- 1 cup Crisco (Vegetable Shortening)
- 2 cups Water (Room Temperature)
Instructions
- Combine the flour and sea salt in a stand mixer or large bowl.
- Whisk in the vegetable shortening. Mix until there are no noticeable chunks in the mix. (If you’re using a stand mixer, use the whisk for this portion.)
- Add in the water (all at once), and mix until a smooth dough is formed. (If you’re using a stand mixer, use the bread dough hook for this portion.)
- Take sections of the dough and roll it into balls. Each of these balls will be your tortillas. I try to form them the size of my fist as I like to make larger tortillas, but I encourage you to try out different sizes when you’re first getting started to see the size you actually prefer when it comes time to forming your burrito. I normally have 12 balls by the time I’m done forming the balls. (If you’re going for a bigger size, you’ll have less, or more if you’re going for a smaller, taco size.)
- At this point, you can either put the tortillas balls in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours to harden, which makes them easier to roll out when you go to form the tortillas. If not, leave the tortilla balls at room temperature and cover them with a damp towel for 20 minutes.
- Start heating the pan you are going to use to cook the tortillas on medium heat, so that the pan will be heated up evenly throughout by the time you start cooking the tortillas.
- Now, it’s go time! Flour your work surface (e.g., the counter) and sprinkle some flour on the balls, and get to rolling! I use a rolling pin on my floured counter, and it works great! (If the counter isn’t floured, it will be difficult to remove the tortilla from the counter, and can result in holes as you move the tortilla from the counter to the pan.) The goal isn’t perfection, it’s more of just forming a sort of even-shaped tortilla that will work with a burrito.
- Place the rolled out tortilla on your pre-heated pan and watch for the bubbles to start after about 40 seconds (the timing speeds up as you proceed with each tortilla). I recommend medium to medium-low temperature settings, and then just make sure you’re paying attention once the bubbles start forming. At that point, you’ll want to flip the tortillas. Make sure to pay attention because they cook even faster on the second side.
- Repeat the rolling and cooking for the rest of the tortilla balls.
- Once you’re done cooking them, I encourage you to try a bite without anything on them and enjoy that fresh, warm bite! The next step is to fill them up and enjoy burritos, tacos, or wraps with your new, favorite homemade tortillas!
Notes
Tortilla Storage Tips
Let the cooked tortillas sit to cool. (I normally place them on a plate together after cooking and let them cool.) Once they are no longer warm, place them in an airtight container. These are so delicious that they won’t last long, so I wouldn’t worry about them on the counter. However, if you pass a few days without eating them, put them in the refrigerator in that container or in the freezer in a Ziploc bag.
Heating Up Tortillas
To heat up tortillas, you can either:
- Place the tortilla on a plate (you can even fold it!) and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Place the tortilla on a griddle to reheat.
In either case, I would recommend heating up any food you want to put inside of it separately and then, combine it all together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which type of flour should I use to make flour tortillas?
I have used both All Purpose Flour, as well as Bread Flour and did not see any difference in the results. I have also tried this using multiple brands, all with similar results, but I prefer to use the King Arthur brand flours.
Can you make these flour tortillas using gluten-free flour?
No. I unfortunately have not had any luck testing this recipe with gluten-free flour options.
Are tortilla presses worth it when making flour tortillas?
Tortilla presses can be helpful and time saving when making smaller flour tortillas, but I have yet to find one for a home cook that makes sense for large flour tortillas.
What pan should I use to cook large, burrito sized tortillas?
The pan you use depends on the actual size of the tortilla you would like to achieve. For example, if you would like to make a flour tortilla that is as large as a tortilla used to stuff a burrito at a restaurant, I would recommend this cast iron griddle. However, if you are looking for tortillas to be in the 13″ range (which are actually a bit more manageable), I would recommend this Hexclad circular griddle.
Neither option is specifically advertised to be used for tortillas, but based on my extensive research, and own personal experience time and time again, I can say that these are currently the two best options out there!
At what temperature should I cook my flour tortillas?
The pan that you cook flour tortillas on should be heated to medium heat or lower. If you go higher than that, once the pan heats up, you are going to get brown spots quickly where the bubbling starts, and it’s just not worth it!
How do I know when to flip my flour tortillas when cooking them?
Once the tortillas start to bubble up, you need to pay attention and check about 20 seconds after the first bubble starts.
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