Quickly scan this ingredient list:
Bleached wheat flour, interesterified soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, water, sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum sulfate, monocalcium phosphate, sugar, sodium acid pyrophosphate, calcium propionate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, monoglycerides, enzymes, sodium stearoyl lactylate, wheat starch, sodium metabisulfate.
When combined, these ingredients will make:
A) cement
B) barbiturates laced with bleached flour
C) flour tortillas from a big supermarket chain
If you guessed A or B you were close!
And here is the ingredient list for your soon-to-be incredible homemade flour tortillas:
Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, 3 Tablespoons lard, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1 cup warm tap water.
Four ingredients!
They taste better than storebought tortillas.
They are healthier.
They cost 8 cents each.
And luckily they cannot be used as a cement alternative.
Before we make them, let’s talk about ingredient #2 up there: lard. Be honest, are you magnetically repelled from lard and anything that even remotely resembles it?
That’s OK, it’s a tough word to swallow.
Lard.
I am biased because I use it all the time. When done right it can be one of the cleanest fats out there. It’s balanced more towards unsaturated fats, so it actually has more in common with olive oil than it does with butter. At the very least, it can be considered an equal alternative to conventional fats and oils.
Please try making homemade tortillas with good quality lard at least once in your life. Yes, you can make them with conventional oils, just know that every time you do you are causing Mexico to shed a tear. (Here's a version made using olive oil.)
Most local butchers, and some gourmet stores, will carry farmer direct lard in their freezers. This is a good option for your first batch of homemade tortillas. Here’s what it looks like in my butcher's freezer:
Of course, you can always make your own lard too. It’s super easy and will keep in the fridge for months.
That's what we are using today, but it's definitely not a requirement for these homemade tortillas. (Here’s a step by step tutorial on how to make your own lard if you want to try it eventually.)
The least attractive option for lard is the baking section of your supermarket where you’ll find shelf-safe lard that’s loaded with hydrogenated oils. This isn't a viable long term solution for your blossoming lard needs.
OK, got your lard handy?
Stir the salt into the flour. Add the lard and use your hands to mix it in.
Coat each bit of lard with flour and squish it between your fingers. You’ll feel it disintegrate into the flour mixture.
Once all the lard is mixed in, add the warm tap water.
Stir it as much as you can with a spoon and then dump the whole thing onto a flat surface.
Knead this clump into a ball and keep adding the stray bits of flour. Continue kneading until you have a cohesive ball.
Cover and let rest for 30-60 minutes. This will make the dough less elastic when rolling it out.
After resting, divide into golf ball sized chunks and roll them between your hands.
Dough balls this size will make tortillas 5-6 inches in diameter. If you have time, let these rest for another 15-30 minutes. It's OK if you don't, they will just be a little more elastic when you roll them out.
I like to roll these out super thin, to the point where you can almost see through them. Using a tapered rolling pin will help as it’s easier to push into the middle of the tortilla, but a standard rolling pin works fine too.
Keep flipping them over and rotating them so you are always rolling in opposite directions.
If they are sticking to the surface or the rolling pin, add a light dusting of flour onto the rolling pin.
Don’t worry about making them into perfect circles. It’s impossible to do, and if they have irregular shapes they will taste better.
Heat up a comal or skillet to medium-high temperature. On my stove 6 out of 9 on the big burner does the trick for these tortillas.
Add the tortilla to the comal. Cook until you see bubbles forming:
Ideally, this will happen in 45-60 seconds. If it's taking longer to bubble raise the temp of the stove. If they are bubbling instantly then lower the temp.
When you flip it over you'll see some light brown spots. Perfect!
Cook the opposite side for the same amount of time and set aside to cool.
Continue with the rest of the batch, but be sure to take a moment to do some quality control:
This batch made 14 thin, light, delicious flour tortillas.
Using an ingredient list that was 4 entries long.
These will keep in the fridge for at least a week but they come with special permission to eat as soon as possible.
If you botch a few of them don't fret, it just takes a few tries to get the heat and timing of the stove right.
Once you've got that down you'll always have the option of making a batch of these beauties.
Use liberally for your tacos, enchiladas, and late afternoon snacks. Not recommended as a cement alternative.
Enjoy!
(Update: I recently tried making these flour tortillas with bacon fat and was pleasantly surprised by them. See here for results.)
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Homemade Flour Tortillas Done Right
Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons lard
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- Add the salt to the flour and mix well. Use your fingers to crumble the lard into the flour mixture. Add 1 cup warm water and stir as much as you can with a spoon, then dump onto a flat surface and knead into a cohesive ball. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Tear into golfball sized chunks, rolling between your hands to shape them into smooth balls.
- Use a rolling pin to roll them out approximately 5-6 inches in diameter.
- Heat a comal/griddle to medium high temperature and add a tortilla.
- Cook each side for 45-60 seconds or until light brown spots form.
- As one tortilla cooks, roll out the next to expedite the process.
Notes
This article we wrote on types of tortillas has a current list of all the tortilla recipes we have on our site.
You might also like our homemade bolillos recipe.
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Tim Finer
Thank you (again) for another easy to follow and excellent recipe!
Patrick
Cheers Tim.
Cheryl
This is the recipe I've been searching for. So easy, not buying from the store anymore. Thanks ♡
Patrick
Thanks Cheryl, so glad you found this recipe! Cheers.
C.duran
Best rcipe on the internet and I've looked and tried and my mother was Brown and her mother my Nana was born in "meh-he-co" " meh-he-toe" that's how she would tell me when I'd ask her where she was born. I have few memories of my Summers and Christmas's with her in lil ol Holbrook, AZ. But one thing I do recall was her trying to teach me how to make tortillas. As I grew up I've tried like hells kitchen to remember exactly how she did it but could never remember all of it and she's with God now so I can't ask her. But this recipe filled in the blanks. I think I saw her nod in approval when they came out Perfect. Thanks.
Patrick
Hey thanks much for your note C, that is probably the best thumbs up I could ever get! Cheers.
TERESA L BRUNSON
This brought tears to my eyes. My mother wasn't brown, but my Lupe was. She would tear off bits of the dough for me to pat out flat and cook outside on the wood stove. My tortillas always ended up rather grey (I probably dropped them in the dirt a few times) when they were cooked. I can still see her working the dough and hear the rhythm of her hands shaping the tortillas. I remember the little round balls of dough sitting in her new Tupperware bowl waiting to be flattened, shrouded like sacrament by her white towel. This recipe is the closest I have found to hers. I still can't flatten them between my hands like a proper abuelita, but my grandchildren love these!
Patrick
Thanks much for your note Teresa 🙂
Louise
Great recipe which I use regularly. I make 12 from the recipe and use tortilla press to shape. Look as good as shop bought but taste a hundred times better! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Patrick
Ha awesome, thanks much for your feedback Louise! Cheers.
Barbara
Hi I love your website and all of your content! So much so, I wish there was more of it- example: more links to your favorite items that we can buy online (and maybe you get a kickback too if we buy from your link;). One specific example item: the tapered rolling pin,etc. I mean all kinds of links, I would love to buy the items you like the best! Anyway, that is so cool you went and lived in Mexico for 2 years, looks like you had a blast! Thanks for the website and all of the quality you put into it! Cheers!
Patrick
Thanks Barbara! Yeah I am starting to put some of those lists together and you can find them here:
Kitchen Gear I Use
Where To Buy Dried Chiles Online
Hope that helps a bit. Cheers.
Paelyn
This were easy to make and delicious. I've found a few local SF Bay Area sources for leaf lard, but they're always sold out, so I bought the Epic brand jarred pork fat that's now available in most major supermarkets and smaller "gourmet" markets. I live in an area with a large Hispanic community, but it's still difficult to find a good flour tortilla that isn't made with bland or tasteless oils. So thanks again for the great recipe!
Patrick
Thanks Paelyn! Good to know about that Epic brand as they are new to me. Cheers.
Raleigh Munoz
My Mo always added a tablespoon of bacon drippings to her tortillas
Patrick
Ha awesome! I tried a batch with all bacon drippings and was super happy with the results:
Bacon Fat Flour Tortillas
Cynthia Maccioli
These are what my mother made. Is there anything better than fresh Roman beans, chili from New Mexico and tortillas made from lard? I don't think so. I always have organic lard in the fridge, tried your recipe, done in 5 minutes. These put all tortilla recipes to shame. Ay chihuahua, magnifico!!
Patrick
Thanks Cynthia, good to hear this recipe stirred some memories for you! Cheers.
Mhg
Hi Patrick
Sorry for killing your awesome recipe, with this question..Can i substitute almond flour or coconut flour to your recipe? Are the ratios for the flour the same? I hear the ratio for coconut is totally different.
Patrick
Hey Mary! Yeah I've had gluten free tortillas on my to-do list for a while now but haven't tried them yet, so I don't think I can give a good answer. Sorry!
Lupe A Wyant
Best recipe I've found on line. My husband loves them...I've made them every day since I cant seem to keep them in the house.lol
Patrick
Ahh awesome Lupe, so glad they are a hit! Cheers.