Quick Tortilla Recipe
This quick tortilla recipe makes soft, flavorful tortillas that are perfect for tacos, wraps, or quesadillas. They’re so much better than store-bought and simple enough to whip up anytime.
If you’re looking for more pantry staples to make in your kitchen, give my easy cornbread crackers recipe or New York style bagel recipe a try next.
Let’s talk about this recipe
This quick tortilla recipe makes soft, flavorful tortillas with just a few simple ingredients. They’re ready in no time, and once you’ve tasted them fresh off the skillet, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought.
I’ve been making these for years, and they’ve become the base for everything from tacos piled high with homemade pico de gallo to chicken and cheese quesadillas, and sometimes I even eat them just as they are — no bells, no whistles, just fresh homemade tortillas all by themselves. They’re that good!
What makes this recipe so good
- Simple ingredients mean you probably already have everything you need in your pantry, so there’s no need for a special trip to the store. The same is true when making my savory homemade crackers.
- Quick preparation lets you have warm, fresh tortillas on the table in less than an hour, ready for whatever meal you’re making.
- Resting the dough makes all the difference, giving you tortillas that roll out easily and cook up soft and tender.
- Versatility at its best means you can use them for tacos, chicken salad wraps, quesadillas, or even as the base for a homemade thin-crust pizza.
- Homemade freshness gives you soft, flavorful tortillas with a texture and taste that store-bought just can’t match.
Ingredients you’ll need
The ingredients for this tortilla recipe are as basic as it gets, but they come together to make something unforgettable.
- Flour: Use a good unbleached all-purpose flour for soft, flavorful tortillas, or bread flour for a touch more chew. I often switch between the two depending on what I have, just like I do when making my rustic no knead bread.
- Olive oil: Choose a quality extra-virgin olive oil for better flavor and a tender, easy-to-handle dough; you can use another liquid oil, but think about the flavor it brings before you swap.
See recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Make it your own
- Try different flours, like whole wheat for a heartier tortilla, or spelt for a lighter, slightly nutty flavor, keeping in mind that you may need to adjust the flour-and-water ratio so the dough stays soft and easy to roll.
- Use lard instead of oil when you want that traditional Mexican flavor and a softer bite; it’s a classic choice in many northern Mexican flour tortillas.
- Change the size by rolling minis for snacking or charcuterie, or roll extra-large rounds when you need burritos that hold generous fillings.
- Add seasonings to the dough with a pinch of garlic powder, smoked paprika, or dried herbs for a subtle twist that plays well with tacos and quesadillas. This trick works really well with the dough for my handheld meat pies too.
- Make the dough ahead by mixing it earlier in the day and resting it in the fridge, then bring it to room temperature before rolling so weeknight dinners move fast.
Would you like to save this post for later?
We'll email it to you, so you can come back to it whenever you like!
How to make tortillas
Making homemade tortillas is a simple process that takes just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time. Follow these steps to see how quickly you can roll and cook your own stack of warm, fresh tortillas at home.
Step 1: Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, then make a well in the center and add the warm water and oil.
Step 2: Stir together until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 3: Knead lightly until you have a reasonably smooth dough ball.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll into balls, and cover with a towel. Let them rest for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Roll each ball out into a thin tortilla, stacking them with a light dusting of flour between each.
Step 6: Cook the tortillas one at a time on a hot skillet, then stack them on a plate and keep covered with a towel until ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Stack them as you cook and keep them covered with a clean towel. The steam will keep them tender and pliable.
Absolutely. Just tuck it in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then let it warm back up to room temperature before rolling out.
Yes, they freeze beautifully. Wrap them well in foil or a freezer bag, slipping a piece of parchment between each one so they don’t stick. When you’re ready to eat, just reheat them in a hot skillet.
No, a rolling pin works just fine. The dough is soft and easy to flatten by hand.
Cast iron is my go-to because it holds heat so well, but any sturdy pan will get the job done.
Serving ideas
These tortillas are delicious fresh off the skillet. Eat them just as they are or fill them with your favorite taco or burrito fixings, fold them around chicken and cheese to make a quesadilla, or turn them into a quick thin-crust pizza with a little sauce and cheese. They are the perfect fit for a Tex-Mex chicken fajita sheet pan dinner.
They also make fantastic tortilla chips when you’re looking for a cooked-from-scratch snack. Cut them into triangles and fry them in a little oil. They are great for scooping up some of my homemade sausage dip. And if you sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on them while they’re still hot, they make a tasty sweet treat too.
Diane Gail’s tips for success
- Rest the dough before rolling: Giving the dough time to relax before you start shaping it makes it easier to roll out and helps the tortillas stay soft.
- Roll them thin: You’ll want to roll them until they’re almost see-through. That’s the trick to getting a tortilla that cooks up tender instead of heavy.
- Cook just until spotted: Take them off the skillet as soon as those light brown spots appear. Any longer and they’ll lose their softness. Timing matters, just like it does when you’re making my easy green apple grilled cheese sandwich in a hot skillet.
- Keep tortillas covered after cooking: Stack them on a plate and cover them with a towel. Their own steam keeps them pliable and easy to fold or wrap.
- Experiment with oils: Olive oil makes a nice tortilla, but if you want that old-fashioned flavor, lard is the way to go.
Final thoughts
This quick tortilla recipe is an easy way to keep soft, homemade tortillas on hand for everyday meals. With basic pantry ingredients and a short resting time, you can roll and cook a stack whenever tacos, wraps, or quesadillas are on the menu. Once you’re used to pressing them out yourself, having fresh tortillas as part of a from-scratch kitchen becomes second nature.
Quick Tortilla Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2/3 cups warm water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl to evenly distribute everything.
- Add wet ingredients: Create a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the warm water and olive oil.
- Mix the dough: Stir from the outside in until a shaggy dough forms and the mixture begins to come together.
- Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 1–2 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Divide portions: Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, then gently roll each one into a ball without overworking it.
- Rest the dough: Roll each ball lightly in flour, cover with a clean towel, and let them rest on the counter for 30 minutes.
- Roll out tortillas: Flatten a dough ball by hand on a floured surface, dust the top with flour, and roll it out until nearly transparent.
- Stack with flour: Place each rolled tortilla on a plate with a light dusting of flour between layers to prevent sticking.
- Cook the tortillas: Heat and oil a flat skillet, cook each tortilla until light brown spots appear, flip, and cook the other side. Stack cooked tortillas on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.
Notes
- Use warm water: Slightly warm water helps hydrate the dough more effectively for a soft texture.
- Let the dough rest: Resting relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll and keeping tortillas tender.
- Avoid over-kneading: A quick knead is all you need — overworking can make the tortillas stiff.
- Watch the heat: Keep the skillet hot enough for quick browning, but not so hot that the tortillas burn.
- Freeze extras: Once cooled, tortillas freeze well—just separate with parchment and store in a sealed bag.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These homemade tortillas are soft, flexible, and so much better than store-bought. They’re perfect for tacos, wraps, quesadillas and burritos. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Be sure to leave a review and let me know how it turned out for you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments — I’m happy to help!
Can you use vegetable oil instead of evoo?
Yes, you definitely can. The flavor of the tortilla will not be nearly as rich. The evoo adds a great deal to the flavor.