Homemade tortillas are a delicious and versatile staple in many cuisines. Traditional tortilla recipes often call for butter, but did you know you can make tortillas just as easily with oil? Create soft, flavorful tortillas by substituting oil for butter. Here are my top tips for making tortillas at home.
As a child, I remember going over to a friend’s house when her mother made fresh tortillas. The smell filled the house and we would line up to get them fresh off the grill. They were delicious all by themselves. But add a little butter or cinnamon sugar and they were heaven.
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Fast forward a few years, I found fresh tortillas made in the store at Central Market on Lamar in Austin, TX. My favorite was the butter tortillas. They brought me back to my childhood in Southern California. They were ohhhh so good and much better than any other store-bought tortillas I’d had over the years. I remember buying several dozen at a time to bring back home and freeze until I needed them.
Why I Make Tortillas with Oil
When I went back to California, I found a local store that carried fresh tortillas. They didn’t make them in the store, but they were very close in flavor to both Central Market’s and my friend’s kitchen. A few doors down from the grocery store was a taco shop that had killer carne asada burritos. They were a meal in themselves (think 12 inches long and about 4 inches in diameter filled with marinated flank steak, pico de gallo, and guacamole), but I digress.
About a year ago, I learned that my daughter was lactose-sensitive. No more butter tortillas for her – what a sad day! I started looking at the ingredients in tortillas available at the grocery store hoping for something without butter.
Let’s just say I wasn’t happy with the ingredients I was finding. I dug out my old recipe for flour tortillas with butter and started to experiment with different oils and flours.
It’s also easy to do pie crusts. You can convert this and learn how to lattice pie crust.
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Why Oil in Tortillas is Better than Butter
Flour tortillas made from oil are a good dairy-free option if you have dietary sensitivities like me. They will have a lighter and airier texture as well (no cracking tortillas). Of course, from a health perspective, oil can be a healthier option due to unsaturated fats. I guess you could say that with oil, you can have your tortillas and eat them too. I tried a few different types of oils in my tortillas and had the best results with vegetable oil, olive oil, and coconut oil.
Using Coconut Oil in Homemade Flour Tortillas
If you use coconut oil, just make sure you melt it first before adding the water, otherwise it will be a clumpy mess (ask me how I know). Coconut oil also has a stronger and more unique flavor than other oils. Make sure this flavor will blend well with whatever you use for tortilla fillings.
Best Flour for Homemade Tortillas
The recipe for quick homemade tortillas is as close, if not better than, the ones I had in my childhood. Just like trying different oils for tortillas, I also experimented with flours. I wanted homemade tortillas that were soft and would fold and roll easily with a lighter texture as well.
I found all-purpose flour worked the best as it gave me the texture, flavor and flexibility I was looking for. Whole wheat flour in tortillas will have a nuttier flavor and the dough is far less pliable due to gluten levels. Of course, if you want to focus on health, whole wheat would be the better choice. Masa harina, a type of ground corn flour, is another popular flour choice for homemade tortillas. It’s commonly used in Mexican cuisine. Ultimately, the best flour for making tortillas depends on personal preferences for texture, dietary needs, and flavor. Let me know if you experiment, but for a tried and true homemade tortilla, I recommend sticking to white flour.
Tips for Making the Best Tortillas with Oil
Making this flour tortillas recipe with oil is truly a simple process. Give it a time or two and you’ll have expert results. When you’re trying to figure out how to make homemade tortillas, pay attention to your dough as this will set the foundation for the rest of your tortilla experience. If it’s too dry, add a small amount of water at a time until the dough holds together without being sticky. Conversely, if the dough is too sticky, gradually incorporate more flour until it becomes manageable.
Resting tortilla dough is important to develop that soft and pliable texture. Rest for at least 15 minutes before rolling out the tortillas.
Speaking of rolling out tortillas, start from the center and work your way outwards. Rotate the dough as needed to give them an even thickness. If your tortilla starts sticking to the counter or your rolling pin, give it a slight dusting of flour.
Make sure your griddle or skillet is preheated. This will really develop the perfect tortilla texture and also help cook the tortillas evenly. Cook long enough until you see brown spots just starting to form. Once cooked, stack them between clean kitchen towels or place in a tortilla warmer. After perfecting your tortilla-making method, you’ll be spoiled forever and never want to buy them from the store again.
What Do You Put in Tortillas?
Flour tortillas are very versatile and be used in spicy dishes as well as desserts. When it comes to more savory recipes, I like to use flour tortillas as the base for quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, or burritos. Fill them with a combination of grilled vegetables, seasoned meats, or beans for a satisfying and flavorful meal.
For sandwich fans, turn these tortillas into lunchbox wraps stuffed with your favorite fixings such as vegetables and lunch meat.
For desserts, try these homemade flour tortillas with cinnamon sugar or drizzled honey. They can even be used for fruit-filled turnovers.
Related: Here are some fun recipes to use up your tortillas:
Pollo Corrido (Fast Chicken Tacos)
Homemade Tortillas (with oil, not butter)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the oil and water until well combined. If using a mixer with dough hook, knead until dough becomes smooth. You may have to add a little extra flour. If hand kneading, turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 10-12 times until you get a smooth dough. Let the dough rest about 15 minutes.
- Separate dough out into 8 pieces. Roll out each tortilla on a floured surface until dough is about 6-7 inches wide. The tortilla will be as thick as two quarters stacked on top of each other (just under 1/4 inch).
- Heat a pan on medium. ( I like to use an iron skillet because it distributes heat more evenly). Place each tortilla in the hot pan and cook for 30-45 seconds, or until light brown. The tortilla will begin to fluff up as it cooks. Turn the tortilla and continue to cook for 30 seconds or until light brown.
- Remove from pan and keep warm. To keep the tortillas warm, you can cover them with a kitchen towel, place in a covered dish, or in a special tortilla warmer.
You’ll want to make a double batch of this recipe for flour tortillas with oil every time. One batch is never enough! Little hands always sneak into the kitchen when I start making these. They are just too hard to resist. If you try this recipe, show us your results on social media. I love seeing your creations.
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You’re right about corn tortillas. They are good, but with some things, there just isn’t a substitute. I didn’t try them with gluten free flours. Let me know how they turn out.
I hope you enjoy them. I like to bake these tortillas with a little cinnamon sugar.
These sound and look amazing! I tried home made tortillas once and they came out really crispy and not foldable at all. I’m going to try your recipe soon.
Laura, I didn’t have any trouble with these not being foldable. After cooking each tortilla, I place them into a covered dish to prevent them from drying out. Let me know how they turn out for you.
in a attempt to save money I was looking up recipes for tortillas and I found this one. 🙂 turned out good…better then expected, and saved me money. 🙂
I really enjoyed your tortilla recipe that you shared at my Shine a Spotlight Linky Party this week. I’ve never made tortillas before but now I’m inspired to try. Thanks for stopping by and sharing and be sure to stop by again on Saturday. Your recipe might be one of my featured posts!—Deb at DialMforMoms.com
I’ll be sure to stop in again and join on Saturdays. If you get the chance to make homemade tortillas, you’ll won’t be sorry. They are so much better than anything you get at the store.
I’ve been able to add half whole wheat and half white wheat without any problems.
Oh my gosh! I have been trying to figure out how to make these for a while now! I am TOTALLY trying this recipe this week! 🙂
Let me know how they work out. If you want to use butter, just substitute melted butter for the oil.
Yum! These look so soft and yummy! I have never found a good tortilla recipe that is soft like these. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you enjoy these. If your tortillas are too crispy, try turning down the heat a little. They should always be soft when you take them off the riddle. Store them in a covered container or dish towel to keep them soft and warm.
As a young teenager I made lots of homemade bread and tortillas. Pretty sure I used crisco in both. I’m trying an experiment and will be using coconut oil as the shortening ingredient in a batch of tortillas. Keeping my fingers crossed but if they don’t turn out right, I’ll try the olive oil.