How to Make Flour Tortillas with Oil

This easy how to make flour tortillas with oil recipe no lard required neds only 4 ingredients. This no yeast bread alternative is great when you’re in a pinch to serve with dinner. Use olive oil or with melted butter to make our air fryer tortillas or cook in a pan on the stovetop.

How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas

They are WAY easier than you might think to make y’all. No they don’t taste like the packaged type, they are amazingly better! You’ll probably never going to buy them in the store after this. Beyond the great taste is how simple homemade Mexican flour tortillas are to make. We will share how to make them in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop here.

OH Yes my friends! We know how versatile they can be. Cut into strips and fry or make air fryer tortilla chips, fill with beans and cheese for burritos or use to scoop up shredded chicken. You’ll love it for it all.

There have been many times where I’m preparing dinner, want some type of bread or homemade naan on the side, but realized we had nothing. After making these a few times in a pinch, they were liked so much by my husband and girls that they became a go to for taco Tuesdays and beyond.

How to Make Flour Tortillas with Butter

We have you covered, and you need NO yeast to make them too (which I love). There’s really no need since the best tortillas are flat and don’t need to rise like bread does. If you’re baking with kids this is a great recipe too! That is what we have been doing lately and you cannot worry when they don’t look perfect. You can use melted butter or oil for a binder!

Is it better to use butter or oil for tortillas?

Butter adds a rich, slightly creamy flavor. These tend to be softer and have a more tender crumb. Oil has a more neutral taste, which can be preferable if you want the flavor of the tortilla itself to be more subtle. Using this will make them more pliable and less likely to crack.

The Best Fat for Flour Tortillas 

1. Lard is the traditional fat used in many authentic flour tortilla recipes because it adds a rich, slightly porky flavor. This makes them very soft and pliable with a good chew. Needs to be cut into the flour, similar to making pastry dough.
2. Shortening has a neutral flavor, making it a good choice if you don’t want any specific fat flavor. Will result in tender, flaky tortillas. Similar to lard, which needs to be cut into the dry ingredients.
3. Butter will adds a rich, buttery flavor. Makes them soft and tender but needs to be melted and mixed into the dough, or cut into the flour if cold.
4. Oil
   • Vegetable oil will provides a neutral flavor, which can be good if you want the taste to be subtle. Makes pliable, chewy texture but can be slightly less tender than those made with solid fats. Easy to mix into the dough.
   • Olive oil will add a slightly fruity, distinct flavor, which can be pleasant in this flat bread. Produces a soft, slightly chewy texture. Easy to incorporate into the dough.

First you need to make sure you know how to measure flour properly. If not your dough will be too dense, and you want that fluffy light texture. Another tip is to allow your dough to rest after mixing all the ingredients, and kneading it a few times on your lightly floured cutting board.

Homemade Tortilla Ingredients

1. All purpose flour for the dry ingredients
2. Olive oil is best
3. Salt for savory flavor
4. Water for liquid
5. I used a cast iron skillet

That is it!!! As usual, mix together your dry ingredients, and then incorporate the wet until everything is well combined.  Roll them out nice and thin, or just use your hands to flatten the tortilla dough out and cook!

I mean who wants to have that inside what you’re eating anyway? NO need for that y’all and they can still be great for tacos, burritos or quesadillas.

How to Make Flour Tortillas with no Lard

1. Once you’ve mixed your dry ingredients and added your olive oil and warm water, dump your dough ball on a lightly floured surface and knead.
2. This doesn’t require a lot of kneading, 15 times is adequate.
3. Flatten slightly so thickness all the way around is the same and dough is smooth.
4. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 4-6 equally sized pieces.
6. Use hands to flatten into circles for thick tortillas, or us a lightly floured rolling pin (or put dough in between 2 pieces of parchment paper) and roll thin.
   1. I like to sprinkle a bit of garlic powder, salt, on both sides before cooking.
7. Heat a hot skillet or set stovetop to medium heat and heat a large cast iron pan with a bit of olive oil rubbed into pan.
8. Lay flattened dough in pan and flip when it is lightly browned on each side.

Then place to the side and add another. If you cook one at a time the whole process may take 30 minutes total but well worth it!!

How do you make a flour tortilla puff?

This will only happen if you roll it out thin. Using your hands to flatten as much as possible will not yield a thin puffed up tortilla, as you see here. Personally we like both versions. I suggest you try both and compare.

• If you’ve rolled them out nice and thin, once you place it into your pan it will puff up rather quickly.
  • if it doesn’t, increase the heat
• 5-10 seconds is all you typically need on each side.
• Flip when light brown spots arise, then remove on to a plate, and add the next one.

If you look on the left top corner you can see what it looks like when it is not cooked thru yet. If you use your hands your dough will likely not be the same thickness all the way across. Therefore, your cooked tortilla edges may become more cooked than the middle areas. Personally my kids love them nice and thick like this, it’s really a preference.

Thick Flour Tortilla Recipe

If you’ve never used a cast iron pan before, I love it! They’re different than a traditional pan because you just use a damp paper towel to wipe it out after you’re done cooking. You actually WANT to keep it “seasoned” and soaking or scrubbing to clean is a no no. 

Yes you can use a “regular” pan to cook the best homemade flour tortillas here, this is just my preference. To change it up a bit today though, we made air fryer tortillas and air fryer naan too!!

1. Follow directions above.
2. Let us know which one you like best!

What can I make with homemade tortillas?

Well the list goes on and on and honestly we have eaten them with just butter on top time and time again. For more tortilla recipes you could:

1. Use as a pizza base, top with ingredients, melt in microwave, roll it up and enjoy
2. We love air fryer quesadillas for sure!
3. Make a sandwich wrap with sliced turkey and cheese!
4. Homemade enchiladas with shredded beef or just cheese are great.
5. Roll up into cream cheese pinwheels.
6. Spread on some butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and roll up for a sweet treat.
7. Make our chicken tortilla bake casserole.
8. Instant Pot Tacos are always a winner of course.