Easy Recipe For Tortillas (3 Ingredients Only) (2024)

It takes just three ingredients to make this super easy recipe for tortillas or unleavened bread. Whether you are wanting to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, Passover, or it’s simply Taco Tuesday in your household, this homemade flour tortilla recipe is for you.

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This 3-ingredient recipe for tortillas is so quick, easy, and versatile. I bet you even have the three ingredients you need to make these soft flour tortillas at home right now! They are flour, salt, and olive oil (plus water, but we’re not counting that). I can make a whole batch of these, start to finish, in about 10 minutes. I have the dough ready to go into the skillet in under five (I timed myself today). Have I convinced you to give it a go?

If I need to do a little more convincing, let’s talk about their versatility for a moment. You can use this recipe for tortillas to make a quesadilla, wraps for lunch, or as a side to accompany any main meal. Make a batch for Cinco De Mayo and celebrate in style with other Mexican-inspired dishes, like Mexican chicken casserole,sweet potato and black bean tacos, and Chipotle copycat guacamole.

How about using this recipe for tortillas next Taco Tuesday? Top your flour tortilla with whatever shredded or ground meat you like, such as beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. Then add sour cream, cheese, salsa, a squeeze of lime juice, and your other favorite toppings and the whole neighborhood will want to come to celebrate Taco Tuesday at your house!

Unleavened Bread for Passover

If you don’t celebrate Passover you may or may not know that Passover is a one-day Biblical Feast and it is immediately followed by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. And did you know that these soft tortillas are considered unleavened bread? Well, they sure are.

During that week, not only do those celebrating Passover not eat anything with leavening agents in it, but they also make it a point to eat unleavened bread each day of the Feast, per instructions.

Two years ago I shared my soft unleavened bread recipe with you, which makes some tasty little soft pita chips. That’s a favorite on its own but I also use it to make cinnamon sugar breadsticks, cheesy bread, and even as a crust for our Passover Pizza!

Okay, you must be convinced to try this recipe for flour tortillas now, right? Let’s get cooking!

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Recipe Ingredients

  • All purpose flour
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Just a little oil. You can use vegetable oil or olive oil.

I don’t count the water as one of the three ingredients because most of us are blessed enough to have that flowing from the faucets right now.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

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Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl.

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Until a dough is formed.

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Lightly flour a surface and turn the dough out onto that.

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Knead dough just a few times until it is smooth-ish.

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Divide dough into eight parts and roll each part into a small ball.

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One at a time, roll each ball of dough out into a thin circle using a rolling pin, until they’re 6 or 7 inches in size.

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Spray a nonstick cast iron skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium heat.

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Cook each tortilla for about a minute on each side or until lightly browned, then remove and continue until all are done. Enjoy!

Storage

  • When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, these homemade flour tortillas will last up to two days. You can serve them cold or reheat them quickly in a skillet.
  • You can also store them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. After thawing overnight in the fridge, follow the above reheating instructions.

Recipe Notes

  • Okay, let me tell you why I have the ingredients in this order. I put them in countdown order because it is easier to remember that way. 3 tablespoons oil, 2 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt. See? Easy to remember.
  • You can easily add extra flavor to your homemade flour tortillas with some herbs and spices. I recommend dried or fresh oregano, thyme, or coriander.
  • To make thicker wraps, add a teaspoon of baking powder to the dough when you add the other ingredients.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these tortillas gluten-free?

Yes, if you use almond flour, gluten-free oat flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour instead, these will become gluten-free tortillas.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

Yes, you can make your tortilla dough ahead of time. Tightly wrap it in either plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight before following the rest of the instructions.

Here are more of my favorite Mexican-inspired dishes to enjoy:

Taco Soup (The World’s Easiest Supper)

Stuffed Zucchini Boats, Tex-Mex Style

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos

Taco Tot Casserole

Chicken Fajitas in Crock Pot

Mexican Cornbread Recipe by Mama

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3-Ingredient Recipe for Tortillas

This super easy 3-ingredient recipe for tortillas also works as an unleavened bread recipe. Enjoy this recipe from Passover to Cinco de Mayo.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: tortilla

Servings: 8

Calories: 159kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oil vegetable or olive
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together with a spoon until a dough is formed.

    3 tablespoons oil, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough just a few times until smooth. Separate the dough into 8 sections and roll each section into a ball.

  • Using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough out into a thin circle about 6-7 inches in diameter.

  • Lightly spray a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place it over medium heat. Add tortillas, one at a time, and cook for about one minute on each side, or until lightly browned. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Okay, let me tell you why I have the ingredients in this order. I put them in countdown order because it is easier to remember that way. 3 tablespoons oil, 2 cups flour, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt. See? Easy to remember.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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Easy Recipe For Tortillas (3 Ingredients Only) (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in original tortillas? ›

Enriched wheat flour, Water, Vegetable oil (canola or soybean), Sugar, Salt, Hydrogenated cottonseed oil, Corn starch, Potassium sorbate, Baking powder, Sodium propionate, Cellulose gum, Maltodextrin, Carrageenan, Fumaric acid.

What ingredients are classic tortillas made of? ›

In its most basic form, Northern Mexican tortillas are made from flour, water, fat, and salt. You'll never find spinach tortillas or whole wheat tortillas in Northern Mexico because these ingredients distract from the essential flavors of the flour and fat.

What is a substitute for flour tortillas? ›

Healthier Homemade Tortilla Alternatives That Are Quick And Easy To Make
  • Flax seed tortillas.
  • Cassava flour tortillas.
  • Non-GMO white corn tortillas.
  • Chickpea flour tortillas.

How to make tortillas on the stove? ›

Heat a 12 inch non-stick or cast-iron pan (do not add any oil) on medium-high. Lay the tortilla in the pan and cook until it puffs and little brown spots on the underside appear. Turn with tongs or your fingers and cook again till lightly brown. Each tortilla takes about 60 seconds.

What are the three types of tortillas? ›

Soft tortillas are the traditional base for Mexican fajitas or burritos—but, depending on the type of flour or cornmeal used, these thin round flatbreads can vary widely in calories, sodium, and more.

How are tortillas originally made? ›

Ancient Central Americans made tortillas with a process called nixtamalization. The corn kernels soak in a solution of lime and water. This process removes the kernels' skin, and then they are ground into a dough. The dough (masa) gets divided into golfball-sized portions.

What do Mexicans put in their tortillas? ›

Tortillas have hundreds of uses in Mexican cuisine. They can be fried to make chips, which you can dip into salsa, guacamole or queso. They can be filled with meats, cheese and veggies to make tacos or stuffed with beans and rice to make a burrito.

What is a substitute for lard in tortillas? ›

Although traditionally made with lard, these tortillas are equally delicious using butter, shortening, or vegetable oil as the fat. If you choose to use oil, add it with the water in step 3. The resting period improves the texture of the dough by giving the flour time to absorb the water.

How long do homemade tortillas last? ›

Butter: I like the flavor of butter best, but coconut oil can also be used. Storage: the tortillas can be stored in a food storage bag at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

What to use if you don't have tortillas? ›

For a low-calorie alternative to tortillas, try lettuce wraps. Comprised of 95% water, lettuce contains minimal carbs, with half of its carb content derived from dietary fibers. Lettuce wraps are a great alternative to tortillas as they pose a minimal risk of spiking blood sugar levels.

Why put baking powder in tortillas? ›

I tested a few different variations and found that just a little bit of baking powder yielded the best texture albeit a very minor difference compared to the version without baking powder. So, if you don't have baking powder then you can omit it altogether. The tortillas will be just as good!

Why do my homemade flour tortillas get hard? ›

Adding too much flour to knead or to roll out the tortillas will also create hard and dry tortillas.

Can you make tortillas in a regular pan? ›

(You can use a non-stick skillet, but it might cause the tortillas to get a little tough.) Stick with cast-iron, if you have it. Heat your pan over medium-high heat. There's no need to add any oil.

How to make tortillas without a tortilla maker? ›

Take something heavy with a flat bottom like a cast-iron skillet, pie plate or baking dish and press the dough down to make a flattened tortilla. If your tortilla doesn't look quite flat enough, use a rolling pin to flatten in further. Try to make each tortilla even in size, about 5-6 inches wide in diameter. Transfer.

What are normal tortillas made of? ›

While traditional tortillas are made from 100% corn, mass-produced versions may be made from dehydrated corn flour, or masa harina, with some wheat flour blended into it (1, 3). Nixtamalization is an important step that helps enhance the nutritional profile of corn tortillas.

What are the ingredients in store bought tortillas? ›

Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Interesterfied Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less of: Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Corn Starch, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Glutamate, Enzymes, Salt, Mono-and ...

What are the ingredients in Ole Mexican tortillas? ›

Enriched unbleached flour (Wheat flour, Niacin, Reduced iron, Thiamine mononitrate, Riboflavin and Folic acid), Water, Vegetable shortening (Contains one or more of the following: Palm oil and/or corn oil), Contains 2% or less of the following: Salt, Aluminum-free leavening (Sodium acid pyrophosphate, Sodium ...

What is the composition of a tortilla? ›

Introduction. A tortilla is a flat, round, unfermented bread produced from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour or lime (CaO)-cooked maize (corn – Zea mays L.). Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is used alone or in mixtures with maize for tortillas in parts of Central America.

References

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