Grilled Flour Tortillas (From Scratch!)
On September 27, 2021 (Updated April 15, 2022)
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Nothing quite compares to a warm and soft flour tortilla, and this recipe for Grilled Flour Tortillas will help you make perfect grilled tortillas every time from scratch.
Grilled Flour Tortillas
Homemade tortillas are such a huge step above store-bought in terms of flavor and texture. They are absolutely worth the little bit of extra work to make them from scratch. They’re soft, tasty, and the flavor and crunch you get from cooking them right on the grill grates will take any taco to new heights!
If you’re planning on making some amazing homemade BBQ for tacos, I say go big and make homemade grilled flour tortillas to complete the meal!
How to Grill Flour Tortillas
Unfortunately, making your own homemade flour tortillas takes more effort than just buying them premade from the store, but believe me, they’re totally worth it!
- Form the dough. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the ingredients and instructions on making the dough. The dough is done when it pulls away from the sides of your bowl while mixing.
- Roll into balls. Using your hands, roll the dough into smooth balls. Make 15 smaller balls if making street taco-sized tortillas, or 8 larger balls for burrito-sized tortillas.
- Rest. Allow the dough balls to rest for 15 minutes while you preheat the grill. Turn on the grill and preheat to 450 degrees F. I recommend using a charcoal grill or a gas grill for this recipe.
- Roll. Flour a clean surface and roll out the tortillas, making the dough as circular as possible.
- Grill. Spray each tortilla with oil and place them directly on the grill grates. Stay close by and cook them for 40-60 seconds per side. The tortillas will puff up but do not puncture the bubbles with your fingers while cooking. They will flatten back out once cooled.
I recommend cooking these tortillas in batches so you can keep an eye on them and ensure they all cook evenly. Keep the finished tortillas covered once they are off the grill to keep them warm until you are done and ready to dish up.
Tips for Making Homemade Flour Tortillas
Hold up for a quick second! Before you dive into making these tortillas, I have a few tips to help you get the best tasting ones ever.
- Use your hands! This dough certainly works if you’re making it in an electric mixer with a dough hook, but I think there is something a little extra special about mixing them by hand. I also think you can be a little more gentle with your hands and make a more tender tortilla.
- Buy the self-rising flour. We tested this recipe with White Lily self-rising flour and generic branded self-rising flour from the store and they both turned out delicious. That little bit of leavening in the self-rising flour helps these tortillas puff and bubble and create the perfect texture.
- Don’t be scared of fat. The flavor and texture added to the tortillas are unparalleled when you use good fat. Beef Tallow is my favorite fat to use for making homemade tortillas, but bacon grease is a close second. If neither is available, you can use vegetable oil.
Recipes for these Homemade Grilled Tortillas
Now that you’ve made some amazing tortillas, it’s time to put them to work! Here are a few ideas on recipes to try out.
- Smoked Pork Carnitas
- Grilled Flank Steak Tacos
- Smoked Chile Verde
- Smoked Al Pastor
- Carne Asada Tacos
More Baking on the Grill
I can’t talk enough about how awesome it is to do some baking on your grill.
Grilled Tortilla Recipe
We sure hope you enjoy this grilled flour tortilla recipe. After all, Hey Grill Hey is in the business of helping you make better BBQ so you can feed the people you love and become a backyard BBQ hero.
If you liked this recipe, be sure to let us know in the comments below! You can also catch us behind the scenes on social media @HeyGrillHey!
Grilled Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 2 teaspoons salt fine ground
- ⅓ cup melted beef tallow or bacon fat, duck fat, or vegetable oil
- 1 cup warm water 100-110 degrees F
Instructions
- Make the dough. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead with your hands or mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. The dough will appear loose and clumpy at first, but keep kneading until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of your bowl.
- Form dough balls. Divide out the dough and roll into smooth balls. When portioning the dough start by making a cup with your hand by rounding your thumb to touch your index finger. Press the dough against the palm of your hand with medium pressure and roll it in a circular motion. This will form smooth, round balls. This amount of dough will make 15 street taco-size tortillas or 8 burrito-size tortillas. Place the rolled balls on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Rest. Cover the dough balls with a damp cloth or paper towels and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat. While your tortillas rest, preheat your grill to 450 degrees F. These tortillas cook great on either gas or charcoal grills that can consistently hold this high temperature.
- Roll out the tortillas. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out your tortillas using a rolling pin or a tortilla press. If using a rolling pin, first use your palm to press the ball into a flattened circle, making the disc as circular as possible. Starting from the center of each circle, roll your floured rolling pin to the edge, rotating the dough after each roll. Be sure not to go over the edge of your dough with each pass or it will pull the dough to strange shapes. Keep the uncooked tortillas under the damp cloth until they are all rolled.
- Grill the tortillas. Spray or brush each tortilla lightly with oil and place directly on your grill grates. They should only cook about 40 to 60 seconds per side, so don't close the lid or walk away. You can cook your tortillas in batches to ensure even cooking. The tortillas will puff up while they cook but deflate as they cool- be careful not to puncture the bubbles with your fingers while cooking, they hold steam and can cause burns.
- Serve warm. Keep the finished tortillas covered if you are cooking them all at once to keep them soft. Serve warm with your favorite fillings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
