How to Warm Tortillas | Eight Ways
Let’s learn about how to warm tortillas, turning them into the perfect warm and flexible wraps for your tasty creations.
Believe it or not, there are many ways to heat tortillas. They can be soft and pillowy or crispy, depending on what you want to make with them.
Use your creativity and invent different flavor combinations. Tortillas are a great vessel to add all of your favorite main ingredients and toppings.
Ingredients
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are made from corn flour or masa harina. They are easy to make, but store-bought tortillas will work as well. Buy good quality, thick tortillas for the best flavor and texture.
- Flour Tortillas: Flour tortillas are made with wheat flour. They, too, are easy to make, but again, store-bought ones are fine..
Equipment
Depending on how you want them to turn out, you will need different equipment for each finished product. Use the method and equipment that you have easy access to and is convenient for you.
- Microwave: Your microwave will make soft tortillas, doubled up, in a street taco style.
- Tortilla Warmer: These are great to use in the oven or in the microwave for soft tacos. There are a couple of different types of warmers. Some are soft fabric tortilla warmer pouches, while others are hard, heat-safe plastic.
- Gas Range: Tortillas can be charred right over a gas burner.
- Small Cast Iron Skillet: A skillet can be used dry for flour or corn tortillas, or add oil to it to soften corn tortillas for enchiladas or taquitos or to fry corn tortillas to crispy.
- Metal Tongs: To warm tortillas over a burner or in a skillet will be needed.
- Oven: Use your oven to warm larger quantities of tortillas.
- Grill: Tortillas can be warmed over a high grill flame. They will end up charred, similar to the gas range method.
How to Warm Flour Tortillas
There are essentially seven ways to warm your flour tortillas. If flour tortillas get charred, they get hard and dry, so you want to keep them moist.
On the Stove Top
Warm flour tortillas in a preheated cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Preheat it over medium heat. Do not use a non-stick skillet unless you are sure that yours can be heated without a lubricant. Many non-stick pans can become damaged if they are heated dry. This is the best way to make quesadillas or burritos.
If you own a gas stove, tortillas can be warmed directly over the open flame. Turn the flame on high. Use a metal tong to place the tortilla directly over the flame. When you see a bit of smoke (usually 10-15 seconds, depending on how high your burner is), move it so it doesn’t burn. You just want it scorched.
In the Oven
You can warm a stack of flour tortillas in the oven. Wrap the stack in aluminum foil and place the foil on a baking sheet or on an oven-safe plate—heat for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
The oven is the best option to warm lots of tortillas at once.
In the Microwave
Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate.
Cover the plate with a damp paper towel and microwave it in 15-second intervals. Don’t overheat them, or they will get dried out.
In a Tortilla Warmer
Flour tortillas can be placed in a tortilla warmer and warmed in the oven or the microwave. You can warm a stack of flour tortillas in the oven. Heat for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.
Microwave tortillas in 15-second intervals until hot. Thirty seconds is generally enough. Don’t get them too hot, or they will get hard.
In Your Air Fryer
SOFT SHELLS
Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil. You can stack them up, but limit them to six tortillas at a time.
Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 3-4 minutes. Place the wrapped tortillas in the air fryer. Air fry for 3-4 minutes, until warm.
hARD sHELLS
Preheat the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. Arrange the taco shells in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 2-3 minutes, until hot.
On Your Grill
Similar to heating the tortillas directly over your burner, they can be heated over a hot grill. Preheat the grill. Watch the tortillas so that they don’t get too charred. Flip them with tongs. If you want soft tortillas, they can be wrapped in aluminum foil and placed on the opposite side of the grill where the burners are lit (referred to as indirect grilling). Grill them in the foil for about 20 minutes.
In Your Slow Cooker or Crockpot
Wrap a stack of tortillas in a slightly damp, clean kitchen towel. Place it in the slow cooker and set the temperature to warm. Heat them for about thirty minutes, but they can kept warm for a long time. This method is great for a taco bar.
How to Heat Corn Tortillas
Corn tortillas can be heated with all the above methods, including on the stovetop, in the oven, in the microwave, in a tortilla warmer, in a slow cooker, or on the grill. Additionally, corn tortillas can be heated in another way.
Add about ½-inch of oil to a small skillet. Turn the burner on medium-high. Heat it until the oil is very hot. Place the cold tortilla in the oil. When the tortilla starts to form bubbles on the top, flip it and fry until desired crispiness.
If you are making tostadas, flip the tortilla over flat. If you are making tacos, you can flip them and fold them in half with the tongs immediately after flipping. This is also the best way to soften tortillas for enchiladas and taquitos, but just soften them; don’t let them get crispy, or they won’t roll. Drain on paper towels before you use them.
Recipes Using Tortillas
Now, you’re an expert at warming tortillas for any occasion. Comment below and let us know your favorite method and what you make with them!
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Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
How to Warm Tortillas
Ingredients
- 12 Corn or Flour Tortillas
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
On the Stovetop
- Warm flour tortillas in a preheated cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Preheat it over medium heat. Do not use a non-stick skillet unless you are sure that yours can be heated without a lubricant. Many non-stick pans can become damaged if they are heated dry. This is the best way to make quesadillas or burritos.12 Corn or Flour Tortillas
On a Gas Range
- If you own a gas stove, tortillas can be warmed directly over the open flame. Turn the flame on high. Use a metal tong to place the tortilla directly over the flame. When you see a bit of smoke (usually 10-15 seconds, depending on how high your burner is), move it so it doesn’t burn. You just want it scorched.
In the Oven
- You can warm a stack of flour tortillas in the oven. Wrap the stack in aluminum foil and place the foil on a baking sheet or on an oven-safe plate—heat for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.The oven is the best option to warm lots of tortillas at once.
In the Microwave
- Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the plate with a damp paper towel and microwave it in 15-second intervals. Don’t overheat them, or they will get dried out.
In a Tortilla Warmer
- Flour tortillas can be placed in a tortilla warmer and warmed in the oven or the microwave. You can warm a stack of flour tortillas in the oven. Heat for about 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven.Microwave tortillas in 15-second intervals until hot. Thirty seconds is generally enough. Don’t get them too hot, or they will get hard.
In the Air Fryer
- Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil. You can stack them up, but limit them to six tortillas at a time. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 3-4 minutes. Place the wrapped tortillas in the air fryer. Air fry for 3-4 minutes, until warm.
- For crispy taco shells; preheat the air fryer for 3-4 minutes. Arrange the taco shells in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for 2-3 minutes, until hot.
On the Grill
- Similar to heating the tortillas directly over your burner, they can be heated over a hot grill. Preheat the grill. Watch the tortillas so that they don’t get too charred. Flip them with tongs. If you want soft tortillas, they can be wrapped in aluminum foil and placed on the opposite side of the grill where the burners are lit (referred to as indirect grilling). Grill them in the foil for about 20 minutes.
In a Slow Cooker
- Wrap a stack of tortillas in a slightly damp, clean kitchen towel. Place it in the slow cooker and set the temperature to warm. Heat them for about thirty minutes, but they can kept warm for a long time. This method is great for a taco bar.
For Corn Tortillas in Oil
- Corn tortillas can be heated with all the above methods, including on the stovetop, in the oven, in the microwave, in a tortilla warmer, in a slow cooker, or on the grill. Additionally, corn tortillas can be heated in another way.
- Add about ½-inch of oil to a small skillet. Turn the burner on medium-high. Heat it until the oil is very hot. Place the cold tortilla in the oil. When the tortilla starts to form bubbles on the top, flip it and fry until desired crispiness.
- If you are making tostadas, flip the tortilla over flat. If you are making tacos, you can flip them and fold them in half with the tongs immediately after flipping. This is also the best way to soften tortillas for enchiladas and taquitos, but just soften them; don’t let them get crispy, or they won’t roll. Drain on paper towels before you use them.2 tablespoons oil
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Originally published February 13, 2024.
