Flour tortillas are a staple in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. They are made from wheat flour, water, fat, and salt. Flour tortillas have a soft and pliable texture that makes them perfect for rolling, folding, or wrapping ingredients. While corn tortillas are more traditional in authentic Mexican cooking, flour tortillas have become increasingly popular over the years. This versatile flatbread has many uses beyond just tacos and burritos. Flour tortillas can be incorporated into appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, breakfast items, and even desserts! Here is an overview of the many ways to enjoy flour tortillas.
Making Tacos, Burritos, and Wraps
One of the most common uses for flour tortillas is making tacos, burritos, and wraps. The pliability of the tortillas allows them to be folded or rolled around fillings easily without cracking. Flour tortillas have a neutral flavor that complements both meat and vegetable fillings. They also tend to be more sturdy than corn tortillas, making them a practical choice for handheld foods. Fill your flour tortillas with grilled meats, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and more to create perfect tacos and burritos. For wraps, spread some hummus or avocado inside before wrapping the tortilla around veggies, deli meats, and other ingredients. The possibilities are endless when using flour tortillas for Mexican-inspired handheld meals.
Taco Fillings
- Ground beef or shredded chicken
- Refried beans or black beans
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded cheese like cheddar or queso fresco
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Caramelized onions
- Roasted bell peppers
Burrito Fillings
- Rice
- Pinto or black beans
- Sautéed veggies like peppers, onions, mushrooms
- Grilled chicken, steak, or pork
- Shredded pork carnitas
- Chili
- Scrambled eggs
- Cheese
- Salsa
- Sour cream
Wrap Fillings
- Hummus
- Baba ganoush
- Guacamole or mashed avocado
- Shaved deli meats like turkey, ham, or roast beef
- Sliced grilled chicken
- Tuna or chicken salad
- Grilled veggies
- Sautéed mushrooms and onions
- Sliced hard boiled eggs
- Shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes
Making Quesadillas
Quesadillas are a quick and easy way to put flour tortillas to use. Fill flour tortillas with cheese and other ingredients, fold them in half, and grill until the cheese melts. Quesadillas make an excellent appetizer, lunch, or even light dinner when served with sides like guacamole and salsa. Try using pepper jack, cheddar, Oaxaca, or Monterey jack cheese for delicious quesadillas. You can also add cooked meat, sautéed veggies, beans, or other ingredients into the quesadillas for more flavor and nutrition. Flour tortillas lend themselves perfectly to making quick and satisfying quesadillas.
Quesadilla Fillings
- Shredded Oaxaca, Monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese
- Cooked chicken, steak, or shrimp
- Sautéed peppers and onions
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Refried or black beans
- Chopped green chiles
- Salsa
- Caramelized onions
- Guacamole
- Jalapeños
Making Enchiladas
Another way to use up flour tortillas is by making enchiladas. Dip the tortillas in sauce, fill them with cheesy ingredients, roll up, and bake. The flour tortillas hold up well to high heat and won’t crack when rolled and baked. You can make all kinds of creative enchilada fillings like cheese, chicken, beef, pork, veggies, beans, and more. Top your enchiladas with extra sauce and cheese before serving. Both red and green enchilada sauces pair deliciously with flour tortillas. Make a big batch of enchiladas and enjoy the leftovers for days!
Enchilada Fillings
- Shredded chicken
- Ground beef or turkey
- Chopped or shredded pork
- Refried beans
- Cheese like cheddar, queso fresco, pepper jack
- Sautéed veggies like zucchini, spinach, bell peppers
- Corn
- Black beans
Making Flautas and Taquitos
For another great way to use up leftover cooked meat or veggies, make flautas or taquitos. These crispy Mexican rolls are made by tightly rolling up fillings in flour tortillas and then frying them. The flour tortillas become nice and crispy on the outside while the insides stay soft and full of flavor. Taquitos are typically smaller rolls using just 1-2 tortillas while flautas are larger using multiple overlapping tortillas rolled together. Fill them with shredded chicken, beef, pork, turkey, cheese, beans, potatoes, or peppers. Top with greens, salsa, cheese, and other garnishes for some fantastic appetizers.
Flautas and Taquitos Fillings
- Shredded chicken, beef, pork, or turkey
- Refried beans or black beans
- Shredded cheese
- Shredded potatoes
- Sautéed peppers and onions
- Chopped spinach
- Corn
- Diced green chiles
Making Tortilla Chips and Bowls
Leftover or stale flour tortillas can be transformed into crispy tortilla chips or bowls. Simply cut the tortillas into wedges or strips and fry or bake until crispy. Season with salt or spices. You can also press flour tortillas into bowls and bake until they hold their shape. Use these tortilla bowls for serving up Tex-Mex dishes, salads, and more. Turn those leftover tortillas into something deliciously crunchy!
Tortilla Chip and Bowl Seasonings
- Salt
- Lime juice
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper
Making Tortilla Pizzas
For an easy dinner, make mini pizzas on flour tortillas! Add your desired pizza toppings like sauce, cheese, and veggies on top of the tortillas and bake until the cheese is melted. The tortillas make perfectly crisp and delicious pizza crusts. Get creative with your pizza toppings using ingredients like pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, sausage, spinach, black olives, and more. Making pizza on tortillas is quick and convenient, with none of the time needed to prep and roll out pizza dough.
Tortilla Pizza Topping Ideas
| Sauces | Cheeses | Meats/Protein | Veggies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marinara | Mozzarella | Pepperoni | Mushrooms |
| Pesto | Parmesan | Sausage | Bell peppers |
| BBQ | Provolone | Chicken | Onions |
| Alfredo | Smoked gouda | Bacon | Spinach |
Making Breakfast Wraps and Sandwiches
Flour tortillas are the perfect vehicle for quick and portable breakfast wraps. Fill a tortilla with scrambled eggs, cheese, bacon, hash browns, sausage, and other favorite breakfast items. Wrap it up and enjoy on-the-go or serve as a fun twist on breakfast sandwiches. The soft and flexible flour tortillas won’t split or crack when stuffed with juicy breakfast fillings. Make breakfast more exciting by using flour tortillas!
Breakfast Wrap Fillings
- Scrambled eggs
- Cheese like cheddar or Monterey jack
- Crumbled bacon
- Sliced breakfast sausage
- Sautéed peppers and onions
- Hash browns
- Salsa
- Guacamole
Making Sweet Dessert Wraps
While most often thought of in savory dishes, flour tortillas can also be used to make sweet desserts. Fill tortillas with fruit, chocolate hazelnut spread, ice cream, and other sweet ingredients. Roll them up into tasty portable desserts. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, caramel, honey, or sprinkle with powdered sugar after assembling. Turn leftover flour tortillas into crispy shells for no-bake taco desserts as well. Think outside the box and use flour tortillas to create fun dessert recipes.
Dessert Wrap Ideas
- Bananas and chocolate hazelnut spread
- Strawberries and whipped cream
- Apples and caramel
- Ice cream rolled up
- Sliced fruit drizzled with honey
Serving as Bread
Flour tortillas can stand in for regular bread or buns in many instances. Use them for sandwich wraps, burgers, hot dogs, subs, and more. The neutral flavor of flour tortillas allows the other sandwich fillings to shine. When lightly toasted or grilled, flour tortillas provide a deliciously soft substitute for traditional bread. They tend to be more pliable than bread, making them ideal for wrapping around fillings. Take your sandwiches to the next level by serving them on flour tortillas!
Tortilla Sandwich Filling Ideas
- Turkey, ham, roast beef
- Tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad
- Sliced cheese
- Sliced veggies like lettuce, tomato, onion
- Spreads like mustard, mayo, hummus
- Bacon, sausage, burger patties
- Grilled chicken, steak, or tofu
Thickening Soups and Stews
Adding small pieces of flour tortilla to soups and stews helps thicken them up. The flour tortilla pieces absorb excess broth as they soften and expand. This creates a thicker consistency without the need for cornstarch, roux, or other thickeners. Keep stale tortilla pieces on hand for tossing into any soup or stew that turns out more watery than you’d like. Using tortillas as a natural thickener adds body as well as a boost of carbohydrates and calories.
Making Croutons
Stale or leftover flour tortilla wedges can be transformed into crispy homemade croutons. Simply cut the tortillas into cubes, toss with oil and desired seasonings, and bake until toasted and crunchy. Croutons made from flour tortillas have a wonderfully light and airy texture compared to dense bread croutons. Use them to top salads, soups, pasta dishes, and more. A pinch of cumin, chili powder, or Mexican oregano seasoning gives the croutons a tasty taco twist.
Tortilla Crouton Seasoning Ideas
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Dried oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan
Making Tortilla Chips and Salsa Bowls
For a fun way to serve snacks, turn flour tortillas into edible bowls for dips! Press the tortillas into muffin tins to form bowls. Bake until they hold their shape. Fill the tortilla bowls with salsa, guacamole, queso, and other dips for a handheld appetizer. You can also cut leftover tortillas into wedges, fry or bake until crispy, and use the chips for scooping up dips and salsas. The flour tortilla bowls and chips make any dip much more fun to eat!
Conclusion
While flour tortillas are staples in Mexican cuisine, their versatility extends far beyond tacos and burritos. Flour tortillas can be incorporated into breakfast dishes, snacks, sandwiches, appetizers, desserts, and more. Their soft and pliable texture allows them to be folded, filled, rolled, layered, and shaped for all kinds of delicious recipes. Keep flour tortillas stocked in your pantry to whip up quick meals, sides, snacks, and fun food vessels. With endless possibilities for use in sweet and savory dishes, flour tortillas are the ideal blank canvas for unleashing creativity in your cooking!