Most widely available supermarket tortillas (wraps), in various flavors, are pre-cooked and can be used as is. It’s perfectly reasonable to warm them up on a griddle (very briefly), but not necessary. You can also buy uncooked flour tortillas at Costco and other stores.
Method #2: Gas Burner
This method is also good when you require one or two tortillas. Skip the skillet and get out your tongs. Turn the flame to medium-low/medium (you dont want flames leaping above the stove element unless you want a ton of char).
Using your tongs, flip the tortilla over the open flame until its as warm as you would like it. I personally love this method as the tortillas gain a lot of flavor, but it does take practice.
Famed chef Rick Bayless notes that Methods #1 and #2 are best on tortillas when theyre fresh, since older tortillas tend to get a little stiffer and more dried-out.
If you need tortillas for a large amount of people, the oven is the way to go. Preheat the oven to 350°F and assemble stacks of five or six tortillas. Wrap each stack in aluminum foil and place them on the center rack of your oven.
Heat for eight to ten minutes. You wont get a lot of color on these tortillas, but they will be lovely and warm.
This is definitely the easiest and quickest way to heat up tortillas for two or three people, but I do think using the microwave tends to heat them unevenly, leaving some parts of the tortilla crisp and other parts floppy or soggy.
To mitigate this, I recommend using Rick Bayless method: lightly dampen a kitchen dishtowel by sprinkling it with a few tablespoons of water and wringing it out. Next, line a large microwave-safe dish with the towel and lay several tortillas flat on the surface. Cover it with the rest of the towel and then a lid or another plate if possible.
Depending on your microwave, you can follow Bayless instructions and microwave the tortillas at half-power for a couple of minutes, or you can heat them for thirty-second increments, checking on the progress of the tortillas in between rounds.
Alternately, you can wrap a stack of tortillas (no more than five, depending on the strength of your microwave) and wrap them in a damp dish towel or paper towel. Microwave them in thirty-second bursts, checking to see which tortillas are warm and moving the center tortillas to the top and bottom as needed.
Method #5: Steam Those Suckers
Over at Food52, commenter Sarah Larter discusses her moms method of placing a wire rack over the pot of cooking taco fillings and laying the tortillas on the rack to steam through. This method not only conserves time, it saves you from using aluminum foil or dirtying a pan.
You can also wrap a stack of tortillas (no more than dozen) in a clean dishtowel, place in a steamer basket, and heat over boiling water for one minute. Remove from heat and let the tortillas stand for 15 minutes to become thoroughly heated.
THE ONLY FLOUR TORTILLA RECIPE YOU WILL EVER NEED!!! | Tortillas de Harina
FAQ
Do flour tortillas need to be cooked?
Should flour tortillas be heated?
Can you eat uncooked flour tortillas?
Can flour tortillas be baked?
Flour tortillas can definitely be baked in the oven, but it’s important to make sure you don’t overcook them, or use too high a temperature. Make sure they’re separated on a baking sheet, and then bake them in the oven at 350F / 176 C for 8 minutes or so.
Can eating tortilla help with weight loss?
Tortilla can be a good option for weight loss as long as it contains whole grains. As compared to white flour, it has way less fat and calories. It is also important which foods are in the inside; you must prefer lean meats, such as poultry or fish, and use many vegetables.
Can you make soft flour tortillas the day before?
This recipe for soft flour tortillas is quick and easy. Soft and tender, with just a little bit of “chew,” you can have these on the table in under an hour. The dough can also be made the day before and allowed to rest in the fridge overnight. Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
Do you need hot water to make flour tortillas?
Most flour tortilla recipes call for hot water in the base, which has multiple benefits when bringing the dough together. Not only does it allow you to dissolve the salt more easily so that it distributes evenly throughout the dough, but it will also more evenly incorporate the fat, ensuring that you end up with a tender, soft tortilla.