This article was co-authored by Randall Chambers. Randall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Tortillas are soft, thin flatbreads that are usually made from wheat or corn flour. The tortilla, which was traditionally only made with corn, has origins dating back thousands of years to the civilizations of the Mayans and Aztecs. Today, tortillas are a staple food in many Latin American countries, and are used to make foods such as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and much more. Dry, cold, and stale tortillas are hard and prone to cracking, which makes them difficult to wrap and fold the way they’re meant to. Warming tortillas before using them in your favorite recipes will make them soft and pliable again, and the reheating can be done in the oven, in a microwave, on a stove top, or in a steamer.
Steps
Warming Tortillas in the Oven
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1Add moisture to your tortillas. Lay your tortillas out individually and sprinkle, spray, or brush both sides with enough water to coat. When tortillas dry out and get stale they lack moisture, and replacing it when you reheat them will make them soft again.[1]
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2Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Or, if you prefer a slightly longer cooking time, heat your oven to 350 F (177 C).Advertisement
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3Stack your tortillas. Stack between five and eight tortillas on top of one another and wrap the stack in foil. Make multiple stacks if you require more tortillas.[2]
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4Heat the tortillas. Bake the wrapped stacks in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. For an oven that was heated to 350 F, heat the tortillas for 15 to 20 minutes.
Reheating Tortillas in a Skillet
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1Moisten your tortillas. Or, if you want crispy and slightly fried tortillas, brush or drizzle both sides of each tortilla with a little oil or butter.[3]
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2Heat your skillet.[4] On medium heat, preheat a dry steel skillet, cast iron pan, griddle, or non-stick frying pan.
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3Warm your tortillas one at a time. Place one tortilla in the skillet and heat it for about 30 seconds. Flip the tortilla with tongs or a spatula and heat on the other side for another 30 seconds. Repeat with each tortilla until you have warmed as many as you need.[5]
Warming Tortillas on the Cooktop
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1Wet your tortillas with a little water. This will help make them soft and moist, and prevent them from burning.
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2Heat your cooktop on high heat. Tortillas can also be warmed over the gas on a gas range or directly on the element of an electric stove. Allow the element on an electric stove to heat up for one to two minutes.
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3Heat your tortillas one at a time. Place one tortilla directly on the gas range or electric element. Heat it for five to 10 seconds,[6] and then flip it over with tongs. Heat for another five to 10 seconds. Continue heating and flipping the tortilla in this way until it begins to puff a little or starts getting some char marks.[7]
Microwaving Tortillas
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1Stack your tortillas. For the microwave method, don’t stack more than five at a time.[8]
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2Wrap the tortillas in a slightly damp towel. Use either a clean tea tower or a few sheets of paper towel. Place the stack on a microwave-safe plate.
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3Heat the tortillas. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time. Check them after each 30-second period. If they need longer, flip them and microwave for another 30 seconds. Repeat until they are warmed through.
Steaming Tortillas
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1Prepare your steamer. Fill the bottom pot of a stovetop steamer with about one-half inch of water. For an electric steamer, pour in enough water to reach the minimum fill line.
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2Stack your tortillas. This method is good for heating many tortillas at once. Stack as many as 12 at a time and wrap the stack in a clean, heavy towel.
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3Place your tortillas in the steamer. Heat on high for one to two minutes. When steam starts escaping from the bottom pot, remove it from the heat.[9] For an electric steamer, turn it off when steam starts coming out from under the lid.
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4Let the tortillas rest for 15 minutes.
Keeping Tortillas Warm
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1Wrap them in foil and a towel. If you don't have a tortilla warmer, wrapping your tortillas in foil and towels will keep them warm for about 15 minutes.[10] For tortillas that weren't heated in a stack, stack them up to eight high. For stacks that aren't covered in foil, wrap each stack of tortillas in foil.[11] Wrap each pack in a towel.
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2Place them in a tortilla warmer. Tortilla warmers are round containers with removable lids, and they keep tortillas warm longer than the foil and towel method. They are often made of plastic, ceramic, or terra cotta, and some are designed for the oven, the microwave, or both.
- Most tortilla warmers also double as warming containers that you can reheat tortillas in directly. To heat tortillas in the tortilla warmers, most require a damp paper towel in the bottom of the container, followed by about eight tortillas. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions about heating.[12]
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3Use a cloth tortilla warmer. With a cloth tortilla warmer, place the tortillas inside the cloth shell and heat them in the microwave. The insulating and moisture wicking cloth and plastic shell then keeps the tortillas warm and soft—but not soggy—for over an hour.
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4Finished.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do Mexican people heat up tortillas?
Randall ChambersRandall (Randy) Chambers is a Personal Chef and the Owner of Luxury Meals From Home based in Arvada, Colorado. He has more than 16 years of commercial kitchen experience, five years of sous chef experience, and two years of experience as an executive chef. Chef Randy draws inspiration from his half Bolivian background and his forte is South American cuisine. He holds an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts from The Art Institute.
Personal ChefGuerrilla-style is very popular! With this method, you half-fry a corn tortilla so it's not quite crispy but able to hold its shape a little better. -
QuestionCan I then fill with south of the border 7 layer dip?
Community AnswerWith tortillas, you can generally fill them with anything you want/think will taste good. Have fun with different flavors, don't feel limited. -
QuestionI have a cloth tortilla warmer. Should I dampen them?
Community AnswerYes, you may dampen them before warming each tortilla for about ten seconds.
References
- ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/10/video-the-right-way-to-warm-corn-tortillas.html
- ↑ http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_and_techniques/how_to_warm_tortillas
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/ready-to-eat-three-ways-to-war-117346
- ↑ Randall Chambers. Personal Chef. Expert Interview. 26 October 2021.
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/ready-to-eat-three-ways-to-war-117346
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCIEXdmjqy0
- ↑ https://www.eatingwell.com/article/277003/how-to-warm-tortillas/
- ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/ready-to-eat-three-ways-to-war-117346
- ↑ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-06-21/entertainment/9506210346_1_turkey-meat-tortillas-thigh-temperature
About This Article
To warm tortillas in the oven, lightly sprinkle or spray both sides with water. Stack 5-8 tortillas on top of each other and wrap them in foil, then bake them in an oven preheated to 375 °F for 10-15 minutes. If you’d prefer to warm your tortillas in the skillet, either moisten them with water or, for crispier tortillas, brush each side with a little oil or butter, then place the tortillas into the skillet one at a time for 30 seconds on each side. For more tips, including to warm tortillas in the microwave, read on!
