Tortillas Are A Thousand Times Better With This Spray Bottle Trick

There's nothing worse than a dried-out tortilla you're trying to wrap around some fillings. Expecting a tortilla that is soft and pliable and getting one that is cracked and stiff is a depressing start to Taco Tuesday, whether you've rolled out a batch of fresh homemade ones or grabbed a pack from the store. Luckily, there's a quick fix that doesn't involve a skillet, steamer, or a hope and a prayer. It's as simple as using a spray bottle to lightly mist the tortilla's surface, then heating it up.

Spraying your tortillas with just a little bit of water changes the game, and this trick works for flour and corn varieties alike. If you're reheating store-bought ones or leftovers, the easiest way to warm up tortillas in 30 seconds is to mist them lightly with water, then toss them in a hot pan, oven, or microwave. If you're making your own tortillas, spray them after they come off the griddle to keep them from drying out in the time it takes to serve them (the usual method would be to wrap them in a damp tea towel).

This is a tiny trick to have up your sleeve that could mean the difference between a taco falling apart and a very successful taco night. With just a little spray of water, your tortillas will stay soft, warm, and much easier to fold, which is always a must when you're loading them up with fillings.

The reason the spray bottle trick works so well is that when tortillas sit around too long, they lose moisture and start to go stiff. You may know it as bread going stale, but its official name is starch retrogradation. The good news is that once a wet tortilla gets hot, it will soak up all the added moisture, giving the tortilla the same consistency as it did when it was fresh.

Now that you've avoided the dreaded dried-out tortilla, you can start building out a perfect meal. A warm and soft tortilla is all it takes to turn a decent taco into a great one — because you wouldn't build a sandwich on stale bread, right? Whether you want to make loaded vegan cauliflower tacos with the works, or a slow-simmered chunk roast for birria tacos, you can focus on the fillings knowing the tortilla will be perfect. Breakfast burritos, quesadillas, even DIY tortilla chips: you simply need to give the tortillas a mist and heat them however you like. A spray bottle may not be the most high-tech kitchen gear, but in this case, it's a bit of an unexpected hero.