Make Store-Bought Tortillas Taste Restaurant-Quality With One Step

Of all the items humans have invented to make food more portable, tortillas are undeniably among the most popular. Grocery store shelves are constantly stuffed with dozens of different tortillas, from traditional flour and corn versions to low-carb, high-protein brands produced to meet specific dietary needs. In particular, corn tortillas bring a sweet, nutty flavor and a touch of crunch to any filling. The classic corn tortilla remains our favorite for making succulent fish tacos, for example, because it adds a ton of flavor and texture to the finished product.

Fresh from the store, however, tortillas can be stiff, crumbly, and even bland and slightly bitter. But, treated with the right thoughtfulness and care, tortillas become more flexible, durable, and develop the fresh, toasty nuttiness you'd expect from tortillas fresh off the plancha at a Mexican restaurant. They can hold together your favorite grilled flank steak tacos with a hearty helping of stone fruit salsa while also imparting a beautiful, lightly sweet flavor.

Fortunately, getting tortillas to this state is as simple as applying a gentle heat. A few seconds of exposure to a hot skillet, oven, or microwave simultaneously steams the middle while lightly crisping the edges, turning tortillas into the perfect pocket for fajita fillings or breakfast tacos. Just be sure not to warm them for too long, or they become too crunchy and brittle and begin to crack and flake apart.

Of the three methods you can use for reviving stale tortillas, the one you choose largely depends on preference. The microwave is the fastest, easiest option, but less precise than the other two. The oven takes the longest due to preheating, but it works well if you're feeding a crowd. The skillet offers the most precision, but can be clunky unless you only need to heat a few tortillas. Understanding this, you can choose which appliance works best for your needs.

If heating in a skillet, make sure it's nice and hot before slinging your tortillas into it. Once ready, heat one tortilla at a time, warming each side for no more than a few seconds. Have a tortilla warmer or covered plate standing by; they get crunchy if they cool. 

For the oven, simply wrap your tortillas in a square of aluminum foil, ensuring the edges are tightly sealed but that there's still a slight pocket of air inside. They need right around eight minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to become warm, soft, and perfectly pliable.

The microwave method is the most popular, but you need to wrap your tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel before heating them. Again, too much water means soggy tortillas while too much heating can cause hard, brittle spots to form. Warm them for just a few seconds at a time, stopping as soon as they're the right texture.