There are many ways to heat a tortilla: my friends of Mexican heritage wrap them in a damp cloth and pop them in the microwave. Other people use the oven (but that can feel wasteful unless the oven is already being used for another dish) or pan fry them in a skillet. But I have another strategy which I believe is the most fun and flavorful way to accomplish this task. Hint: see picture above!
That's right! I skip the frying pan entirely and place the tortillas straight on the burners of my gas stove. This slightly chars them on the outside, adding a nice flavor, and heats them through. Once I get all four burners going I'm able to whip through a stack of tortillas in a few minutes. Here is the method, which works with both corn and flour tortillas:
• Purchase the best tortillas you can find.
• Find a large, clean tea towel and place it on a surface near your stovetop.
• Turn each burner on the lowest setting you can that still uses the larger, outer ring.
• Place one tortilla on each burner and grab tongs if your fingers are sensitive. (I seldom use one but I'm not that sensitive to heat.)
• After about 45 seconds, check underneath the tortillas. They should be starting to char. When the color seems right, flip them and char the other side. They will usually begin to puff up at this stage.
• Adjust the burners as needed, keeping them as low as possible. The second side will take less time than the first. It's okay to flip the tortillas a few times to reach the desirable color.
• When they are done, move them to the middle of the tea towel, stacking as you go. When the first batch is piled up, flip the corners of the towel over them to cover completely. This will keep them warm and steam them a little, which softens any stiffness they may have taken on from the charring.
• Proceed with the remaining tortillas, adding to the stack as you go. Keep covered until you are done.
• Do not use oil as it will cause too much smoke. The tortillas should easily lift off the burners. I have not tried this with electric burners as I imagine that the tortillas will stick, but please let us know if you have had success with them.
Related: What's the Difference? Flour vs. Corn Tortillas
(Images: Dana Velden)
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Heck, I've been doing that for years on an electric stove. It truly is an awesome way to heat Tortillas, and gives them a nice smoky flavor.
We use a comal, which is just a griddle. Depending on the size, you can generally heat up four corn tortillas and two flour on one burner. This is usually optimal since tortillas are made with every meal and the other burners are being used.
This is the same technique that we use for both tortillas and naan. It really is a great way to do it, just watch your fingers!
Wait, this isn't how everyone heats up tortillas?
This is how it was always done in my Salvadoran household.
Yup, this is my go-to method as well.
I prefer using a toaster oven, set the temp to 325 and double stack the tortillas on each shelf. After about 90 seconds pull the bottom tortilla on each shelf and put it on top so the cool sides are facing out. 90 seconds more and you have six warm tortillas ready to go.
Oh yes, this is how I and my friends have always done it. Also, there is a great sight gag in Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams, towards the beginning, where Tommy Chong is trying to heat up a tortilla on an electric burner. He's fumbling with it as it's burning and sticking to the coils. Am I remembering that correctly?
I heat up tortillas using this method too, but really I think that after 45 seconds on one side and I would have flaming tortillas! I do 5-7 seconds on the first side and another 5 seconds or so on the other side, this gives you a little bit of char with out starting anything on fire. I just want to caution everyone to assume that it might take a lot less time than 45 seconds and NOT TO WALK AWAY...you don't want to burn your kitchen down!
Thanks @curtisb for the words of caution. You should definitely not walk away from the stove! How long it will actually take really depends on how low your flame is. I had a stopwatch in hand when I last did this, so I could be sure of the timing. But every stove, and indeed every tortilla, is different!
This is what I've always done to cook chapatis and naan.
I thought this is how everyone does it. And this, this is WAY too complicated.
And 45 seconds? NO WAY! I toss 'em on a burner and torch each side for a few seconds, until they're hot, then right onto a plate and in goes the filling. What's with all these fussy tea towels and timing? Really?
My wife does this on our electric stove occasionally. She think's they're fine. I think they taste like electric-burner metal, and I won't eat them. I'm from the wet paper towel in the microwave school (though I do miss a nice char from a gas stove).
haha, we ALWAYS heated tortillas this way growing up and i never thought a thing of it, until i was in my teens and at friends' homes and realized most people just microwaved them. if i would remark upon this, my friends (or their moms) would apologize for not being "authentic," as though heating tortillas over a gas flame were some time-honored method of my people. i guess it kind of is! :)
I thought ours was the only crazy family to do this! (Except we do it with pita)
This is really the only thing I miss with going to induction. I just use the cast iron griddle, but it's not the same as gas.
This is exactly how my Mexican family has always cooked flour tortillas and good-quality corn tortillas (lower quality corn tortillas are just tossed in the microwave). The saddest kitchen I ever cooked in was the one with the electric stove -- those were the "dark ages" of microwaving my tortillas...
Once again, we have an article where everyone says "ho hum, I do that". I'd love to see more originality! Please publish articles that are new and instructive.
I had never had a gas stove until this year so I just tried this for the first time recently. Works really well, and I agree with others that it takes a lot less than 45 seconds! But then again, I don't like char on my tortillas.
Me too, I've been doing this since I was a little girl. But with way fewer steps -- just put the tortilla on the burner, flip it over a few seconds later.
One of my favorite snacks: warm tortilla with peanut butter. Or salsa, or avocado, or a little olive oil.