A Better Way to Heat Up Tortillas

Everyone knows a taco is best when it’s wrapped in a warm, soft tortilla. I like to heat mine so they’re even a little crispy around the edges. But what’s the best to achieve this? Let me show you the wrong way — and the right way.

Now, first off, I acknowledge that you can always warm a stack of tortillas in the microwave or a low oven, wrapped in a damp towel.

→ Warm ’em up: Warm It Up! Three Ways to Warm Tortillas

But warming them like that won’t give you crisp edges or really refresh the tortilla. I heat mine on the stove, and for a long time this is how I did it:

One or two at a time, in a hot cast iron skillet. This is effective, but man, it’s slow!

Sure, you can heat up a few and put in the oven to stay warm, but I realized there was a better way — a better tool. Here’s how I heat up tortillas now:

Behold the magic of the wok! Get a little cross-cultural exchange happening, and suddenly you have the perfect tool for warming and crisping tortillas.

A carbon steel wok like mine gets hot all the way up the sides, so I just spread seven or eight tortillas over the pan’s surface and turn them once or twice until they’re warm and crisp around the edges. Presto — perfect tacos, thanks to the ever-trusty wok.

→ More on buying a wok: How To Buy and Season a New Wok