These tortillas made with lard are truly the best. The lard makes them fluffy, easy to roll out, and the flavor is out of this world.

lard tortillas on a striped tea towel with a rolling pin in the background

For years and years I made my tortillas with butter and while they were good to be honest, nothing compares to the taste and texture you get from using lard instead. This recipe was a happy accident – I was out of butter (rarely happens in this house) and had to quickly find a substitute. After making the tortillas with lard I never went back to butter or oil!

Enjoy these lard tortillas as tacos, burritos, or even as lunch wraps! They also freeze very well.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A quick and simple recipe – I think people think making tortillas is more complicated than it is. They take 10-20 minutes of active work (depending on how many tortillas you’re making!)

Lard is nutritious – Lard contains tons of Vitamin D and healthy cholesterol. This article does a great job at summarizing some of the healthy reads to eat lard.

They freeze super well – Every time I make these I always double the recipe and stick half in the freezer. This makes the next taco night even faster or I’ll pull some out for a quick lunch wrap.

Ingredients

Flour – As much as I love freshly milled flour, I think all purpose works best here.

Salt – The only salt I use is Redmond’s Real Salt. Just don’t use table salt.

Baking Powder – This helps creates a slightly pillowy texture. Don’t skip!

Lard – My preferred baking fat! You can buy locally or off of amazon.

Water – to pull it all together. You’ll want it hot but not boiling.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Lard Tortillas

Start by adding the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl and whisk together until combined.

flour and salt and baking powder in a bowl with whisk

Add the lard to the bowl and use your fingertips to rub into the flour until it has thick crumbs – almost pea sized.

Next add the warm water and knead on the mixer for 2- 5 minutes until stretchy. You can also do this by hand.

lard tortillas ingredients in a kitchenaid

Divide the dough into 8 pieces for taco sized or 4 for large and use your hands to roll into a dough ball.

Cover and let rest for at least 20 minutes but up to 2 hours.

Once you are ready to make the tortillas get your station ready. Preheat your cast iron pans to medium high heat (I always get two pans going at once to make the process easier) and roll out your dough.

tortilla rolled out on a floured surface

Add the dough to the hot pan and cook until you see bubbles, flip, and cook for another 20-40 seconds.

Cover with a tea towel until ready to eat. Best when warm!

lard tortillas with flour in a bowl and a rolling pin

Tips

You can make this in a mixer to knead but you’ll want to use your fingertips to rub the lard into the flour mixture.
If you don’t have lard then tallow would make a good substitute.
Make sure to use warm/hot water and not cold. You need to make the lard more pliable.

Recipe FAQs

Just a few simple ingredients – flour, salt, baking powder, lard, and water.

You can certainly find great recipes using butter or oil. I love using lard for the taste, texture, and health benefits

These stay fresh for up to five days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.

Let them cool completely and then put in a freezer gallon baggie. The come to room temperature very quickly when thawed.