Why not give those good ol’ enchiladas, soft tacos, burritos, and workday sandwich wraps an easy makeover with total flare? My fun-colored and incredibly tasty Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Flour Tortillas are visually appealing and hit a few of those extra spots on the taste buds. In fact, they are so flavorful, you don’t need any fillings… maybe some gooey cheese. 😉 While providing a deeper flavor profile, these tortillas are soft and foldable like regular flour tortillas.
My Flavored Tortilla Inspiration
I love the look and taste of sandwich wraps and pinwheels with colorful, flavored tortillas. They enhance such simple lunches and appetizers. A flavored tortilla serves much more than a bland vehicle for transporting meat, cheese, and condiments. I used to buy red pepper and spinach tortillas for sandwich wraps. I kept these around when my sister visited because she loves my sandwich wraps. So, since I make my own flour tortillas, I thought… hmm… why not flavored? And thus, recipe creation began.
My Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Tortillas Creation
I was obviously familiar with the flavor idea since they can be purchased commercially. Of course, red pepper and garlic are common Mexican ingredients and are great roasted. So, in creating this recipe, I took my Mexican Flour Tortilla recipe and simply added puréed roasted red peppers and garlic. I tried different amounts of each, but ultimately settled on 2 large red peppers and 6 garlic cloves. The bigger question was… “how much liquid is needed?” The answer varies depending on the amount of liquid in the pepper and garlic purée and the humidity in the environment.
In the End…
Ultimately, the final quantities in the recipe below produced well-balanced flavors and color unique to this tortilla but still tasting like a flour tortilla. In addition, this recipe embraces the expected stretch and tear of a flour tortilla. In the end, the recipe turned out better than expected. Store-bought red pepper tortillas? No longer and never again! Hello homemade!! I love you and will never not make you!
Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Tortillas: Ingredients
Check out these ingredients. They are the exact ingredients in my Mexican Flour Tortilla recipe with the cool spin of added red peppers and garlic. For this roasted red pepper and garlic flour tortilla recipe, you’ll need red peppers, garlic cloves, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, shortening, and water. Pretty simple, right?
Roast the Red Peppers & Garlic
Preheat the Oven
First, we need to roast the peppers and garlic. Begin by preheating the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). I don’t like to use my oven in the summer when it’s hot. When possible, I go for the toaster oven. For this step, I use the toaster oven. If you need to use a regular oven, I would actually roast quite a few peppers and garlic at the same time and freeze what you don’t need for this recipe after removing the skins. Woo, hoo! You will NOT have to do this step again for a while… worth it!
Prepare Baking Sheet & Prep the Peppers & Garlic
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Cut 2 whole peppers in half and remove the seeds and veins. You could use instead 6-7 mini peppers left whole. Place the peppers and 6 garlic cloves (with the skins on) on the baking sheet. Place them in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes. Check the peppers and garlic rotating anything as needed. You’re looking for charred (black) skin. You should NOT need to rotate the pepper halves, but you WILL likely need to move around the garlic as the pan will burn the garlic parts that are touching it.
TIP: If roasted mini peppers, you will need to rotate them checking at 10-15 minutes. The peppers should be charred (black) all around.
Cool & Remove the Skins
Once the peppers and garlic are roasted, use tongs to lift them and place them in a heat-proof bowl. Then, cover the bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes in the bowl. The humid environment while the peppers cool will loosen the skins making them easy to remove. When they are cool enough to touch, peel off the skins of the peppers and garlic. Place the peppers and garlic in a food processor or blender and discard the skins unless you have a use for them. Process 15-20 seconds until smooth and puréed. Set the mixture aside.
TIP: Stop during the processing and scrape down the bowl sides and lid. You don’t want any large pepper or garlic pieces to go into hiding.
Mix Dry Ingredients & Cut in Shortening
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add 420 grams (3½ cups) of all-purpose flour. Be sure to fluff, scoop, and level off the flour if using a measuring cup to ensure closer to the weighted amount. Add 1½ teaspoons (6 grams) of baking powder, and 1¼ teaspoons (about 7 grams) of salt. Turn the machine on low and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, add 72 grams (6 tablespoons) of diced shortening and mix until the shortening is dispersed.
TIP: Without a stand mixer, you can mix everything in a large bowl and cut in the shortening like you would pie crust using a pastry blender or your fingers.
Add All Wet Ingredients: Pepper Purée & Water
Switch the machine attachment to the dough hook. With the machine on low, add the pepper and garlic puréed mixture and continue to knead. The dough will look crumbly. As the machine continues to run, add warm tap water (1 tablespoon at a time, 4-8 total depending on amount of moisture in the pepper mixture and the environment). Continue adding water until the dough comes together into a cohesive mound as it spins in the machine. The dough should be soft. Once all water is added, knead for 5 minutes increasing the speed to medium. The dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky and wet.
TIP: If not using a stand mixer, add water to the bowl of stir with a spoon. You can use your hands if that’s better for you. Then once the dough has come together and most of the water has been added, begin kneading on a lightly floured work surface for 8 minutes. Continue to add water as needed to create a soft ball. The dough should not be sticky but soft and tacky.
Cover Dough to Rest
Remove the bowl from the machine. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball and place it at the bottom on the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow the dough to rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes. For a make-ahead dough, stop at this step and place it in the fridge overnight or until you’re ready to divide, shape, and cook the dough the following day.
Divide & Shape the Dough
Divide Dough
After the resting time (30 minutes up to a day later), remove the dough and place it on an UNFLOURED work surface (you can add a little flour if the dough is sticky). Divide the dough into preferred sizes either 10 large pieces (about 76 g each) or 20 small pieces (about 38 g each). You can weigh or eyeball the sizes.
TIP: The dough shouldn’t be sticky so an unfloured surface is better for creating a surface with friction to smooth out the dough balls. If your dough is sticking, add a little flour to the surface, but you’ll need to clear it off when you’re ready to roll each dough piece into smooth balls.
Shape Dough & Rest
Roll each dough piece into a smooth ball in your hands. While this method is fine, you will have cracks in your dough ball and will be visible in the flat tortilla. I prefer the rolling-on-work-surface method. For this method, place each dough ball on the work surface (all flour moved aside), cup your hand behind each ball, and roll the ball towards you along the surface so the friction creates a smooth ball all around. Rolling these into balls will create a near perfect round tortilla when rolled out without any cracks or crevices. But, hey! Do what YOU want to do and have time for.
Cover the dough balls with a towel and allow the dough balls to rest for 15 minutes.
Assembly Line Time: Preheat Skillet, Roll Out Dough, & Cook
Preheat Skillet & Roll out Dough
Heat a large dry (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Use the palm of your hand to slightly flatten out a dough ball to make it easier to roll out using a rolling pin. Then use a rolling pin to roll out one tortilla into a 10-11-inch circle for a large tortilla or a 5-6-inch circle for a small tortilla. Keep in mind that they tortillas will shrink a little as soon as they hit the hot pan. Roll thin enough to see through the dough; there should be a little transparency. Keep the work surface well-floured to prevent the dough from sticking. Flip the tortilla as you roll. If the tortilla retracts, allow the tortilla to sit for a few moments to get used to its new shape and continue to roll. If the dough begins to curl, flip it over and roll on the other side.
TIP: While tortillas are cooking and being rolled out, keep other dough balls covered or they will dry out.
TIPS on Skillet Heat
The skillet has heated enough to cook the tortillas when a splatter of tap water sizzles when it hits the skillet. Adjust the stove temperature as you go. Start out high and decrease as needed. If you cook the tortillas at a temperature too low, they will be stiff and appear “hard”. If they are cooked at too high of a temperature, they will brown (even burn) too quickly and may appear somewhat raw in the center.
TIP: The tortillas should be soft and foldable. They should form bubbles but will deflate as they cool. The bubbles suggest the tortilla is thin and the baking powder and gluten development are helping to create layers for that stretching tear once they’re cooked.
Cook a Tortilla While Rolling out a Tortilla
Create an assembly line. Turn down the heat to medium. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook for 1 minute (or until brown spots appear on the underside). As a tortilla cooks, roll out the next. Once one side of a tortilla cooks, flip it and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute or until brown spots appear on that side. Set the tortillas aside on a heat-proof, foil-lined plate with another sheet of foil on top to keep them warm. Continue to roll out and cook the remaining tortillas stacking them on the plate as they cook. Keep foil over the top tortilla.
TIP: You can also place the foil-covered plate of tortillas in a 200˚F (93˚C) oven to keep them warm until all of them are cooked. I find that they stay plenty warm enough just covered in foil on the counter.
TIP: Use a paper towel to wipe loose flour out of the pan as needed to keep the flour from burning.
A Closer Look of the Final Product
Check out the many brown spots on both sides. Notice they are soft and foldable making them perfect for soft tacos, burritos, pinwheels, etc. They have the traditional layered, stretchy tear of a regular basic flour tortilla. From a personal standpoint, they smell wonderfully… the pepper and garlic are prominent. Miam!! (Yum!!)
Serving Suggestions:
Use these roasted red pepper and garlic tortillas for any recipe that calls for soft flour tortillas.
- pinwheels
- sandwich wraps (rolled flatbread sandwiches filled with cheese, meats, veggies, & preferred condiments)
- soft tacos
- burritos
- chips (brushed with oil, topped with salt, cut into triangles, & baked 400˚F(204˚C) for 10 minutes flipping at 5 minutes). OR, see my recipe for making tortilla chips. 😉
- enchiladas
- fajitas
- quesadillas
- tacos
- taquitos
Storing Suggestions:
Store the tortillas stacked in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature for about a week. For longer storage, freeze for a couple of months. Reheat in the microwave between 2 damp towels or in a dry skillet over the stove until warm.
Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Tortillas Final Thoughts
Talk about a pretty and fun take on a regular white tortilla! They make those wrap sandwiches, pinwheels, and soft tacos standout. They go great with any savory fillings and toppings. I enjoy eating them hot and fresh out of the pan without anything. My latest favorite lunch is spreading a layer of homemade avocado-yogurt spread (with garlic salt) over the tortilla, adding a heaping handful of spinach and topping it with cheese like Mexican Cojita, Queso, or Monterey Jack / Colby. If you’re a meat eater, add a layer of sliced turkey. Roll it up and dig in! Now that’s yum and fun!
Baker’s Perspective:
I think this is an easy recipe since you can use the stand mixer; however, the rolling part is a workout. There is a little time with the roasting stage. You could totally roast the peppers and garlic ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them until you’re ready to make the tortilla dough. I suggest making the dough the day before and storing it in the fridge to cut down on the time. Since each tortilla takes less than 2 minutes, you can get the cooking accomplished in about 20 minutes or so for 10 large tortillas. You’ll be busy during this time though rolling out the remaining tortillas. 😊
Overall, since they taste really good, I believe the rolling time is worth it! Besides, they look so pretty and taste much better than their store-bought counterparts (at least I think so). This recipe provides more health benefits (due to the roasted garlic and red peppers) than regular white flour tortillas, so you can feel good about making and eating them! I’m pretty sure your kids will like the fun pinky-orange color, too.
Taster’s Perspective:
I love this tasty take on a regular flour tortilla. Yes, I could eat them… a little gluten isn’t hurting me these days! The roasted red pepper is prominent but not overpowering and the garlic is more nuanced. They tear just like a regular tortilla, look like a regular tortilla, and taste BETTER than a regular tortilla. They would be great enjoyed as a sandwich wrap or pinwheels for appetizers. Holiday appetizers anyone? Since it’s summer, we’ve been enjoying them as flatbread sandwiches. For the summertime and fall, these would be great for the office lunch or in the school lunch box with you or your kids’ favorite fillings. For the holidays, use them as the tortilla base in appetizer pinwheels for that beautiful holiday color and awesome flavor!
Check out my YouTube video for the ins and outs and tips on making these wonderful roasted red pepper and garlic tortillas. “Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Tortillas: Flavor Up Your Tortilla Dishes, Pinwheels, & Sandwich Wraps”.
Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 whole red peppers or 6-7 mini peppers
- 6 garlic cloves skins attached
- 420 g (3½ cups) all-purpose flour fluffed, scooped, and leveled if using a measuring cup
- 1½ tsp (6 g) baking powder
- 1¼ tsp (~7 g) salt
- 6 tbsp (72 g) vegetable shortening or lard (diced into small pieces) butter or coconut oil
- 4-8 tbsp warm tap water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F(220˚C). Cut whole peppers in half. Place peppers and garlic on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes rotating the peppers and garlic as needed. They should char (blacken) as they roast.TIP: Use 6-7 whole mini peppers in place of 2 large red peppers.
- Use tongs to place the peppers and garlic in a heat-proof bowl and cover immediately with plastic wrap. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes. When they are cool enough to touch, peel off the skins of the peppers and garlic.TIP: You can roast several peppers and more garlic at once reserving what's not being used for this recipe for later use. Remove the skins and place in a sealed freezer bag or container until needed; be sure to thaw in the fridge first.
- Place the peppers and garlic in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and puréed ~15 seconds.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Turn machine on low and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, add shortening and mix until the shortening is dispersed. Switch to the dough hook attachment and with the machine on low, add the pepper and garlic mixture and continue to knead. The dough will look crumbly. Add warm tap water (1 tbsp at a time, 4-8 total depending on amount of moisture in the pepper mixture and humidity in the environment) until the dough comes together into a cohesive mound as it spins in the machine. The dough should be soft. Knead for 5 minutes increasing the speed to medium.TIP: Instead of using a stand mixer, mix ingredients in a large bowl and knead by hand on a lightly floured work surface. Add water as needed to create a soft ball. The dough should not be sticky but tacky.
- Remove the bowl from the machine and use your hands to form the dough into a ball and place it at the bottom on the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow the dough to rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes.TIP: You can prepare the dough a day ahead of time. Place the dough in the fridge overnight or until you’re ready to divide, shape, and cook the following day.
- Remove the dough and place it on an unfloured work surface (you can add a little flour if the dough is sticky). Divide the dough into preferred sizes either 10 large pieces (~76 g each) or 20 small pieces (~38 g each). You can weigh or eyeball the sizes.
- Roll each dough piece into a smooth ball in your hands. You can place each dough ball on the work surface (all flour moved aside), cup your hand behind each ball, and roll the ball towards you along the surface so the friction creates a smooth ball all around.
- Cover them with a towel and allow the dough balls to rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat a large dry (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Use a rolling pin to roll out one tortilla into a 10-inch circle for a large tortilla or a 5-inch circle for a small tortilla. Roll thin enough to see through the dough. Keep the surface well-floured to prevent the dough from sticking. Flip the tortilla over as you roll. If the tortilla retracts as you roll, allow the tortilla to sit for a few moments to get used to its new shape and continue to roll. If the dough begins to curl, flip it over and roll on the other side. Keep all resting, untouched dough balls covered, or they will dry out as you roll out and cook the others.TIPS: Skillet has heated enough to cook the tortillas when a splatter of tap water sizzles when it hits the skillet. Adjust the stove temperature as you go. Start out high and decrease as needed. If you cook the tortillas at a temperature too low, they will be stiff. If they are cooked at too high of a temperature, they will brown (even burn) too quickly.
- Cook each tortilla as you roll out the next one. Turn down the heat to medium. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook for 1 minute or so (until brown spots appear on the underside). Flip the tortilla and cook for another 30 seconds or until brown spots appear. Set the tortillas aside on a heat-proof, foil-lined plate with another sheet of foil on top to keep them warm. Continue to roll out and cook the remaining tortillas stacking them on the plate as they cook. Keep foil over the top tortilla.TIPS: Use a paper towel to wipe loose flour out of the pan as needed to keep the flour from burning. The tortillas should be soft and foldable. They should form bubbles, but they will deflate as they cool. You can also place a heat-proof, foil-lined plate in a 200˚F (93˚C) oven and stack tortillas as they bake to keep all the tortillas warm before serving. Keep a sheet of foil over the top tortilla, so they don't dry out.
Video
Notes
Interested in other flatbread recipes? Check these out!
Classic Italian Focaccia Flatbread
Unleavened Bread Gluten & Gluten Free Versions
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