Street Tacos with Homemade Tortillas

Why haven't I done this before?! Tender, toasty, chewy, flour tortillas, homemade in minutes... warm, puffy and the ultimate wrap for all your favorite fillings!

And so easy to make! The dough is a simple blend of flour, baking powder, shortening, salt, and water. You probably have everything right at your fingertips already. And it's fun to create the dough with your hands (pretend you're 8 again). Then, you shape the dough into balls, flatten them out and grill them on a hot skillet or griddle. And get this, they cook in less than 1 minute each!

I loved these so much, I made a whole second batch for my freezer (I placed them in a large freezer bag; they'll be good for 3 months).

The recipe below is for the tortillas, and then there are suggestions for fillings. If you need more filling inspiration, check out my Skirt Steak Street Tacos, my Jerk Chicken Street Tacos, my Chicken Street Tacos, and my Breakfast Street Tacos!

Street Tacos with Homemade Tortillas

For the tortillas: 
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface if needed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening or lard, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup warm water
Street taco filling ideas: 
Seasoned ground beef
Seasoned chicken
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Sour cream
Hot sauce
Cilantro
Green onions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the shortening and work it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the warm water and mix gently until a loose dough forms.
Transfer the dough to flat surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes (if the dough sticks to your surface, lightly dust it with flour). Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each portion into a ball. Cover balls with plastic and let them rest for 20 minutes (don't worry if the dough seems a little lumpy; it smooths out when it rests for 20 minutes).
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Roll each dough ball out into a 5-inch round. Working 1 to 2 tortillas at a time (so you don't crowd the pan), transfer the rounds to the hot pan and cook until the dough has golden brown spots on the bottom, about 15 to 20 seconds. Flip the tortillas and cook until the second side develops golden spots (just a few seconds more).
Transfer the tortillas to a plate and cover with a clean dish towel to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dough until you have 16 tortillas. Store leftovers in plastic bags for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Makes 16 tortillas (street taco-size)