There is just about nothing in this world as good as a warm flour tortilla. Generally, if you’ve gotten your hands on a tortilla of true quality, it’ll be nearly as good by itself as it is with some butter or melted cheese. And once you’re making burritos, quesadillas, and tacos out of them? You’re in business.
It can be hard to find quality flour tortillas at the grocery store, but that doesn’t mean they’re not out there. Curious about which ones to spend your money on? Having written about food for over 10 years and lived in the tortilla mecca of California for over 30 years, I took my expertise to the grocery aisles. I selected 10 popular brands for a taste test, ranking them based on flavor and texture.
Want to know which tortillas I liked? Take a look.
Best: Guerrero Caseras Flour Tortillas
I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a Guerrero tortilla. I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about them; I’ve known people who swear full allegiance to them, and others who won’t touch them.
These are, frankly, everything I’m looking for in a store-bought tortilla. I’m never gonna land the type of tortillas I dream about when I close my eyes at a grocery store. Packaged food will not match the greatness of the places that make some of Earth’s mightiest tortillas by hand.
But that’s fine, because Guerrero’s impeccably charred tortillas are chewy, squishy, and full of flavor that doesn’t taste artificial. The difference in what’s left happening inside of your mouth after a bite of a Guerrero tortilla and an Old El Paso tortilla is night and day. I’d buy these again without question.
2. Vista Hermosa Flour Tortillas
The thin, semi-translucent, homestyle flour tortillas that Vista Hermosa is making seem to be the closest to something you’d get in a restaurant, even though the flavor isn’t quite there. It’s so close, but these have a wheatier, stranger flavor profile than Guerrero, so Vista just can’t quite grab the number one spot. Nevertheless, this is a solid tortilla that will get the job done.
3. Trader Joe’s Sonora Style Flour Tortillas
Trader Joe’s doesn’t make these “Sonora style” flour tortillas in the style of Sonora as you’d think, but I still like them. You won’t find any lard or pork fat in the ingredients (molasses instead), which is the key distinction for the style, and because of that, they’re not quite as chewy as the real thing. That said, the flavor is really good and they’re sturdy enough to roll up into a small burrito.
Really small, though.
4. 365 Whole Foods Market Flour Tortillas
Whole Foods is a mystery. Sometimes they knock things out of the park. Other times they whiff them entirely. These tortillas are alright, sporting a flawless consistency alongside virtually no flavor. If you’ve got good enough fillings, Whole Foods’ tortillas will be no problem.
5. La Tortilla Factory Organic Traditional Flour Tortillas
La Tortilla Factory’s organic tortillas sport a little bit of an odd flavor, but I’m here for it. There’s that pesky wheat flour again, but unlike some of the tortillas further down the list, these have really good structural integrity. The earthiness from these guys would make a bean and cheese burrito soar.
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6. Mission Flour Tortillas
You know what you’re in for with a Mission tortilla. Here stands the line between good and bad. Right here. I will happily gobble up a warm Mission tortilla any day of the week (I miss the days of grabbing warm ones right off the conveyor belt at California Adventure), because while the flavor is bland, the chewiness is bang-on. A little shredded cheese rolled up inside a Mission tortilla, and microwaved in a wet paper towel for 20 seconds, is an incredible snack for the time it takes to make it.
7. Trader Joe’s Homestyle Flour Tortillas
At first glance, I thought these were just the white-labeled versions of Vista Hermosa’s tortillas. Visually, they’re very hard to tell apart. Flavorwise, it’s easy. The flavor isn’t bad at all, good even, but the wheat flour has helped to create a texture that isn’t right for a tortilla. These crack, break, and tear easily. Good luck rolling up a burrito.
8. Hero Flour Tortillas
One carb? I didn’t really notice that until I got home from buying this, but once you put aside the curious aroma that the olive oil brings, this isn’t bad for a healthy choice. It’s certainly a lot better than some of the other carb-conscious tortillas I’ve tried, but it doesn’t compare to the others.
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9. La Banderita Flour Tortillas
These are so bad, it’s wild. I think I recall liking La Banderita’s corn tortillas, but I can’t remember. This whole thing smelled like, I don’t know, ponzu sauce or something, when I opened the bag. Or maybe that tangy, gingery dip for gyoza. I like both of those things, but it’s my opinion that tortillas shouldn’t smell like Asian dipping sauces.
Somehow, it’s worse when you heat it up.
10. Old El Paso Flour Tortillas
Holy mackerel. What’s going on here? This tortilla starts off tasting like nothing and then quickly transforms into the aftertaste of a bad glazed donut. Also, why is Old El Paso the only brand in the game that doesn’t have a resealable bag? Please don’t make me eat all 10 of your nasty tortillas in one sitting. Please.
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- We Tried 25 Popular Hot Sauces — This Is the Best — If you’ve ever wandered through the hot sauce aisle at the grocery store and wondered, “Which store-bought hot sauce is the best?”, this story is for you.
