35 Unbelievably Delicious Ways to Turn Tortillas into a Meal (2024)

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Jessica Fisher

Jessica FisherContributor

Jessica Fisher loves French food, creamy coffee, and great meals that don't cost a fortune. Mom of six children, she's written four cookbooks and five million to-do lists. Find her latest projects at Good Cheap Eats.

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Jan Valdez

Jan Valdez

updated Apr 10, 2024

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35 Unbelievably Delicious Ways to Turn Tortillas into a Meal (1)

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, I grew up eating tortillas several times a week, often handmade from the taco stand. Today my husband and our girls regularly make corn tortillas from scratch and homemade flour tortillas, but I have no qualms about buying giant bags of both corn tortillas and flour tortillas at the store.

Tortillas, whether they’re corn or flour tortillas, are super versatile and can be transformed into any number of dishes. I’m not sure why tortillas haven’t been declared a superfood, but I’m casting my vote!

Ready for some inspiration for recipes with tortillas? From quesadillas and burritos to fun pinwheel wraps for the kids, here are 35 recipes with tortillas for morning breakfasts, quick lunches, and easy weeknight dinners.

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Breakfast Burritos

This hearty breakfast burrito is stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, pork sausage, and a special spicy creamy sauce.

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Crispy Chicken Taquitos

Cheesy taquitos are the dreamiest and easiest weeknight meal. These rolled and fried tortillas are irresistibly delicious and perfect for entertaining — the tortillas can be filled and rolled in advance, then cooked just minutes before you are ready to serve.

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Steak Quesadillas

Inspired by steak fajitas, these quesadillas are packed with thin slices of cumin-rubbed flank steak, charred peppers and onions, and plenty of melty cheese, plus some guacamole and fresh salsa for topping.

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Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos

This step-by-step guide will walk you through making the very best homemade beef birria, plus how to turn it into crispy quesatacos.

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Huevos Rancheros

Nothing beats huevos rancheros on Sunday morning. It’s a true Mexican breakfast gem: lightly fried corn tortillas are topped with refried beans and warm and fried eggs, then smothered in a homemade ranchero salsa. It always hits the spot.

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Cheesy Potato Quesadillas with Chipotle Mayo

These craveable quesadillas are stuffed with crispy potatoes, melty cheese, and a generous drizzle of spicy mayo. It's a delicious vegetarian dinner that’s worth putting on repeat.

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Chicken Burritos

Seasoned chicken, beans, cilantro-lime rice, and shredded cheese wrapped in warm flour tortillas.

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Turkey Pinwheels

These spiraly kid-friendly snacks only take 15 minutes to assemble. Flour tortilla pinwheels can be made a few hours or up to the night before you plan to serve them.

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These crispy fish tacos start with frozen beer-battered cod fillets, which makes them extra quick to prepare.

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Restaurant-Style Sizzling Steak Fajitas

This recipe teaches you how to make restaurant-style steak fajitas at home, from the flavor-packed marinade to the best cooking technique. Serve with warm tortillas, guacamole, lettuce, cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges.

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Enchiladas Suiza

Baked in creamy salsa verde sauce and topped with gooey Oaxaca cheese, these chicken enchiladas are unbelievably delicious.

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Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

This copycat version of the legendary Taco Bell crunchwrap that's filled with cheesy beef and crispy tortilla shells can now be made at home.

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Chicken Tacos

Serve these tasty chicken tacos with a quick and fresh salsa verde for a weeknight meal that the whole family will love.

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Cheesy Taco Lasagna

If there’s a special place in your heart for ground beef tacos, let us introduce you to its layered cousin: taco lasagna. It’s assembled casserole-style, just like a lasagna, and filled with the most irresistible mixture of seasoned ground beef and black beans, tortillas, sour cream, and plenty of melted cheese.

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Steak Tacos

Flank steak marinated with chipotle, citrus, cilantro and onions.

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Sheet Pan Quesadillas

Use a sheet pan and a few storebought shortcuts to make a large format quesadillas to feed a crowd.

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Chicken Flautas

Flautas are rolled tacos that are fried until golden and crispy. The filling can be made in advance, which means these babies come together in under 30 minutes. Served warm with plenty of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, crema, and avocado, flautas are a quick and easy dinner idea.

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Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

Turn store-bought corn tortillas into crispy, restaurant-style chips with an air fryer.

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Grilled Chicken Tacos

Chopping the chicken into small pieces and combining it with finely chopped cilantro and white onion gives it street taco vibes. We also like to serve the tacos with diced avocado, salsa verde, thinly sliced radishes, and sour cream.

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The Easiest Migas

Migas are a fast meal created from only three things: eggs, corn tortillas, and salt. The tortillas crisp up in a hot skillet, and then eggs are stirred in at the end, making a sort of tortilla hash.

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Chicken Enchiladas

In the canon of weeknight dinners, none is more apt at using up leftovers in a way that is flavorful, cozy, and easy better than enchiladas.

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Cheesy Gordita Crunch-Inspired Beef Tacos

These copycat Taco Bell-inspired tacos feature a double taco shell stuffed with a beef-and-bean filling.

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Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

Crispy tortillas rolled around a creamy chicken filling. Serve taquitos on a bed of lettuce with some chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of crema or sour cream on top for a meal. Guacamole, avocado crema, and salsa are also great toppers, or use them as dips if you’re serving the taquitos as a snack or appetizer.

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Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

Spicy, smoky shrimp and a homemade tomatillo salsa combine in these flavor-packed summer tacos.

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Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are one of those perfect meals where you get a little bit of something delicious in every bite. Instead of filling and rolling the tortillas, they are simply layered into a casserole dish to create an enchilada experience that can easily be cut into squares to serve.

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Chilaquiles

This easy chilaquiles recipe, which consists of fried corn tortilla chips simmered in a brothy sauce, is quick, affordable, and make-ahead friendly.

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Crispy Baja Fish Tacos

These homemade fish tacos boast the crispiest golden fish fillets — no deep-frying required. Top them with creamy slices of avocado, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of Sriracha mayo, and a simple pico de gallo.

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Cheesy Beef Burrito Casserole

This super-cheesy casserole is the ultimate make-ahead meal. Ground beef, cheese, beans, and tortillas are layered to give you all the Tex-Mex vibes in one hearty, lasagna-like casserole.

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Huevos y Frijoles

This combination of corn tortillas, black beans, and fried eggs is a wholesome yet filling start to the day.

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Mahi-Mahi Tacos with Avocado Sauce

Mild mahi-mahi stuffed into warm tortillas with a creamy avocado and red cabbage slaw.

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Huevos Rancheros Casserole

Huevos rancheros go the way of the casserole with a double layer of corn tortillas, a generous helping of beans and cheese, and the signature spicy-sweet tomato-chile sauce.

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Chalupas

These chalupas are topped with pulled pork, salsa verde, and salsa roja.

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Queso Fundido

Ooey, gooey goodness like this queso fundido is fit for any occasion. Serve with warm corn tortillas.

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Bang Bang Shrimp

This Bonefish Grill copycat recipe is just like the restaurant's signature battered-shrimp dish. Serve as tacos layered with lettuce and tomatoes in soft flour tortillas.

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Chimichangas

Chimichangas are a quick and easy weeknight dinner treat.

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35 Unbelievably Delicious Ways to Turn Tortillas into a Meal (2024)

FAQs

What to do with a lot of tortillas? ›

36 Unbelievably Delicious Ways to Turn Tortillas into a Meal
  1. 1 / 36. Breakfast Burritos. ...
  2. 2 / 36. Crispy Chicken Taquitos. ...
  3. 3 / 36. Steak Quesadillas. ...
  4. 4 / 36. Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos. ...
  5. 5 / 36. Huevos Rancheros. ...
  6. 6 / 36. Cheesy Potato Quesadillas with Chipotle Mayo. ...
  7. 7 / 36. Mexican Beef Enchiladas. ...
  8. 8 / 36. Chicken Burritos.
Apr 10, 2024

How to make tortillas taste like restaurant? ›

10 Tips For Making Store-Bought Tortillas Taste Restaurant...
  1. Char them. ...
  2. Toast them in the oven. ...
  3. Fry them. ...
  4. Add water before warming. ...
  5. Steam them to keep them moist. ...
  6. Heat flour tortillas in butter. ...
  7. If you must use a microwave, wrap tortillas in plastic or a damp towel. ...
  8. Heat in large batches in the oven.
Jul 10, 2023

What can I do with excess flour tortillas? ›

7 Ways To Utilize Leftover Taco Shells and Flour Tortillas
  1. Nachos. Break the taco shells and create delicious nachos with cheese, beans, olives, guacamole and other fan-favorite ingredients. ...
  2. Breakfast Tacos. ...
  3. Salad Topping. ...
  4. Chicken Quesadillas. ...
  5. Tortilla Pinwheels. ...
  6. Tortilla Pizza. ...
  7. Cinnamon And Sugar Tortilla Chips.
Aug 13, 2022

What culture eats tortillas? ›

It is part of the daily food repertoire throughout Mexico, whose gastronomy and culture has influenced those of many Central American countries and some states in the U.S.

Is it unhealthy to eat tortillas everyday? ›

Tortillas, like bread, are healthy when eaten in moderation to avoid going over recommended carb and calorie intakes. Eating a few tortillas stuffed with nutrient-packed ingredients can form part of a healthy diet. USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov: "What Foods Are in the Grains Group?"

Why do Mexican restaurants give you two tortillas? ›

Mexicans fondly refer to this as 'la copia' (literally: the copy). If you ask around, you'll be given many reasons for this. But a popular explanation is that the second tortilla can be used to make another taco with any fillings that spill out the side.

Why do people fry tortillas? ›

The quick fry does a couple of things.

First, it creates a barrier on the surface of the tortilla that allows the tortilla to absorb some sauce—but avoid completely disintegrating. Second, it adds flavor; the sugar in the tortilla starts to caramelize and the proteins brown. Finally, it adds richness from the oil.

How to fry up tortillas? ›

As soon as the oil is hot, use tongs to place one tortilla into the pan. It should sizzle immediately. Cook each tortilla for about 10 to 15 seconds. Flip it over and fold the shell in half, holding in place with the tongs until crispy, another 15 seconds or so.

How do Mexicans heat up their tortillas? ›

Take a tip from Mexican restaurants and steam your tortillas to warm them. They retain their flavor and texture, without getting too soft or too crisp. Steam-warming tortillas is a great way to heat them up before using without adding any extra fat, requiring a gas stove, or getting them too crisp.

What to do with tortillas before they go bad? ›

A: We recommend that you refrigerate your tortillas after purchase to help extend the shelf life. Even though our packages are re-sealable, once the package is open storing your tortillas in a cool refrigerator helps them last through the shelf life. It's important to store your tortillas at a steady temperature.

Are too many flour tortillas bad? ›

Flour tortillas are much higher in saturated fat than corn. You need to watch this number if you're concerned about your heart health—eating too much of it can raise your bad cholesterol and put you at risk for heart disease.

Why do flour tortillas go bad? ›

If you've opened your tortilla package, they'll last for a few days until the air gets to them. You can make them last slightly longer if you wrap them in aluminum foil. But they will eventually start to harden, smell bad, and look moldy. At this point - throw them away!

Can tortillas be frozen? ›

Tortillas are one of the most freezer-friendly baked goods out there: As long as they're properly wrapped, they'll maintain their flavor and texture excellently for up to 6 months. Even better, they're easy and speedy to defrost once you're ready to use them.

When should you throw away tortillas? ›

If you see signs of mold growth or changes in color, it's time to say "So long, tortillas!" Any color changes such as a green tinge, dark spots, or unusual spots of any kind are signs of spoilage. In spinach tortillas you may have a tougher time checking for the green-tinge, but err on the side of caution.

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