Fresh spinach and a few pantry staples come together in this spinach tortilla recipe for soft homemade flour tortillas with a lovely green color. Fill them with warm beans and avocado, fold them around scrambled eggs, or add cheese for a quesadilla.
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A bag of spinach can sit in the fridge for days while I keep reaching past it for something else. Blend it into tortilla dough, though, and suddenly I’m thinking about lunch: warm beans, sliced avocado, pickled onions, maybe a little cheese. The spinach has a much better chance of making it to the table now.
Then comes my favorite part—the first tortilla hitting the skillet. Little bubbles rise, brown spots appear underneath, and it’s time to flip. Tuck it into a towel, roll the next one, and soon there’s a warm stack waiting. I’d get the fillings out before someone decides the tortillas are lunch all by themselves.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Spinach Tortillas
- Fresh spinach in every batch. The leaves blend into a smooth spinach puree.
- A short ingredients list. All-purpose flour, olive oil, and pantry seasonings do most of the work.
- No dairy or eggs. Choose plant-based fillings to keep the whole meal vegan.
- Plenty of ways to serve them. Think breakfast wraps, sandwich wraps, and spinach quesadillas.
- No press required. A rolling pin gives you control over thickness.
What Makes These Different from Regular Wraps?
These are flour tortillas with spinach blended into the liquid. The spinach flavor is mild, while garlic powder and onion powder give the dough savory seasoning.
They follow the same basic idea as my homemade flour tortillas: make a soft dough, let it rest, roll thinly, and cook briefly. My corn tortillas use masa harina and a different dough, so those methods aren’t interchangeable.
Spinach Tortilla Ingredients
- Fresh spinach: Tender leaves give these tasty green tortillas their color; baby spinach saves you from trimming thick stems.
- Warm water: Water helps blend the spinach and hydrate the flour; comfortably warm water works without putting boiling hot water into a sealed blender.
- Olive oil: Oil helps keep the dough tender, and California Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my usual choice; neutral cooking oil also works.
- All-purpose flour: This gives the wraps their structure and stretch; whole-wheat flour changes the texture and water needs.
- Sea salt: Fine sea salt seasons the dough evenly; fine table salt works in the same amount.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: These add savory flavor without extra moisture.
How to Make Spinach Tortillas
Step 1: Blend the Fresh Spinach
- Combine the fresh spinach, olive oil, and hot water in your food processor.
- Puree on high until you get a bright green, spinach puree with no visible bits of leaves.
Step 2: Mix the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Pour the green spinach mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Stir with a spoon until a soft dough starts to form. If the mix feels dry, add extra warm water in small amounts(1-2 tablespoons of water at a time) so you do not end up with much liquid.
Step 3: Knead and Dough Rest
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2–3 minutes until smooth.
- Divide into 8 equal portions and roll each into a smooth dough ball.
- Cover the dough balls loosely with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel for a 15-20 minutes dough rest. Resting relaxes the gluten, making rolling out much easier.
Step 4: Roll
- Heat your nonstick pan or non-stick skillet over medium heat to medium-high heat.
- Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface until is as thin as you can make it, dusting with flour as you go to prevent sticking.
Step 5: Cook the Tortillas
- Place the dough onto the dry, hot skillet over medium high heat.
- Cook for 45–60 seconds until tiny bubbles form and you see nice brown spots underneath.
- Flip and cook the second side for another 15-20 seconds (or up to 1-2 minutes total). Avoid overcooking so they stay soft and flexible.
- Transfer cooked tortillas directly to a clean kitchen towel to stack and steam, or let them sit briefly on a cooling rack if not eating right away.
What I Watch for the First Time
- Dough that feels soft. If it’s stiff or crumbly, add a little water. If it coats your fingers in paste, pause before adding more.
- A light dusting of flour. Enough to prevent sticking is plenty. A thick blanket on the counter gets worked into the dough and can dry it out.
- Dough that rolls without shrinking. If it keeps pulling back, cover it and give it another few minutes. Get your fillings ready while you wait.
- A pan that browns without scorching. Use the first tortilla to check the heat, then adjust.
Perfect circles? Entirely optional. A lopsided tortilla holds beans just fine.
My Favorite Ways to Fill Them
- Beans and avocado: Start with refried beans or black beans, avocado, and pickled onions.
- Chicken: Try pollo con crema, pollo empanizado or pollo guisado
- Mushrooms: Fill with mushroom carnitas and salsa de aguacate.
- Beef: Almost any of these beef recipes
- Breakfast: Wrap a spinach tortilla around squares of chile relleno casserole
- Cheese: Use them to scoop up gooey queso flameado
Storage and Reheating
Let leftovers cool to room temperature before sealing in an airtight container or in a resealable bag. A cooling rack is optional. Refrigerate for up to five days, checking for spoilage before eating.
Reheat under a lightly damp paper towel for about ten seconds in the microwave, adding more time if needed, or warm briefly in a dry skillet.
FAQs
Absolutely. A rolling pin actually works much better than a tortilla press. The press won’t get the tortillas thin enough. If you’d like to use a tortilla press, flatten a tortilla ball between parchment or food-safe plastic in the press, then finish with a rolling pin.
Dry dough, too much dusting flour, or overcooking can make them crack. Keep the dough on the wet side, only use as much flour to roll out the tortillas as necessary, and stack cooked tortillas inside a clean kitchen towel or in a tortilla warmer.
Whole-wheat flour changes the texture and water needs, so expect a heartier wrap. I’d start with the all-purpose flour version before experimenting.
Homemade Spinach Tortilla Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Blend the spinach. Combine the 2 cups packed fresh spinach, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1/4 cup olive oil in a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Mix the dough. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder. Add the spinach puree and stir until a soft dough forms. If dry flour remains, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition. It's better for the dough to be on the wet side and to use more flour during the rolling process.
- Knead and rest. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2–3 minutes until smooth. Divide into 8 portions for large tortillas or 10–12 for medium tortillas. Roll into balls, cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and rest for 15–20 minutes.
- Roll the tortillas. Heat a large dry skillet or comal over medium heat, adjusting toward medium-high as needed. Roll each dough ball into a thin, even round on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin, using only as much flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. Keep the remaining dough covered. If using a tortilla press, flatten between parchment or food-safe plastic, then finish with a rolling pin.
- Cook and cover. Remove any parchment or plastic before placing a tortilla in the skillet. Cook for 45–60 seconds, until bubbles and brown spots appear underneath. Flip and cook for another 15–20 seconds, or until no wet-looking dough remains, allowing approximately 1–2 minutes total. Stack the cooked tortillas inside a clean kitchen towel, keeping them covered so they stay soft.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover healthy spinach wraps in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 10 seconds in a microwave or dry pan to restore pliability.
- Meal Prep: Making a double batch or big batch is a great way to prep ahead for a healthy breakfast, breakfast wraps, or weeklong lunch wraps.
- Gluten-Free Wraps: To adapt into gluten-free spinach tortillas, swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, or experiment with a mix of cassava flour and tapioca flour.
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