There's A Better Way To Microwave Store-Bought Tortillas

Few things are as quick and versatile as a tortilla when you want to eat something in a hurry. Filling a tortilla is even easier than making a sandwich, so on those days when you don't feel like cooking, you can't go wrong. And while a good quality, homemade tortilla might be best, store bought tortillas work in a pinch. You still want to heat them up before you use them, though, right? The thing is, if you're short on time and want to use the microwave, don't just toss them in there all loosey goosey. There's a better way! You need to steam them with a damp paper towel.

To clarify right off the bat, this is not the best way to heat up a tortilla by any means. But if you have to do it, this can work as a quick solution when a better method is not an option. Put as many as four or five tortillas in a stack on a microwave-safe plate and then cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave for about 30 seconds and that's it.

There's a possibility your tortillas will come out a little gummy this way, especially the one that was on top, but it shouldn't be too bad. Remember, this is just a method for when you're short on time. But it prevents your tortillas from drying out like they normally do when you microwave them. Just keep them covered until you're ready to eat them and they should remain soft and warm.

Ideally, if you had the time and means, you would make fresh tortillas when you wanted some. Failing that, you could buy nixtamalized corn tortillas. But if you're using store-bought tortillas, there's no shame in that, either. One of the best ways to heat flour tortillas is to wrap them in foil and bake them in the oven for around 10 minutes. If you have corn tortillas, a vegetable steamer is a great way to heat them while keeping them moist and delicious. It takes about the same amount of time.

Normally, using the microwave will result in a poor quality tortilla. Microwaves don't just dry out tortillas. They can break down elements like preservatives and vegetable shortening used in the production of store-bought tortillas. That can alter the texture and taste, which is why microwaves are not ideal. The steaming method works better because the microwave is not the only thing doing the work. The steam helps heat the tortillas while preserving more of the flavor and texture you want and keeping them moist with more even heating. You'll have something close to restaurant quality tortillas in seconds.

As long as you use the tortillas fairly quickly after steaming them in the microwave, they should work well. For larger batches, such as when making tacos for a group, let people take tortillas as they are ready rather than heating too many at once. If you stack too many up, the ones further down in the stack won't benefit as much from the steam.