The Best Way To Warm Tortillas For A Crowd

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

I have a big family, and when we all get together under one roof, it's typically to share a meal. But because there are so many of us, these meals are usually potlucks, with each family member bringing one or two dishes to share. And because we're Mexican, the food includes hot dishes like beef tacos, chile con carne, green chile chicken, beans, soup, tamales, rice, and of course, fresh tortillas. Whoever is hosting ends up being responsible for heating up tortillas for the crowd, and we each have our own way of handling the task.

My go-to method for heating flour or corn tortillas without drying them out is with a large, double-burner cast iron griddle. I prefer the Lodge Blacklock 10" x 20" Cast Iron Double Burner Griddle because I can use it indoors on the stovetop, outdoors on the barbecue, or even a park grill if we're having a picnic. I heat the pan over medium to medium-high heat, then dry-sear the tortillas for about 15 seconds on each side. The griddle is large enough to warm three or four large tortillas, or about eight small ones, at a time.

Warming your tortillas gives them the perfect texture for folding into burritos or scooping up meat, beans, and rice. The trick is to heat them quickly and serve them immediately, or store them properly until they are ready to eat. Toasting the tortillas gently and quickly on each side softens them without the risk of them getting dry and crumbly. If they are heated too long or left to sit uncovered, they will get hard and cracker-like as soon as they cool off.

If you don't have a double-burner griddle, there are definitely other pans you can use to warm tortillas quickly for a crowd. A wok is one of the best pans to use to heat up lots of tortillas at once, as heat is dispersed up the high walls of the pan, so you can use every inch of the surface to warm the tortillas. A Dutch oven or any other cast iron pan will also work, as will a ceramic pan like this GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick Double Burner Griddle Pan. I have also used an electric griddle in the past, and it works as well as a double-burner pan.

Because my family usually eats buffet-style, I hand off each tortilla to a guest as soon as it's heated, and just keep going until everyone has served themselves. However, if we're having a more formal sit-down dinner, I put the tortillas in a decorative straw basket with a terracotta warming stone, like this USEHP Basket with Lid and Terracotta Warmer Stone. The stone is heated on the stovetop or in the oven. It keeps the tortillas warm without letting them get hard and crispy like a cracker as they cool. You can also put the tortillas in any ceramic, cast iron, or stone dish that retains heat and cover them with foil, a warm cloth or towel, or use this parchment paper trick to keep tortillas warm for a party. These methods keep the tortillas from cooling and drying out. If I'm taking them to someone's house or if we're having a picnic, I'll fold or roll them and wrap them individually in foil, just like restaurants do.