Can You Freeze Tortillas? How?

If you are looking to freeze and store tortillas, this comprehensive guide can help you out. 

I have found these methods and tips to work like a charm. So, let’s get started. 

How to Freeze Tortillas?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Whether you have bought extra packets of tortillas or have some homemade ones, you can use this method to freeze them. 

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Materials

• Tortillas
• Parchment Paper

Tools

• Ziploc Bags

Instructions

1. Prep and Cool: If it is freshly made tortillas, let it first cool down to room temperature.
   
   
2. Separate the Tortillas: If you freeze the tortillas together, they can be stubborn to separate once they thaw. So, separate the tortillas and place a layer of parchment paper between each tortilla.
   
   
3. Portion and Bag: You can place the separated tortillas into Ziploc bags after portioning them. This way, you can easily take out one bag and defrost it rather than opening and sealing one bag multiple times.
   
   
4. Seal, Label, and Freeze: Seal the Ziploc bag, making sure to remove all the excess air inside. Then add a label with the best-before date, and you are all set to freeze the tortillas.
   
   You could check out this video by “America’s Test Kitchen” on YouTube to see how it’s done -

Freezing Tortilla Dough

If you have some tortilla dough that you don’t plan to use any time soon, you can freeze them with this method.

Roll and Lay Out

Roll the tortilla dough into individual balls. Then lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, making sure to evenly space them. 

Flash Freeze

Leave the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight and let the dough freeze solid. 

Wrap Them

Using come cling, wrap cover each ball of tortilla dough. This makes it easy to separate them later on. 

Pack and Seal

Transfer the wrapped dough into freezer-safe air-tight containers or Ziploc bags and seal them. When sealing the Ziploc bag, make sure to squeeze out all the excess air. 

Label and Freeze

Add a label on the bag with the best before date, and you are ready to freeze them till you need it next. 

How Long Can You Freeze Tortillas? 

You can freeze tortillas for 6 to 8 months. But they have the best taste and quality if you consume them within the first two months of freezing them.

The longer it stays in the freezer, the more it dries out and loses its texture. 

Store-bought tortillas tend to fare better in the freezer than homemade ones. But in any case, two months is the golden time to use up the tortillas. 

If you are freezing tortilla dough, it is best to use it within a month or two. 

How to Store Frozen Tortilla? 

You can store frozen tortillas in any freezer-safe air-tight container or Ziploc bag.

The key is to make sure that they are well separated so that they don’t stick together and that they are not exposed to air or freezer burns. 

Since most of us are pressed for freezer space, Ziploc bags are our best bet.

You can place 5 – 10 tortillas in one bag so that you can easily pull out a bag at a time rather than having to open and seal a bag or container every time you want to take out a few. 

You could freeze store-bought tortillas in its packaging if it has been unopened.

But it might get difficult to separate them later on, especially if it is a flour tortilla. So, it is better to transfer them into Ziploc bags before freezing. 

How to Defrost Tortillas? 

The best way to defrost tortillas, or tortilla dough, is to leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours to let them thaw gradually.

You could also thaw the tortillas on the counter if you are defrosting only a couple of them. Each tortilla should take about 2 to 10 minutes to thaw depending on its thickness. 

If you are in a hurry, you could microwave the tortillas to defrost them.

But keep in mind that the corn tortillas can get soggy and chewy while the flour tortillas can dry out and tear when it is microwaved. So, it is best not to use this method. 

Once it is defrosted the tortillas can be used up within 24 to 36 hours. You can heat it on a pan, a cast iron grill, or in a toaster. 

Can You Refreeze Tortillas? 

Yes, you can refreeze tortillas, but it is best advised not to. Repeated freezing can make the tortillas lose their texture, and they won’t taste as great as freshly made ones. 

The best way to avoid having to refreeze tortillas is to take out only the number of tortillas you can manage to consume in one sitting.

An extra one or two wouldn’t be as big a deal as refreezing and thawing a whole batch of tortillas. 

Do Tortillas Freeze Well? 

Yes, tortillas freeze well, and they last for 6 months with little to no change in their texture or quality.

Store-bought tortillas freeze better than homemade ones. The added preservatives in them might be the reason behind this. 

Both corn and flour tortillas freeze well and are as good as fresh ones once they thaw. Tortilla dough also freezes well, although they last only for a month or two. 

FAQs

Bottom Line

I hope this article helped you freeze your favorite tortillas. 

If you have any doubts or would like to share some tips of your own, it would be lovely to hear from you. 

Feel free to share this article with all your friends and loved ones.