Sweet Potato Tortillas (3-Ingredient Skillet Recipe)

Sweet Potato Tortillas

Sweet potato gives these thin tortillas their orange-gold color and soft texture. The three-ingredient dough should feel slightly tacky but easy to shape; cooked sweet potatoes vary in moisture, so add extra flour only if you need it. Roll the rounds thin, cook them briefly in a dry skillet until lightly spotted, and keep the warm stack under a towel so the tortillas stay bendable. Serve them plain, with fillings on the side.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Tortillas

• 1 cup smoothly mashed cooked orange-fleshed sweet potato (about 200g), measured after cooking and peeling
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 150g), plus 1 to 2 tablespoons only if needed and a little for rolling
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Yield: 6 tortillas, about 7 inches each. Time: About 20 to 25 minutes prep and 15 to 20 minutes cooking; approximately 40 to 45 minutes total.

How to Make Sweet Potato Tortillas

1. Cook and mash the sweet potato: Pierce a whole orange-fleshed sweet potato and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for about 5 to 8 minutes, turning if needed, until it yields easily when pierced. Cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, and mash until smooth. Measure 1 cup, letting the mash cool further if it is still steaming hot.
2. Mix and rest the dough: Combine the measured sweet potato, 1 1/4 cups flour, and salt until no loose flour or wet patches remain. Knead briefly. The dough should be soft and slightly tacky but shapeable. If it clings heavily to your hands, work in extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time, using only what you need. Cover and rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Roll thin rounds: Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, keeping unused pieces covered. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a thin, fairly even round about 7 inches across. Slightly uneven edges are fine. If a round sticks when you lift it, dust the surface lightly with flour or roll it on parchment.
4. Cook one at a time: Preheat a dry 10- to 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat for several minutes. Lay in a tortilla and check the underside after about 1 minute. Flip once when toasted spots appear and the top begins to lose its raw look, usually after 1 to 2 minutes. Cook the second side for about 45 to 90 seconds, until lightly spotted and set. Lower the heat slightly if the spots darken before the center cooks through.
5. Stack and serve: Transfer each tortilla to a stack beneath a clean kitchen towel. Serve the plain tortillas warm, or cool them completely before packing them for storage.

Getting the Dough and Thickness Right

Measure the cooked sweet potato rather than starting with an unmeasured whole potato. Its moisture can still vary, so use the dough’s feel to decide whether it needs extra flour. Too much flour can make the finished tortillas stiff. A baked sweet potato also works; measure its cooled, peeled flesh the same way.

Roll the rounds thinly without leaving thick centers, which can stay doughy while the edges dry out. If a tortilla cracks when folded, roll the remaining pieces more evenly, avoid unnecessary flour, and stop cooking them as soon as they are lightly spotted and set.

Skillet Heat and Doneness

The skillet should be hot before the first tortilla goes in. If the dough sticks, check the pan heat and whether the dough is overly wet; if sticking persists, wipe the pan with a very light coating of oil. A few small blisters may form, but the tortillas do not need to puff. Remove each one while it still bends easily, rather than cooking it until crisp.

Can I Use a Different Flour?

This dough uses all-purpose flour. Gluten-free flours are not reliable cup-for-cup substitutes; they need a separately developed flour and binder formula.

How to Store and Reheat Sweet Potato Tortillas

Keep tortillas under a clean towel while serving them warm. For storage, cool them completely, separate with parchment if needed, and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Rewarm briefly in a warm skillet, or microwave a small stack wrapped in a paper towel for about 20 to 30 seconds, until pliable.

You can also freeze cooled tortillas with parchment between them for up to 3 months. Offer taco or wrap fillings separately; eggs and vegetables or beans and roasted vegetables work well.

For another sweet potato-based bread, try Sweet Potato Cornbread.

Nutrition

Approximate per tortilla (1 of 6): 120 calories, 3g protein, less than 1g fat, and 26g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g: 210 calories, 5g protein, less than 1g fat, and 44g carbohydrates, estimated from ingredient weights before skillet cooking. Added flour and moisture lost during cooking will change these estimates.