6 Quick & Easy Ways to Fold or Roll a Tortilla

Wraps, burritos, tacos, roll-ups… there are endless ways you can fold a tortilla to hold all your favorite ingredients. One pro tip: before you start wrapping and rolling, make sure to warm your tortilla over the stove or in the microwave so it’s flexible enough to fold. Here’s your ultimate guide to fold any tortilla, any way you want it!

Rolling a Basic Wrap: Quick Guide

Warm your tortilla so it doesn't tear and place your fillings in the center. Fold the bottom edge over the fillings, then fold in both sides. Grab the bottom fold and wrap the tortilla up in a tight roll, working from bottom to top. Continue rolling until you reach the top edge.

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

1 tortilla, any type and any size
2 Tbsp to 1.5 cups (30 ml to 375 ml) filling of your choice

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

How to Fold a Wrap

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1
Warm your tortilla and fill the center with your ingredients. Spoon the filling just below the center of the tortilla.^{[1]
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Research source} Arrange your ingredients in a straight line evenly across, not in a single pile in the center.
- For small tortillas, leave 1 inch (2.5 cm) on both ends free of toppings. For larger tortillas, you may need to leave 2 inches (5 cm) on each end.
- Warming tortillas in an oven: Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Wrap a stack of eight tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Warming tortillas on the stove: Turn one burner on medium heat. Grab one tortilla with a pair of tongs and hold it over the burner for a few seconds, occasionally swapping sides. Remove once it softens and starts to turn brown.
- Warm tortillas in the microwave: Wrap a stack of eight in a clean, semi-damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave the stack on full power for 30 to 45 seconds.
2
Fold the bottom of the tortilla up over the filling. Hold the end of the tortilla that runs alongside the line of toppings. Gently fold it up so it covers the fillings entirely or by at least 1 in (2.5 cm).^{[2]
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- If your wrap has a lot of filling inside, push the filling back inside the folded edge of the tortilla with your fingers as you roll it over.^{[3]
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- For a more secure fold, hold the other edge of the tortilla up so that the filling slides down into the folded edge.
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3
Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla over the folded end. With one hand holding the folded edge, fold the other two sides of the tortilla tightly over it to create an envelope shape.^{[4]
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- Push the fillings into the pocket as you fold the edges to keep them contained within the wrap.^{[5]
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4
Roll the tortilla around the filling and serve. Holding the tortilla pocket holding the fillings firmly with both hands, roll the tortilla until the open edge is pressed against the side of the wrap.^{[6]
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Research source} Enjoy your wrap as-is or secure the tortilla with toothpicks.
- Optionally, place the seam of the wrap on a hot pan for a few seconds to seal the edge.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Folding a Burrito

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1
Spread the filling across the tortilla, slightly below the center. Warm the tortilla on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave to make it pliable. The key to rolling a burrito so it doesn’t leak is to make sure not to overfill it. Spread a small amount of the filling horizontally across the tortilla so it sits slightly off-center.^{[8]
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- Warming tortillas in an oven: Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Wrap a stack of tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Warming tortillas on the stove: Turn a burner on medium heat. Grab one tortilla with a pair of tongs and hold it over the burner for a few seconds, occasionally swapping sides. Remove once it softens and starts to turn brown.
- Warm tortillas in the microwave: Wrap a stack of eight in a clean, semi-damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave the stack on full power for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Make sure that there is enough room at each end of the tortilla to prevent the filling from falling out. If you have a smaller tortilla, 1 inch (2.5 cm) might be enough. For larger tortillas, you may need up to 2 inches (5 cm) on each end.
2
Fold the sides of the tortilla in toward the center. With both hands, bring both sides in toward the center. This creates a pocket, or envelope shape, for the fillings to sit inside of. If the fillings start to spill out of the top of the tortilla, take a little bit out.^{[9]
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- As you fold, some of the fillings might slide down to the bottom of the tortilla or over the center mark. This is fine as long as none of the filling slides off the lower edge.
3
Bring the bottom of the tortilla up, pushing the filling inside the pocket. Use your thumbs to bring up the bottom of the tortilla, wrapping it up and over the fillings as well as the lower portion of your folded sides. Continue rolling until the fillings are tucked inside the tortilla.^{[10]
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- Tuck the edges of the tortilla in towards your fillings as you roll to ensure that nothing falls out of either end when you eat it later.
- Make sure that each fold you make as you roll the tortilla up is as tight as possible. Squeeze the roll back toward you a little each time to ensure a tight roll.
4
Tightly roll the tortilla around itself and serve. Continue rolling the tortilla until the open edge is pressed tightly against the side of the burrito. From here, you can cut the burrito in half or eat it uncut.^{[11]
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- Add any toppings you’d like on top of your folded burrito, like shredded cheese, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, or chile sauce.
- Optionally, heat the seam of the burrito on a hot pan for a few seconds to seal it.^{[12]
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- You can also place a few toothpicks in the seam to keep it secure.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

How to Fold a Soft Taco or Quesadilla

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1
Spread the filling over half of the tortilla. Spread the filling evenly over one side of the tortilla so that it stops short of the rounded edge by about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm). If you’re making a quesadilla, sprinkle enough cheese on the top and bottom of your ingredients—the cheese will act as a glue, sealing both sides of the tortilla around your filling.^{[13]
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- Warming tortillas in an oven: Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Warming tortillas on the stove: Turn one burner on medium heat. Hold one tortilla with tongs over the burner for a couple of seconds, occasionally flipping it. Remove it once it softens and starts to turn brown.
- Warm tortillas in the microwave: Wrap a stack of tortillas in a semi-damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave on full power for 30 to 45 seconds.
- If you have a square tortilla shell, divide the shell in half diagonally rather than lengthwise.
2
Fold the uncovered half over and toast the sides if you’d like to. Bring the untouched half of the tortilla shell up and over so that it completely covers the filling, with both edges overlapping evenly. If you’re making a taco, serve it immediately. If your goal is a quesadilla, place it in the oven at 350 to 400 °F (177 to 204 °C) for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.^{[14]
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- You can also toast both sides of your quesadilla in a pan on the stove with a little bit of oil, or brush both sides with oil and close it in a waffle iron or panini press for 5 minutes.
- Press the edges together firmly to pinch them in place.
3
Serve your tortilla as it is or cut it into wedges. If you’re making a taco, simply eat the taco as it is. For quesadillas and other similar dishes, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the tortilla into 3 to 5 wedges and serve it hot.
- If your soft taco is stuffed to the brim, stick a toothpick in the top of the two sides to keep it together as you eat.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

How to Roll Tortillas

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1
Warm up your tortilla and spread the filling out to the edge. Warm your tortilla ahead of time. Spread flat pieces of cheese or meat across the entire surface of the tortilla. Spoon 2 tbsp (30 ml) or so of any fillings or sauces you want into the center of the tortilla and spread it evenly over the surface.^{[15]
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- This folding technique tends to work best with sliced deli meats, flat greens, soft cheeses, chutneys, or thick spreads, not crumbly fillings like ground beef or shredded cheese.
- Warming tortillas in an oven: Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and heat them in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Warming tortillas on the stove: Turn one burner on medium heat. Hold one tortilla with a pair of tongs over the burner for a few seconds, occasionally swapping sides. Remove once it softens and starts to turn brown.
- Warm tortillas in the microwave: Wrap tortillas in a clean, semi-damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave the stack on full power for 30 to 45 seconds.
2
Roll the tortilla over the filling. Hold the bottom edge of the tortilla and start rolling it so that the bottom side of the tortilla rolls on top of the fillings inside. This will create a spiral shape, with the tortilla and the fillings as two different layers inside the roll.^{[16]
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- Wrap tightly so there’s minimal air in the center of the wrap.^{[17]
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- This process is very similar to how you would wrap a jelly roll.
3
Serve as-is or slice it into ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) pieces. Cut the roll-up perpendicularly along the tortilla to create ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) wide spirals.^{[18]
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Research source} For a little extra flare, position your knife diagonally along the tortilla to get a wider edge on each side of the spiral.
- If you’re using cream cheese in your recipe, refrigerate your roll-ups for at least an hour before cutting into them.^{[19]
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Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Folding a Tri-Fold Wrap

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1
Lightly heat your tortilla and arrange the filling down the center. Spread the filling down the center of your tortilla in a straight line. Make sure to leave 1/2 to 1 inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) of space at each end so that the filling does not fall out as you fold the tortilla.^{[20]
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- Warming tortillas in an oven: Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Wrap your tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Warming tortillas on the stove: Turn a burner on medium heat. Grab a tortilla with tongs and hold it over the burner for a few seconds, flipping occasionally. Remove once it softens and starts to brown.
- Warm tortillas in the microwave: Wrap your tortillas in a clean, semi-damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave the stack on full power for 30 to 45 seconds.
- For a square tortilla, draw a line of filling from one corner of the shell to its diagonal opposite.
- This fold is not as secure as the ones above, so it’s best to use it for larger fillings like sliced deli meats and sauteed vegetables that are less likely to spill out.
2
Fold one side of the wrap towards the middle. Bring the side of the tortilla toward the center so it extends just past the middle of the tortilla. This will create one side of your tortilla wrap.^{[21]
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- Make sure that the filling is completely covered by this side of the wrap.
- Alternatively, fold the end of the tortilla perpendicular to the filling, then fold the other two edges over that. This creates a nice pocket to hold your toppings while you eat.
3
Bring the other edge of the tortilla over the folded side. Fold the other side of the wrap over the filling and the first side of the tortilla. Wrap this side around the previously folded edge and around, tucking it beneath the bottom of the tortilla to hold it in place.^{[22]
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- Fold the tortilla as tightly as possible without breaking it. To make the fold tighter, gently push the filling against the sealed fold while folding over the second side.
Eat the tortilla as it is. If the folded tortilla starts to come apart, stick a toothpick in the middle so it pins both edges of the tortilla to the bottom side.^{[23]
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Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Rolling a Cone-Shaped Wrap

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1
Warm up your tortilla and spread the filling near the edge. Spoon the filling over your tortilla so that it stops just short of the edge, roughly 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) all the way around.^{[24]
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- This works better with solid fillings, like diced or sliced vegetables, spreads, sliced deli meat, fruit, or large chunks of meat or fish, not fillings that have watery sauces or small pieces.
- Warming tortillas in an oven: Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Wrap a stack of tortillas in aluminum foil and heat them in your preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Warming tortillas on the stove: Turn one burner on medium heat. Grab one tortilla with a pair of tongs and hold it over the burner for a few seconds, occasionally swapping sides. Remove once it softens and starts to turn brown.
- Warm tortillas in the microwave: Wrap your tortillas in a clean, semi-damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave on full power for 30 to 45 seconds.
2
Cut the tortilla into 4 wedges. Cut it down the vertical center once and the horizontal center once to divide the tortilla into 4 equal pieces. Each piece will create one tortilla cone.^{[25]
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- To make larger cones, cut the tortillas in half.^{[26]
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- Alternatively, start with an empty tortilla and cut a slit from the center to the edge. Roll the tortilla to create a cone and fill it with your toppings.^{[27]
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3
Fold each wedge into a cone and serve. Wrap the tortilla around the filling from one rounded corner to the other. The straight edges will come together, the curved edge creating the opening of the cone.^{[28]
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Research source} Keep it secured with a toothpick if the tortilla shell seems loose.
- Imagine a diagonal line connecting the rounded corners. Fold one corner into the tortilla, gradually rolling it toward that other corner along the imaginary diagonal line.
- Alternatively, fold one of these rounded corners over so that it meets the other rounded corner. Press the edges together to seal them.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I eat a hard shell taco without making a huge mess on myself or the table?

Community Answer

It's impossible. Lean over your plate and try to let the crumbs fall there instead.

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How can I warm a tortilla without a microwave?

Community Answer

You can warm it directly over a gas top stove or using a pan. Either way should be fine. If you have a toaster oven you could put it in there for a few seconds.

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Tips

A warm tortilla is less likely to crack than a cold or room-temperature tortilla.^{[29]
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For the burrito and wrap methods, make sure the filling takes up no more than one-fourth of the total area of the tortilla.

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