Cassava Flour Tortillas

SO it's been just over 2 months since I adopted the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Diet, which I'll be doing until June or so.

It’s basically an event more restrictive version of the paleo diet.

It has been interesting, learning the ins and outs of it, and finding out what works best with our tastes and ... desire to cook on any given day!

After a couple not-great attempts at making tortillas, I've settled on this as not only my go-to grain-free tortillas recipe, but a regular rotation menu item here - we do fish tacos at least once a week!

These cassava tortillas became a quick favorite in our house, for a few reasons. They are easy to make (easier than regular flour tortillas, IMHO), taste great, and have a wonderfully chewy texture.

I’ll make up a double or triple batch of these, and some fillings... just keeping them in the fridge for a quick meal option.

It’s been a great way to stick to the diet, and I’ll definitely be making these as a good grain-free alternative even when I’m no longer on AIP, specifically.

Cassava Flour Tortilla Recipe Variations

Usually, I'll make this original recipe as-is, for a basic, fairly neutral tortilla.

Sometimes, I'll add a little garlic powder and/or onion powder, for just a hint of flavour. I'll usually do this for my Paleo Fish Tacos (topped with Mango Salsa!).

Sometimes - as is the case with my AIP / Paleo Shawarma - I'll add even more flavour!
While I LOVE the gluten-free tortillas recipe * I developed for Beyond Flour: A Fresh Approach to Gluten-Free Cooking & Baking, to be honest... this recipe is tasty and a lot less ingredients-intensive.

Amazing what you can learn, when you have to adapt to increasingly more restrictive dietary needs!

I'd never used cassava flour before last month, and now I have something new and fun to experiment with!

* Don’t need to be AIP / Paleo? I’ve since posted that gluten free tortilla recipe to the blog, along with another fun gluten-free alternative - Hybrid Tortillas.

So many homemade tortillas options for your taco night!

Ingredients

While many grain free tortilla recipes contain this like coconut flour, xanthan gum, tapioca flour and/or apple cider vinegar, this recipe is even more basic, using just 3 simple ingredients, and water!

Cassava Flour

Cassava flour is a grain-free flour, made from the cassava root (AKA Yuca root).

Not only is it paleo and AIP friendly, it’s the closest thing that any single flour comes to being an all purpose flour, of all the gluten-free flours. (Not talking about blends)

It doesn’t behave exactly like wheat flour, but it’s definitely the closest I’ve seen from any of the individual flour alternative types.

Cassava flour is available under different brands, with Anthony's Cassava Flour, Otto’s Cassava Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Cassava Flour being the two main ones. (That I’ve had access to, anyway!).

Note: Cassava flour is not the same thing as tapioca flour / tapioca starch.

While they’re both made from cassava / yucca, tapioca starch/flour only incorporates the starch from the plant, rather than the whole root.

You can swap them in certain cases, but NOT for this recipe.

Lard

I use lard exclusively when making these, as it’s easy to come by, very shelf stable, cheap, and works for me.

That said, it is a pork product, so some people will want to use something else. Solid coconut oil is AIP compliant, and an easy sub.

I haven’t tried substituting olive oil or avocado oil, but I imagine they’d work too.

If you don’t need to stick to AIP / Paleo, Crisco or another vegetable shortening should work fine.

Salt

Table salt works fine, so does sea salt.

Equipment For Cassava Flour Tortillas

Tortilla Press

Now, after the first couple attempts at making tortillas, I decided to break one of my big kitchen rules: "No single-purpose items!"... and bought a tortilla press.

I hesitated at first, not sure how much of a difference using a tortilla press method would make, or how often I'd use it.

... and I don't regret a thing!

There's no way I'd be making tacos as often as I do, without this. I can press out a thin tortilla in far less time!

Absolutely worth the (reasonable!) price and storage space, it's definitely a frustration-saver.

I always ended up with thicker tortillas when using a rolling pin, this is just SO much easier and more consistent.

THIS is the one I bought, and I definitely recommend it.

I don't have a lot of experience with tortillas presses, though, so for all I know, the more expensive ones are better.

I just know that this makes things so quick and easy, I have no complaints at all!

It’s also great for making homemade corn tortillas, though those aren’t paleo, AIP, or grain-free.

Some day, I might buy a larger one and start making larger wraps. This recipe would probably be good for 2-3 large wraps.

Parchment Paper

You’ll want sheets of parchment paper to press your cassava flour tortillas out on.

Note: Unbleached parchment paper works great, I haven’t tested wax paper with this recipe.

How to Make Cassava Flour Tortillas

The actual recipe follows at the end of the post, but here’s a pictorial overview for the technique!

Measure the cassava flour and salt into a food processor, blitz to combine.

Add lard to the processor, blitz just a few times to break up the lard and distribute a little.

With clean or gloved hands, pinch a little of the mixture together. It should hold well, without being sticky.

If it doesn't hold together, add a small amount of water - just a few drops at a time - combine, and test again. If it's sticky, add a little more cassava flour, combine, and test again.

Dump tortilla dough mixture out onto a clean work surface, and gently knead to form a coherent ball of dough - without overworking it.

Divide dough ball into 6 equal portions.

Form each portion into a ball, flatten slightly into a disk shape.

Cut two pieces of parchment paper slightly bigger than the surfaces of your tortilla press.

Lay one piece of parchment paper over the bottom surface of your press, center one disk of dough over the paper, and top with the second piece of parchment paper. Press firmly.

I like to turn the dough 90 degrees after the first press, and press a second time.

Repeat with the other 5 dough pieces.

Heat a large nonstick pan, flat griddle, or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Don’t use any oil!

Depending on the size, cook 1-3 of the tortillas for a couple minutes on each side, until dry, cooked through, and slightly browning on the high points.

Leftovers

Leftover tortillas can be cooled to room temperature before being transferred to an airtight container for storage in the fridge. (Good for a few days, at least).

For best results, I like to separate tortillas with a small piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap, to prevent sticking.

To reheat, warm tortilla rounds in a nonstick pan over medium heat, until warm and pliable.

Note: They reheat so well, I usually make a double batch. Efficiency!

Handmade Option

No food processor?

Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add lard to the dry ingredients, use a potato masher or fork to break the lard up into little pieces, evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Add water, mix to combine. Proceed with the rest of the recipe, as stated above.

More Paleo Recipes

Looking for more recipes that are not only gluten-free, but grain free - or AIP friendly? Here are a few more options!

AIP Bread Stuffing
AIP / Paleo Flatbread
AIP / Paleo Ranch Dressing
Calamansi Paleo Panna Cotta
Mango Salsa for Fish Tacos
Paleo Chicken Pad Thai
Paleo Chicken Shawarma
Paleo Fish Tacos
Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi [AIP]
Quick Beet Pickles [AIP & Paleo]

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