Easy Chicken Flautas Recipe

Easy Chicken Flautas recipe – crispy, crunchy, tortilla rolls filled with spicy chicken tinga and melty cheese and topped with all your favorite toppings – guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. The perfect appetizer, dinner, or snack. And so easy!

this recipe!

What are flautas?

Flautas are a popular Mexican dish of rolled tortillas with a savory filling.  They’re usually deep fried or shallow fried until crisp, but can also be baked in the oven or cooked in the air fryer.

Here we’re making flautas de pollo, Mexican flautas filled with chicken and cheese.

Flautas vs Taquitos

What’s the difference between flautas and taquitos? Flautas and taquitos are very similar. Both are stuffed, rolled, and fried tortillas. Often, flautas are made with flour tortillas and taquitos are made with corn tortillas, however the two names are used interchangeably.

Chicken Flautas with flour tortillas

I love the light, flaky, crispy texture of flautas made with flour tortillas. Plus, flour tortillas are a lot easier to work with.

Rolling corn tortillas can be tricky, and they dry out quickly which leads to the tortilla breaking. Flour tortillas are much easier to roll. Warm them in the microwave before rolling and they will be very pliable.

Super easy recipe

This Chicken Flautas recipe is super easy to make. The filling comes together in about 10 minutes. It uses shredded chicken that you can get from a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Or even make your own shredded chicken.

How to make

• Prepare the filling – we’re using a spicy, flavorful Chicken Tinga
• Fill and roll the tortillas
• Fry the flautas – or bake them in the oven or air fryer
• Top with all the toppings! Guacamole or avocado crema, pico de gallo, lettuce, and sour cream or Mexican crema

Chicken Tinga filling

• Sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Add the peppers, adobo sauce, tomatoes, oregano, vinegar, stock, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Blend in a blender or with a handheld blender until smooth.
• Return sauce to pan and add shredded chicken. Cook for a minute until the chicken is warmed.

Short cut: If you don’t want to bother with blending the sauce, just use crush tomatoes and chop the chipotle peppers before adding them to the sauce.

How to roll

• Warm the tortillas, 4 at a time, in the microwave until lightly warmed and soft, about 15 seconds.
• Keep the warmed tortillas covered with a kitchen towel so they stay soft.
• Lay out a tortilla on the counter. Put ⅓ cup of the chicken filling and 2 tablespoon of cheese across the lower third of the tortilla.
• Roll up tightly into a cylinder and secure it with a toothpick.
• Repeat with remaining tortillas.

How to cook

Flautas are usually deep or shallow fried, but they can also be baked in the oven or in the air fryer. They will lose some of their light and flaky texture, but they will be lighter significantly lower in calories.

How to fry

• Heat ½ inch oil in a pan (I like to use one with high sides for less mess) to 340° F.
• Cook the flautas in batches, 4 at a time, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
• Drain on paper towels.

How to bake

• Preheat the oven to 425° F.
• Place the flautas on a baking sheet and brush both sides with oil.
• Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 10-12 minutes.

In the air fryer

• Brush both sides of the flautas with oil or spray with cooking spray.
• Place in the air fryer in a single layer and cook at 400° until golden and crispy, about 6-8 minutes, flipping the flautas halfway through the cooking time.

How to serve

Remove the toothpick before serving. Flautas can be served plain or with all your favorite Mexican toppings:

• Guacamole
• Avocado crema
• Sour cream
• Mexican crema
• Pico de gallo
• Shredded lettuce
• Queso fresco

Tips for success

• Keep the tortillas soft. Warm them in the microwave for about 15 seconds to keep them pliable.
• Use toothpicks to close the flautas.
• Fry in 340° F oil. If the oil is too hot, the outside will darken too quickly before the inside is warmed and the cheese melted. If the oil isn’t hot enough, they will absorb too much oil.

FAQ

Can flautas be made in advance?

• Yes, fill and roll the flautas then refrigerate for up to 2 days before frying or baking.

Can flautas be frozen?

• Yes, flautas can be frozen either before or after cooking. Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a plastic freezer bag when firm.
• To cook: If frying or air frying, thaw before cooking. If baking in oven, they can be baked straight from the freezer.
• To reheat: Heat in a 350° oven until warmed through and crispy.

Recipe

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