Prepare yourselves for these incredible Chicken Flautas! I am an Arizona girl- I love my ground chicken tacos, but these might be my new favorite food!
When your craving easy, crispy Mexican-inspired comfort food, these Chicken Flautas are the way to go. Rolled up, golden-fried flour tortillas filled with seasoned shredded chicken and cheese are hard to beat. Want to mix it up? Try my Crispy Ground Beef Tacos or dig into our Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos recipe for a twist. Let’s roll.
Chicken Flautas at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 35 minutes (25 min prep + 10 min cook)
- 👪 Servings: 4–6 people
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Mexican / Tex-Mex
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Seasoned shredded chicken with melted Monterey Jack and green chiles, wrapped in flour tortillas and fried until crispy bold, cheesy and satisfying.
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains poultry (chicken), dairy (cheese), gluten (flour tortillas), not vegetarian.
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days; to freeze, bag them for up to 3 months.
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: A fun twist on tacos crunchy flautas filled with flavor and cheese, perfect for parties or a weeknight dinner that feels exciting.
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Why I Love This Recipe
I'm sure you've heard of Flautas before! And I'm sure you've heard of taquitos. At first glance, you might think they are the same thing. And while they both might be little roll ups of delicious fillings, they are in fact not quite the same. Homemade Chicken Taquitos (which I've made before and are heavenly) are made of corn tortillas and flautas are made of flour tortillas! Today we're making flautas and I know you guys are going to be hooked!
What's not to love about a flour tortillas filled with your favorite ingredients, rolled and pinned up and then lightly fried to toast? It's heaven. Chicken Flautas are crispy and a bit flakier than that of their taquito counterpart. I love stuffing mine with really simple ingredients like a store bought rotisserie chicken, plenty of cheese and taco seasoning. It doesn't have to be fancy or complicated! You can, of course, also use leftovers from the quick lemon roasted spatchcock chicken and make a meal plan with these and greek chicken stuffed pitas. And PSA: these are my current favorite flour tortillas!
Once the chicken flautas are stuffed, they get rolled! I like to use a little toothpick to secure the flour tortilla in place so they don't come unraveled. And then they get transferred into some frying oil to crisp up. Once they are golden and crisp, serve them up with the best guacamole ever, sour cream, homemade salsa, and homemade pico de gallo... the works!!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below
How to Make Chicken Flautas
Step 1: In a large bowl, stir together the taco seasoning and the chicken and toss to coat.
Step 2: Stir in the cheese and green chilies.
Step 3: Working with 1 tortilla at a time, spoon about ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of the tortilla. Use your fingers to press the chicken mixture into a tight line across the middle of the tortilla.
Step 4: Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling; secure the tortilla in place using one toothpick. (Weave the toothpick through the tortillas where they overlap to close, parallel to the roll). Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and tortillas.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 250°. Heat ½-inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until it registers 375°. Fry 4 flautas, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 6: Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet; keep warm in oven. Continue frying until all flautas are cooked. Serve hot with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
How to Store Chicken Flautas
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To warm through, I prefer putting them in the oven or toaster oven. An air fryer or microwave can also work.
How to Freeze Chicken Flautas
This makes for a great freezer meal. To freeze, place these in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also prep them and freeze them pre-frying, but I prefer freezing after they've been fried.
Quick Tips & Tricks
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken to keep things simple and delicious, I love that shortcut.
- Toss the chicken with taco seasoning first, then stir in cheese + chopped green chiles for layered flavor.
- Working one tortilla at a time, spoon about ⅓ cup filling, press it into a tight line, roll it tight.
- Secure each roll with a toothpick by weaving through the overlap — really helps prevent unraveling.
- Heat oil to ~375 °F (medium heat) and fry in batches until golden and crisp (1-2 minutes) then keep them warm in a 250 °F oven.
- Serve immediately with great toppings: sour cream, guacamole, pico, salsa. The toppings make them pop.
- These are freezer-friendly: you can prep ahead, freeze fully cooked for up to 3 months.
🔧 Extra pro tips & best practices - Warm the flour tortillas briefly (microwave in a damp towel for 10-15 seconds) so they roll without cracking or splitting.
- Don’t overfill the tortilla. Too much filling can make rolling hard and cause bursting while frying.
- Fry in shallow oil (about ½-inch) rather than deep fry easier to manage and still gives great crisp.
- Drain fried flautas on paper towels then transfer to a warm oven so they hold their crisp while you fry the rest.
- For extra crispiness, you can lightly spray or brush the rolled flautas with oil and bake or air-fry instead of deep-frying, lighter but still great crisp.
- Use a good melting cheese like Monterey Jack (as the recipe uses) — ensures gooey interior.
- Season the filling well. Taco seasoning + salt matter. But also taste the filling before rolling to adjust salt/pepper as needed.
- When using fillings that have moisture (green chiles, chicken juices), blot lightly so the tortilla doesn’t go soggy from inside.
- Toppings aren’t optional the contrast of creamy guac, fresh pico, tangy salsa lifts the flautas from “good” to “wow”.
- For leftovers: reheat in oven or toaster oven (NOT microwave) to preserve the crisp.
If freezing: freeze in a single layer first so they don’t stick together, then bag them up. - When reheating from frozen, bake at ~375°F until heated through and crisp.
Customize: toss a little of your own spice blend (for you maybe one of the Dalkin&Co. blends) into the chicken filling for your brand’s flair. - Presentation tip: serve on a long platter, arranged seam-side down, with a little ramekin of salsa and guac so it looks elevated perfect for entertaining.
Looking for a delicious salsa to dip these in? Check out my homemade Chipotle Salsa
🌮 5 Flavor Twists for Chicken Flautas
1. Chipotle Lime Flautas Toss your shredded chicken with a spoonful of chipotle peppers in adobo, a squeeze of lime juice, and a handful of cilantro. Smoky, spicy, and bright they taste like they came straight off a taco truck.
2. Garlic Herb Flautas Mix a little melted butter, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and thyme into your chicken before rolling. Brush the rolled flautas with that same garlicky butter before baking or frying they’ll be golden, crispy, and insanely aromatic.
3. Jalapeño Cheddar Flautas Add diced jalapeños and extra-sharp cheddar to the filling for a little heat and a lot of cheese pull. Serve with cool sour cream or ranch on the side to balance it out.
4. Citrus Verde Flautas Stir some salsa verde and fresh lime zest into the shredded chicken before rolling. It adds tang, brightness, and keeps the inside extra juicy. Perfect for spring or summer cooking.
5. Greek-Inspired Flautas Swap the taco seasoning for oregano, garlic, and lemon juice. Add feta and a touch of spinach to the filling, then serve with a quick tzatziki or lemon yogurt dip. Totally unexpected but so good.
FAQs
What are Chicken Flautas and where do they come from?
Mexican cuisine has given us a ton of amazing flavors, but none quite so tasty as chicken flautas! This traditional snack can be traced back hundreds of years and its name - derived from Spanish for "flute" – reflects their iconic shape. Filled with shredded chicken and fried until crispy, you'll often find them served up alongside some classic Mexican accompaniments like guacamole or salsa for dipping. Nowadays, they're popular all around the world in both restaurants and kitchens alike.
What is the difference between flautas and taquitos?
Flautas and taquitos may seem like the same dish, but there are actually quite a few differences!
Flautas generally have longer and thinner shapes that look almost flute-like - hence their name. On the other hand, taquitos usually appear shorter in size with thicker dimensions than flautas. Flavorwise, while both dishes can come filled with different types of meats or beans etc., most people go for shredded chicken or beef when they're choosing to make some delicious flautas.
So whether you prefer long thin rolls of flavor stuffed full of meaty goodness (aka:flautas!) Or rich little cylindrical snacks, these two Mexican staples will be sure to leave an impression at whatever dinner table your set them on!
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Chicken Flautas
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles drained
- 20 6-inch soft flour tortillas
- 20 toothpicks
- Canola oil for frying
- Sour cream, guacamole, pico and salsa to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the taco seasoning and the chicken and toss to coat. Stir in the cheese and green chiles.
- Working with 1 tortilla at a time, spoon about ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of the tortilla. Use your fingers to press the chicken mixture into a tight line across the middle of the tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling; secure the tortilla in place using one toothpick. (Weave the toothpick through the tortillas where they overlap to close, parallel to the roll). Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and tortillas.
- Preheat the oven to 250°. Heat ½-inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until it registers 375°. Fry 4 flautas, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet; keep warm in oven. Continue frying until all flautas are cooked. Serve hot with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.
Notes
- Secure the tortilla in place using one toothpick before frying to prevent them from unraveling. Do this by weaving the toothpick through the tortillas where they overlap to close, parallel to the roll.
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken to keep things simple and delicious, I love that shortcut.
- Toss the chicken with taco seasoning first, then stir in cheese + chopped green chiles for layered flavor.
- Working one tortilla at a time, spoon about ⅓ cup filling, press it into a tight line, roll it tight.
- Secure each roll with a toothpick by weaving through the overlap — really helps prevent unraveling.
- Heat oil to ~375 °F (medium heat) and fry in batches until golden and crisp (1-2 minutes) then keep them warm in a 250 °F oven.
- Serve immediately with great toppings: sour cream, guacamole, pico, salsa. The toppings make them pop.
- These are freezer-friendly: you can prep ahead, freeze fully cooked for up to 3 months.
In my fourteen years of marriage, my very picky husband has never exalted my cooking as much as he did when I made these tonight. His exact words were, "I want these again, and I want them SOON!" Thanks!!