Prepare yourselves for these incredible Chicken Flautas! I am an Arizona girl- I love my tacos, and these might be my new favorite food!
Table of Contents
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. 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 guacamole, sour cream, salsa, pico... the works!!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Taco Seasoning
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Chopped Green Chiles
- Soft Flour Tortillas
- Toothpicks
- Salt
- Canola Oil
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Pico
- Salsa
*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 â…“ 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.
Tips & Tricks
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.
Looking for a delicious salsa to dip these in? Check out my homemade Chipotle Salsa
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 â…“ 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.
This comes together fairly quickly and it’s delicious! Fun to eat too. 😉
Loved these. Used the mojo chicken to make them. Also made in the air fryer, per someone else’s comments, and they turned out perfectly.
These were insanely delicious and easy to make. An instant hit!!
Made these for my daughter’s family birthday party. Everyone went crazy for them. Delicious. Thank you 🙂
Never made flautas before, but my daughter wanted them for her birthday. They came out so perfect and everyone raved how good they were and went back for seconds. So moist and crunchy and delicious, and not too hard to make with the rotisserie chicken.
My 2 5 year olds, 18 mo old and husband loved them!! We’ll be making these again for sure!
For those asking if you can make in the air fryer -- the answer is yes! I put them in the air fryer at 370 degrees for about 7 minutes (obviously minus the toothpick!) and they turned out great.
Can you use corn tortillas or do they not hold up as well?
you totally can!! that would be more of taquito and that's equally as delish!
Could you air fry these instead of oil?
I believe so!
Can these be cooked in an Air Fryer?
Love, love, love this. I wish I had them for Super Bowl!!
Can the Flautas be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven? Frozen before fried? I'm a make ahead cook!
I would love to know the answer to this too!
yes totally!!
So weird .... just got home from lunch and from eating these, and thought to myself, "I really need to make these at home". Thanks for the recipe!