Chicken Flautas Recipe
Crispy rolled tortillas filled with seasoned shredded chicken and cheeses. Can be fried or kept warm in the oven.
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Microwave
- large nonstick skillet
- Wire Rack
- Baking Pan
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1/2 cupsalsa medium or hot for more of a kick
- 1/2 cupsour cream
- 4 oz. canmild chopped green chiles
- 2 teaspoonschili powder
- 1 tsp EACHground cumin garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp EACHonion powder smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt
- 3 cupsshredded cooked chickenI like to use rotisserie chicken
- 1 cupfreshly shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1 cupfreshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste
- 12-14 medium 7-8-inch flour tortillas
- vegetable oil optional for frying
Instructions
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup salsa, 1/2 cup sour cream, the 4 oz. can mild chopped green chiles, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until evenly combined.
- Stir in 3 cups shredded cooked chicken until coated with the mixture. Fold in 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack and 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar until evenly distributed. Season with cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste (optional).
- If your tortillas are stiff, stack up to 6 at a time, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 60 seconds to make them more pliable. Repeat as needed until tortillas are easy to roll.
- Lay all 12–14 medium (7–8 inch) flour tortillas flat on a work surface. Place approximately 3 tablespoons of filling across the bottom third of each tortilla, then roll each tortilla tightly and place seam side down.
- (Optional—to keep flautas warm) Preheat the oven to 200°F. Set a wire rack in a baking pan and set aside.
- (Optional—to fry) Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches about 325°F.
- Working in batches, add 2–4 flautas to the hot oil seam side down. Fry, turning as needed, until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Adjust the burner to maintain the oil temperature so they do not brown too quickly.
- Transfer fried flautas to paper towels to drain briefly, then place them seam side up on the prepared wire rack in the warm oven to keep warm while you fry remaining batches.
- Serve the flautas hot.
Notes
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Set a wire baking rack in a baking pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Add flautas in a single layer without touching then brush with olive oil.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until flautas are golden. Broil for extra crispiness.
Optional to keep flautas warm: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Set a wire baking rack in a baking pan; set aside.
Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Working in batches, add taquitos and cook, until golden brown on all sides, rotating as needed.
Transfer flautas to the prepared baking pan and keep warm in oven while cooking remaining flautas
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Working in batches, brush flautas all over with olive oil then place seam side down in the air fryer basket so they aren’t touching.
Cook for 6-8 minutes or until they’re golden and crispy, turning halfway through the cooking time.
You don’t have to make chicken flautas!See the post for all sorts of filling ideas.
Use freshly shredded cheesesbecause pre-packaged cheeses contain chemicals designed to prevent the strands from clumping in the packaging – these same chemicals inhibit their melting ability. Only freshly grated cheese will melt in the couple minutes it takes for the flautas to crisp up.
Roll the tortillas tightlyso there isn’t any open spaces in the chicken flautas. This prevents oil from leaking into the flautas and bubbling. It also will help the flautas stay closed and fry up more easily and evenly.
Use a toothpick to secure the flautas closedbefore frying if they are peaking open. Fry them with the toothpicks intact then remove before eating. You shouldn’t have to use toothpicks with quality flour tortillas.
Make sure you test the oil first,especially if frying without aninstant read thermometer.To do this, tear off a bit of unused tortilla and add it to the oil. If it boils, your oil is ready but if it boils and turns dark within a minute or so, your oil is too hot. You will have to remove from the heat, wait a few minutes, return to heat and try again.
Adjust heat as needed so the flautas cook up golden and crispy.If you find your flautas are cooking too quickly and surpassing the golden brown before the cheese is melted, then lower the heat. You may need to start off at medium-high heat and lower to medium heat.
To that end,resist the urge to stack the flautasor they won’t be as crispy. I know I didn’t follow my own advice in the photos so I can speak from personal experience that stacked flautas will steam and you will lose that coveted crispy exterior very quickly. It is best to serve the chicken flautas lined in a single layer with a little breathing room in between each flauta.
Storage:store flautas in a single layer (with parchment paper in between layers if stacked) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Air fryer:this is my #1 preferred method for reheating anything crispy – or formerly crispy. It restores the flautas to their former crispy glory as if they were freshly made – seriously amazing! Place your flautas in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Stove:heat a large nonstick skillet to low then add the flauta(s). Cook until heated through, rotating as needed. Once the inside is warm, you can crank the heat to medium-high to quickly toast the outside.
Oven:place flautas on a baking rack placed over a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.
Microwave:this is my least favorite method because the exterior doesn’t crisp up, but it’s convenient for hands off reheating. Transfer flautas to ta microwave safe plate and microwave on high or 60 seconds then at 15-second intervals as needed.
Let flautas cool completely in a single layer.
Line flautas on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching.
Freeze for 1-2 hours or until solid. This flash freezing will prevent the flautas from freezing together in a clump.
Add chicken flautas to a large freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Air fryer:spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place desired amount of frozen flautas in the air fryer basket in a single layer so they aren’t touching. Air fry at 400 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Oven:place flautas on a baking rack placed over a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Microwave:transfer desired number of frozen flautas to a microwave safe plate and microwave on high or 2 minutes seconds then at 15-second intervals as needed.
Add flautas in a single layer without touching then brush with olive oil.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until flautas are golden. Broil for extra crispiness.
Optional to keep flautas warm: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Set a wire baking rack in a baking pan; set aside.
Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Working in batches, add taquitos and cook, until golden brown on all sides, rotating as needed.
Transfer flautas to the prepared baking pan and keep warm in oven while cooking remaining flautas
Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Working in batches, brush flautas all over with olive oil then place seam side down in the air fryer basket so they aren’t touching.
Cook for 6-8 minutes or until they’re golden and crispy, turning halfway through the cooking time.
You don’t have to make chicken flautas!See the post for all sorts of filling ideas.
Use freshly shredded cheesesbecause pre-packaged cheeses contain chemicals designed to prevent the strands from clumping in the packaging – these same chemicals inhibit their melting ability. Only freshly grated cheese will melt in the couple minutes it takes for the flautas to crisp up.
Roll the tortillas tightlyso there isn’t any open spaces in the chicken flautas. This prevents oil from leaking into the flautas and bubbling. It also will help the flautas stay closed and fry up more easily and evenly.
Use a toothpick to secure the flautas closedbefore frying if they are peaking open. Fry them with the toothpicks intact then remove before eating. You shouldn’t have to use toothpicks with quality flour tortillas.
Make sure you test the oil first,especially if frying without aninstant read thermometer.To do this, tear off a bit of unused tortilla and add it to the oil. If it boils, your oil is ready but if it boils and turns dark within a minute or so, your oil is too hot. You will have to remove from the heat, wait a few minutes, return to heat and try again.
Adjust heat as needed so the flautas cook up golden and crispy.If you find your flautas are cooking too quickly and surpassing the golden brown before the cheese is melted, then lower the heat. You may need to start off at medium-high heat and lower to medium heat.
To that end,resist the urge to stack the flautasor they won’t be as crispy. I know I didn’t follow my own advice in the photos so I can speak from personal experience that stacked flautas will steam and you will lose that coveted crispy exterior very quickly. It is best to serve the chicken flautas lined in a single layer with a little breathing room in between each flauta.
Storage:store flautas in a single layer (with parchment paper in between layers if stacked) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Air fryer:this is my #1 preferred method for reheating anything crispy – or formerly crispy. It restores the flautas to their former crispy glory as if they were freshly made – seriously amazing! Place your flautas in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Stove:heat a large nonstick skillet to low then add the flauta(s). Cook until heated through, rotating as needed. Once the inside is warm, you can crank the heat to medium-high to quickly toast the outside.
Oven:place flautas on a baking rack placed over a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.
Microwave:this is my least favorite method because the exterior doesn’t crisp up, but it’s convenient for hands off reheating. Transfer flautas to ta microwave safe plate and microwave on high or 60 seconds then at 15-second intervals as needed.
Let flautas cool completely in a single layer.
Line flautas on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching.
Freeze for 1-2 hours or until solid. This flash freezing will prevent the flautas from freezing together in a clump.
Add chicken flautas to a large freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Air fryer:spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place desired amount of frozen flautas in the air fryer basket in a single layer so they aren’t touching. Air fry at 400 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Oven:place flautas on a baking rack placed over a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Microwave:transfer desired number of frozen flautas to a microwave safe plate and microwave on high or 2 minutes seconds then at 15-second intervals as needed.