Description
Crispy and flavorful Chicken Flautas featuring shredded chicken, melted Mexican cheese, and spicy diced chiles wrapped in flour tortillas, fried to golden perfection and served with fresh toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and cilantro ranch dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, or shredded beef
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup salsa, store-bought or homemade
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced chiles
- Garlic salt with parsley flakes, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Tortillas
- 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
For Frying
- Vegetable or canola oil, for frying (about ¾ inch deep in a saucepan)
- Salt, to taste
Toppings
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomatoes
- Green salsa
- Guacamole
- Cilantro Ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to the warm setting, approximately 200°F, to keep flautas warm after frying.
- Heat the oil: Pour about ¾ inch of vegetable or canola oil into a large saucepan and heat over medium until it reaches 375°F for optimal frying temperature.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, shredded Mexican blend cheese, salsa, diced chiles, garlic salt with parsley flakes, and pepper. Mix evenly to combine all flavors.
- Fill and roll tortillas: Working with 4 tortillas at a time, spoon a generous amount of the chicken mixture along the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly around the filling and secure with a toothpick to hold shape during frying.
- Fry the flautas: Carefully place each rolled flauta into the hot oil using tongs. Fry until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip and fry the other side for another 2 minutes. Ensure they are crispy yet cooked through.
- Drain and season: Remove the flautas from the oil and place them on a paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil. Season immediately with salt to taste.
- Keep warm and continue frying: Transfer the fried flautas to a foil-lined baking sheet and keep them warm in the preheated oven while you fry the remaining tortillas.
- Serve: Serve the warm flautas topped or accompanied by shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, green salsa, guacamole, and cilantro ranch dressing for a complete meal.
Notes
- Use flour tortillas for a softer texture or corn tortillas for a more traditional taste.
- Adjust the amount of diced chiles and salsa based on your preferred spice level.
- Make sure oil temperature stays at 375°F for crispy, non-greasy flautas.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free corn tortillas.
- Remove toothpicks before serving to avoid accidents while eating.
- Leftover flautas reheat well in the oven to retain crispiness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
