Ultimate Chicken Flautas Recipe - The Melrose Family (2024)

Craving some traditional Mexican food? I can’t get enough! That’s why when I discovered this chicken flautas recipe, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make it...and eat it!

Here’s the thing, though. I don’t really like to work too hard for my meal prep. I just want a super easy, cheesy dish that screams Tex-Mex without having to spend too much time in the kitchen.

This ultimate chicken flautas recipe is exactly what I was looking for. And it feeds the whole family, too. Bonus!

What are Flautas?

Flautas are a Mexican dish made out of a tightly rolled flour tortilla, filled with your choice of meat, and deep fried. “Flauta” is Spanish for “flute.” These flute-shaped morsels are savory, crunchy, and mouth-wateringly delicious.

You can also stuff them with cheese, potatoes, onions, and anything else you find delicious. Season them with your choice of garlic, cumin, cilantro, cayenne, or bay leaves and then squeeze fresh lime juice on top of your finished product.

Flautas vs. Taquitos

It’s a common misconception, but flautas and taquitos are actually different. Typically, a taquito is made of a corn tortilla, rather than flour. It’s filled with meat, deep fried, and then smothered in sauce, melted cheese, sour cream, or guacamole.

However, it’s easy to see how they could be confused. They’re very similar, and if you would rather have a taquito, you can easily adjust this flautas recipe to make it a taquito instead.

How to Make Flautas

Chicken flautas, or flautas de pollo, are super easy to make, and super easy to substitute. Just change the filling if you’d rather have beef, pork, beans, or another vegetarian option.

While you can make everything all at once, you can also pre-make the filling and then refrigerate or freeze it for later. This is especially handy if you’re making them for a party or a large group.

Recipe ingredients at a glance

Ingredients for shredded chicken:

• Boneless chicken breast
• Yellow onion
• Black beans
• Garlic
• Kosher salt
• Ground cumin
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for flautas:

• 16 small flour tortillas
• Toothpicks
• Vegetable oil

Recipe Instructions (full printable recipe below)​

Cook the chicken until tender in a stockpot on medium heat or a slow cooker on low heat until it shreds easily. Mix it with the other fillings you enjoy, season it with your choice of spices, and set it aside until it’s needed.

Cook the chicken until tender in a stockpot on medium heat or a slow cooker on low heat until it shreds easily. Mix it with the other fillings you enjoy, season it with your choice of spices, and set it aside until it’s needed.

If you’re using it right away, roll your chicken tightly inside the flour tortilla. Be sure not to overfill your tortillas. This isn’t a burrito. It’s a skinnier, more sophisticated rendition of it’s giant big brother.

You can either fry your flautas in a skillet with a thin layer of oil on the bottom, rotating them as they brown, or you can submerge them in a deep fryer.

I prefer the former, mostly because I think a deep fryer is a lot of work and wastes a lot of oil. However, if you have aFry Daddyor something similar, follow the instructions for how to heat the oil. Place the flautas in the basket and lower them into the oil. They will be nice and crispy in about 4 minutes.

Otherwise, you can pour a thin layer of oil into a skillet and heat it on medium-high heat until it glistens. Place your flautas in the oil, let them brown for about 2-3 minutes, then flip them and brown the other side for about 2 minutes or until crispy.

Healthy tip:

If you are looking for a light spin on the fried flauta, you can also bake them in the oven. Use the same ingredients and follow the same prep. But instead of pouring the oil in your deep fryer or your skillet, brush it over the top of your flautas, sprinkle with salt, and toss in the oven.

Serving Chicken Flautas

The filling and the toppings for flautas vary by region. Luckily, that means you can literally do anything you want. They go well with just about everything.

After you make your scrumptious Mexican flautas with your favorite filling, you can serve it however you want. Throw tradition out the window and serve it with potatoes instead of beans and rice.

Or use a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with chili pepper, and garnish with lettuce and tomato. You can also smother it with melty cheese or put fresh pico de gallo on the side. It really doesn’t matter. It will be delicious any way you choose to do it. Enjoy!

Also do check out this 7 Layer Burrito Recipe for making an easy and filling dinner recipe in just a few minutes!

Looking for some more yummy Mexican recipe ideas...

• Instant Pot Mexican Rice
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Crispy Pork Carnitas