How To Make Quick and Easy Chicken Flautas

Hola! Vianney from South Texas here to share with you how to make the tastiest flautas filled with juicy shredded chicken. The filling can be made in advance, which means these babies come together in under 30 minutes. Served warm with plenty of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, crema, and avocado, flautas are a quick and easy dinner idea.

Simply put, flautas are rolled tacos that are fried until golden and crispy. Their name is said to hail from the Spanish word for flute, and they can be found in most restaurants throughout Mexico. Their origins are not widely known, but the state of Sinaloa claims the flauta as one of their food specialties.

They are a very popular item at many restaurants in South Texas, and you can even find flautas in the freezer section of the grocery store. But why buy them frozen when homemade tastes so much better?

You can fill your flautas with anything your heart desires — beef, pork, grilled veggies, or shredded chicken (which we’re using here).

They are the same dish. Some people call them taquitos or tacos dorados. Growing up in South Texas I was raised calling them flautas.

1. Make a double batch of chicken: You can make flautas with leftover roast chicken. But I cook the chicken until tender in a stockpot over medium heat, but you could also cook it low and slow in the slow cooker until it shreds easily. I often make a double batch to tuck away in my freezer, so that when my girls request flautas I can easily retrieve it and get started right away.
2. Warm the tortillas to keep them from cracking: You’ll want to warm the corn tortillas to keep them from cracking as you roll. I like to heat a few at a time in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel.
3. Don’t overstuff the tortillas: Once the tortillas are cool enough to handle, you’ll place the filling — one tablespoon is all you need — on one end, and roll securely so that it doesn’t fall out while frying. Secure your flautas using toothpicks.

With flautas, the two things that vary by region are the filling and the toppings. In most cases, the filling is made from pulled chicken or beef, your favorite Mexican chili pepper, or just cheese.

The toppings typically consist of shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced avocado, sliced onion, sour cream, queso fresco or cotija, and your choice of your favorite salsa. At the end of the day, it’s up to you!