Easy Chicken Flautas Recipe

Crispy Crunchy Cheesy

I’ve been on a real Mexican-inspired food kick lately and have been serving up things like chicken burritos, sheet pan quesadilla and Instant Pot Mexican chicken to my family. They are loving it! 

I came across some recipes in my old recipe box for chicken flautas or ‘flautas de pollo’ and I knew I just had to try making my own. A creamy cheesy chicken filling rolled up tight in a tortilla and then fried to crispy perfection? Count me in!

I love that you can also make these easy chicken flautas ahead. Make the filling and store it in the fridge for a couple of days until you’re ready to assemble and fry your flautas, or you can even assemble them and pop them in the freezer to fry them whenever you’re ready.

Serve these chicken flautas as a snack or appetizer or alongside some chicken tinga or salsa verde chicken and bowls of Mexican rice and corn and tomato salad for a full meal. These crispy crunchy rolls are sure to be a hit!

What is the Difference Between Flautas and Taquitos?

If you’re like me, you probably find it difficult to tell what the difference is between a flauta and a taquito. I did some digging to discover that they are actually very similar!

Flautas can sometimes be a bit longer in length if a larger tortilla (like a burrito-sized one) is used, whereas a taquito is almost always made from smaller tortillas.

Another difference is that traditionally flautas are made with flour tortillas and taquitos are made with corn tortillas. I use them interchangeably in this recipe.

Now that we’ve determined they’re kind of the same thing, you might want to check out my recipes for baked chicken taquitos, beef taquitos, or black bean taquitos for even more flavor options!

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients which is perfect for when you’re in a hurry to whip up a meal!

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Chicken: I use shredded chicken and most often, my go-to when I’m in a hurry is to pick up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. It’s already cooked and ready to shred, which makes my job so much easier! You can also cook your own roasted chicken if you’ve got time.
• Cheese: Monterey Jack is my favorite cheese to use in these easy chicken flautas because it has a nice mild flavor and it melts really well. You can use your favorite cheese.
• Salsa: I prefer to make my own salsa, but you can definitely use store-bought.
• Sour cream: The sour cream helps to bind the filling together and gives it a nice creamy texture.
• Green chiles: I use canned diced green chiles. They have a bit of heat but are milder compared to other chiles. You can leave them out if you prefer not to add any spiciness to your chicken flautas.
• Seasoning: I make my own taco seasoning or chili seasoning with chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder, but again, store-bought will work here.  
• Tortillas: You can use either flour or corn tortillas, however flour tend to hold better.
• Oil for frying: Vegetable or canola oil are both good options for frying.
• Optional toppings: Salsa, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, onions, etc.

Variations

This easy chicken flautas recipe is probably the variation I make the most, but you have so many options for fillings when it comes to flautas. If you’re looking for inspiration, you might like some of these ideas: 

• Swap the protein for shredded beef, pork, or sliced tofu.
• Try different cheese. How about mozzarella, cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or gouda? Any melty cheese would work well.
• Add veggies. Throw in some chopped bell peppers, zucchini, sautéed mushrooms, or diced cooked potato.
• Add different flavors. Try adding minced garlic, a squeeze of lime juice, or some chopped cilantro to the filling. Some cayenne pepper for a bit of heat if you like.

How to Make Flautas

Follow these easy step-by-step instructions for making your own delicious chicken flautas at home! Don’t forget to preheat your oven to 200°F to keep your flautas warm before serving.

1. Make the filling. Grab a medium bowl and stir together the chicken, cheese, salsa, sour cream, diced chiles, and chili seasoning. Season everything with salt and pepper.
2. Fill the tortillas. Lay your tortillas on a flat surface like your countertop or on a chopping board and place 3 tablespoons of filling into the center.
3. Roll them up. Roll up the tortilla tightly around the filling and secure everything with a toothpick.
4. Complete the batch. Continue rolling tortillas until you’ve used up all the filling. Place seam side down as you wait to start frying.
5. Fry: Fill a large skillet or deep saucepan with 3/4-inch of oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches a temperature of 375°F. When the oil is ready, carefully place 2 – 4 flautas into the hot oil. I use tongs to do this, so my fingers don’t touch the hot oil. Fry the flautas, turning as needed, for 2 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown on all sides.
6. Keep warm and serve: Transfer the fried chicken flautas to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately sprinkle over some salt. Let the oil drain off them for a minute or two, then transfer them to a baking pan lined with a wire rack and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining flautas.

Serve them warm with your favorite toppings and remember to remove the toothpicks before serving!

Other Ways to Cook Flautas

Frying the chicken flautas gives the crispiest exterior, but if you’re looking for other ways to cook them, baking and air frying are good options.

Bake in the oven: Place a wire rack in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Add flautas, seam-side down, and brush with olive oil. Bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Broil for extra crispiness.

Air Fry: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place 4 flautas, seam-side down, in the basket without touching and brush with olive oil or spray lightly with cooking spray. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.

Expert Tips

• Tortillas: To prevent your tortillas from cracking when you roll them, heat them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds between damp paper towels.  
• Oil temperature: Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil and adjust the heat to maintain the temperature at 375°F to avoid frying too quickly.

• Avoid overcrowding: Depending on the size of the pot you’re using for frying, I suggest only adding 2 – 4 flautas at a time to the oil. This ensures that they will fry evenly and get nice and crispy all over.
• Make Ahead: These easy chicken flautas taste best freshly fried, but you can make the filling and assemble them in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Toppings

I love to serve chicken flautas with lots of fresh toppings. Put the toppings in bowls on the table and let everyone choose their favorites. Here are some ideas:

• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Chopped or sliced tomatoes,
• Guacamole or diced avocados
• Sour cream
• Salsa or pico de gallo
• Chopped onions
• Fresh lime juice
• Mexican crema or cilantro lime crema
• Queso fresco or cotija cheese

Storing

Freshly fried chicken flautas are irresistibly crispy and this is the best time to eat them! If you have leftovers, you can store them, just know that you will lose some of the crispiness when they’re reheated.

Fridge instructions: As mentioned above, these are best the day they are fried, but you can store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezer instructions: You can assemble your easy chicken flautas to fry later. Place the assembled tortillas on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before frying. 

Reheating instructions: This easy chicken flautas recipe is best when eaten after being freshly fried, but if you’ve stored them, you can reheat them on a baking sheet for 10 – 15 minutes at 350°F until they’re heated throughout. You can also warm them in a microwave for 15-second intervals until warm.