This easy chicken flautas recipe is my kind of finger food! I make my simple chicken filling with jalapeños, salsa, and cheese. Rolled up in flour and corn tortillas and pan-fried until crispy, these flautas are so good! And the best part is, they’re made with just 10 ingredients in only 30 minutes. I can always count on these Mexican flautas to fill lingering game day or Cinco de Mayo cravings!
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My family loves this recipe and it is now a family favorite. Top tier according to my son.
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Crispy Fried Chicken Flautas
Throw some shredded chicken in a tortilla and I’m game– no need to say more! These homemade chicken flautas are one of my favorite ways to use leftover chicken when I start craving Mexican food. I just add my favorite salsa, and suddenly a delicious filling appears!
These fried chicken flautas are similar to my favorite chicken taquitos, but with a few key differences. First, they’re made with corn and flour tortillas, which are more pliable and tender than traditional corn tortillas. You can make them with all flour tortillas if you prefer, but I like the flavor the corn adds. Second, they’re a bit bigger, longer, and more slender, making them perfect for a quick family meal rather than just an appetizer. The fillings are very similar, and the terms are often used interchangeably for both dishes.
I like to fry these flautas on the stovetop to make the tortillas extra crispy. Trust me, these are so much better than the frozen kind–but they’re just as quick to make!
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Keep them Warm and Crispy After Frying
If you’re making a big batch of fried chicken flautas, keeping them crispy while you finish the rest can be tricky. Instead of stacking them on a plate (which traps steam and softens the tortillas), I like to place my fried flautas seam-side down on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Then, I pop the tray into a warm oven (around 200°F) while I fry the next batch. This prevents sogginess, keeps them crisp, and makes sure they’re all hot when I’m ready to serve.
Fried Chicken Flautas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion (diced)
- 1 large jalapeño pepper (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken (*)
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (from ½ lime)
- 1½ cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 12 (8-inch) flour tortillas (or corn)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add in the onion, jalapeño peppers, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Sauté for a few minutes until softened.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ onion, 1 large jalapeño pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Stir in the shredded chicken, salsa, and lime juice. Remove from heat.1½ cups shredded cooked chicken, ½ cup salsa, 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Warm tortillas by wrapping the stack of them in damp paper towels and microwaving for 1 minute.12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- Place about 2 tablespoons of chicken filling, and a sprinkling of cheese, in the middle of each warmed tortilla.1½ cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- Roll the tortillas up tightly and place them seam side down on a plate.
- Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 4 flautas in the pan, seam side down, and fry for about 1-2 minutes. Then, flip the flautas and fry for another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.½ cup vegetable oil
- Add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan as needed and repeat this process with the remaining flautas.
- Serve the flautas with your favorite toppings, such as lettuce, cilantro, salsa, and sour cream.
Notes
- You can fill these fried chicken flautas with any kind of shredded chicken, so get creative with the seasonings! I’ve used chicken Tinga, mole chicken, and Buffalo chicken for the filling, and they all taste amazing rolled up inside crispy tortilla shells.
- If you want a creamy flautas filling, mix in some softened cream cheese with the chicken before adding it to the tortillas.
- Warm your tortillas before rolling them. This makes them pliable and easier to roll. Once you’ve heated the tortillas, keep them covered in a pan or plastic container so they stay warm.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas with the chicken mixture. I found that 2 tablespoons was the perfect amount of filling.
- Roll quickly to avoid tearing the tortillas. No worries if any of your flautas have small tears after rolling. You can still go ahead with the frying process.
- If you find your flautas unrolling as they fry, you can secure them closed with toothpicks. Just don’t forget to remove before serving!
- Fry the flautas in batches to make sure they have enough room to cook. My favorite pan fits about 4 at a time.
- Keep warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in 200°F oven.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Fry Flautas Step by Step
Make the Filling: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Once heated, add in ½ diced onion, 1 large (or 2 small) finely chopped jalapeño peppers, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ tablespoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Sauté for a few minutes until softened, then stir in 1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken, ½ cup of your favorite salsa, and the juice of half a lime. Remove the chicken from the heat.
Heat the Tortillas: Warm 12 corn tortillas by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 1 minute. Keep them covered in a pan or container so they stay warm.
Roll the Flautas: Place 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling in the center of each tortilla, and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese (use about 1½ cups total). As you roll them, place them seam side down on a plate. This helps keep them closed, but if you find them unrolling, you can secure them closed with toothpicks–just don’t forget to remove before serving!
Fry the Flautas: Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 4 flautas in the pan at a time, and fry seam side down (this helps secure them closed) for 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on all sides. Add remaining vegetable oil to the pan as needed to cook the remaining chicken flautas. Don’t overfill the pan, or the flautas will steam rather than crisping up. You can keep cooked batches warm in a 200°F oven while you finish frying the rest.
Garnish and Serve: Serve your crispy chicken flautas topped with lettuce, cilantro, salsa, and sour cream!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover Mexican flautas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes to restore their crispy texture.
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