Fried Chicken Flautas Recipe

4.57 from 16 votes

These Mexican fried chicken flautas are a quick and easy dish that can be served as an appetizer or main. Also known as rolled tacos, they are ready to serve in 30 minutes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 576kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

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.

Video

Notes

*I like to use shredded chicken for this recipe, and it's a great way to use up leftovers from Roasted Chicken.

Tips:

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.

Storage: Store flautas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition