Description
This Chicken Flautas recipe features crispy, golden rolled tortillas filled with flavorful shredded rotisserie chicken sautéed with onions and spices. Served with a creamy avocado salsa verde sauce and fresh toppings like crema Mexicana, queso fresco, and pico de gallo, these flautas make a perfect appetizer or main dish. The tortillas are lightly oiled and glued shut with a cornstarch paste before frying to ensure a crispy texture without falling apart. Ideal for gatherings, they can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated while maintaining their crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken Filling:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for sautéing onion)
- 1 medium onion, diced very finely
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use 1/2 teaspoon if using table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 garlic cloves, minced very finely
- 1 pound rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 4 cups)
To Assemble and Fry Flautas:
- 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying, enough to reach 1 inch deep in pan)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for rubbing on tortillas)
- 30 corn tortillas
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water (enough to make a glue-like paste)
For the Avocado Sauce:
- 12 ounces salsa verde (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 small avocados or 1 large avocado
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste, less if using table salt)
- 2 teaspoons roasted chicken better than bouillon
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 cup water plus extra 1/2 cup as needed for thinning
- 1 jalapeño (optional, for added spice)
Topping Ideas:
- Crema Mexicana (table cream or sour cream styles)
- Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled (cotija or feta as alternatives)
- Pico de Gallo
- Shredded lettuce (optional)
- Cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Make Pico de Gallo: Prepare pico de gallo fresh if desired and keep chilled until serving.
- Make the Avocado Sauce: In a blender, combine salsa verde, avocados, salt, roasted chicken bouillon, lime juice, and 1/2 cup water. Blend for 30-60 seconds until smooth. Add the jalapeño if you want spicy and blend again. Add additional water 2-3 tablespoons at a time until the sauce reaches a thin, drizzling consistency but do not exceed 1 cup total water. Cover and set aside.
- Prepare the Chicken Filling: Finely dice the onion more than usual. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sauté 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add shredded rotisserie chicken and stir to combine. Heat through, then remove from heat and cover until assembly.
- Preheat Oil for Frying: Pour 2 cups vegetable oil into a deep skillet or pan to reach about 1 inch deep. Heat over medium-low until oil reaches 375°F (about 15 minutes). Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.
- Oil the Tortillas: Pour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into a bowl. Using fingers, rub oil evenly over both sides of each tortilla to lightly coat, making them pliable and shiny but not soaked. Place oiled tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel to keep moist.
- Make Tortilla Glue: In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir until smooth, adding water a teaspoon at a time until consistency resembles Elmer’s glue.
- Warm the Tortillas: Stack the oiled tortillas and cover completely with damp paper towels. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Check pliability; if needed, microwave in 20-second bursts until soft but firm enough to roll without cracking or tearing.
- Roll the Flautas: Place one warmed tortilla on a baking sheet. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling on the quarter of the tortilla closest to you. Fold the edge of the tortilla over the filling and tightly roll away from you to form a neat cylinder, leaving about 1/2 inch open at the end.
- Seal with Glue: Using a pastry brush or spoon, spread cornstarch paste on the tortilla edge. Finish rolling and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Cover immediately with a damp paper towel to keep moist and prevent drying.
- Continue Rolling: Roll 5-10 more flautas, then prepare to fry to prevent them from falling apart due to drying out. Alternate rolling and frying batches as needed.
- Preheat Oven to Keep Warm: Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and set the oven to its lowest temperature (around 170°F) to keep flautas warm after frying.
- Fry the Flautas: When oil reaches 375°F, carefully add flautas seam side down a few at a time. Fry 1-2 minutes until golden, then flip and fry another 1-2 minutes until golden on both sides. Avoid over-browning as they will darken after removal from oil.
- Keep Warm: Transfer fried flautas onto the cooling rack in the oven to stay warm and crisp until all are fried.
- Serve: Arrange several flautas on plates. Drizzle with crema Mexicana and the avocado sauce generously. Top with pico de gallo, crumbled queso fresco or cotija, shredded lettuce if desired, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
- Store: Refrigerate cooled leftovers covered for up to 3 days. Reheat in an air fryer, oven, or toaster oven to regain crispiness.
- Freeze: Freeze uncooked or fried flautas (ensure cooled first) on a baking sheet in a single layer for 30 minutes. Transfer to a zip-top bag and store up to 2-3 months. Fry from frozen, adding about 1 minute per side to cooking time.
Notes
- Use any neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying such as canola, vegetable, avocado, or peanut oil for best results.
- Rubbing oil on the tortillas before warming helps prevent cracking and makes them easier to roll without tearing.
- Sealing flautas with cornstarch glue is an effective alternative to toothpicks, keeping them intact during frying.
- Adjust jalapeño amount in avocado sauce for desired spice level, removing seeds and membranes to reduce heat if preferred.
- Keep tortillas covered and warm during rolling to maintain pliability and prevent breakage.
- Carefully monitor frying temperature to achieve golden color without overcooking.
- Leftover flautas reheat best in an air fryer or oven to restore crispness rather than the microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 flauta
- Calories: 444 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
