Chicken Flautas are a treat! Crispy corn tortilla wrapped around a filling of shredded, seasoned chicken and cheese makes for a fantastic snack or main dish. These are one of our most popular Mexican food recipes.
Serve these Chicken Flautas alongside Beef Taquitos with Easy 4-Ingredient Guacamole and homemade Taco Shop Style Salsa for the ultimate party snack tray.
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During junior high or high school, my sister Jamie and I started making chicken flautas, based on a recipe we found in a magazine. The original version contained cooked chicken, shredded cheddar, and prepared-picante-sauce-not-from-New-York-City. The filling was rolled into fried corn tortillas and baked in the oven.
We loved them. And made them often.
Since my husband doesn’t love prepared-picante-sauce-not-from-New-York-City and I think it’s too expensive to pay for, I’ve created this version that is cheaper and tastier for the ultimate chicken flautas experience.
Why Make This
Baked Chicken Flautas are a great alternative to frozen taquitos. It’s true. Frozen taquitos just can’t compare to homemade, even the ones you bake. Read the ingredients list and you’ll know this is a better-tasting option.
They are amazingly good. Flautas are almost addicting with their mix of tender filling and crispy exterior. No one can eat just one.
They are freezer friendly. Since they’re so lip-smacking good, it’s worth your while to make some extras to freeze for a quick snack or to add to taco night.
Ingredients
The ingredients list is not all that complicated, especially when you consider the flavor these chicken flautas pack. You’ll need:
corn tortillas – While I love homemade corn tortillas, I find that commercially made tortillas have better texture for flautas. Tortillas are cheaper the more you buy in the bag. So, if you end up with a big bag, you can also make Crockpot Enchiladas or Homemade Mexican Bean Tostadas with the leftovers.
oil for frying – While the chicken flautas are baked in the oven, you’ll be frying the tortillas briefly in hot oil. Use whatever cooking oil you like, though olive or grape seed oils have higher smoke points that’s more appropriate for frying.
shredded chicken – I like to use Instant Pot Shredded Chicken – it’s so incredibly easy! — but you can also shred a rotisserie chicken or even use leftover turkey if you like.
shredded pepper jack – I love the melting quality of Monterey jack cheese and the pepper variety brings a little heat to the filling. You can use your favorite shredded cheese that you use in tacos and the like.
spices – The spices are basically those that you would fine in taco seasoning mix. You can use a ready mix if you like, but the proportions here are pretty spot on. Be sure to use chile powder with nothing else added to it. Some manufacturers add salt to the mixture and that will throw off the seasoning here.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, and seasonings.
- In a small skillet, heat about ½ inch of oil. Fry the tortillas in the oil until hot and softened. Transfer to the prepared tray.
- Lay out the prepped tortillas and divide the chicken mixture evenly among them. Roll them up tightly and secure each with a toothpick.
- Bake for 10 minutes, turn the flautas. Bake another 10 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and serve hot.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze baked flautas: Drain on paper toweling and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven for best texture, though you can reheat in the microwave as well.
To freeze flautas unbaked: Once they are all rolled, place the flautas on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until the flautas are frozen hard. Remove the toothpicks and store the frozen flautas in a ziptop freezer bag. Do not thaw before baking. Place flautas on a tray and bake as directed. Increase baking time if necessary to accommodate for frozen flautas.
FAQs
Flauta is the Spanish word for “flute”. A chicken flauta is a flute-shaped taco of sorts, a corn tortilla wrapped around a filling and fried, or in this case, baked.
These look like taquitos, don’t they? I always thought that taquitos were made from corn tortillas and flautas from flour tortillas. But, The Food Lover’s Companion has no listing whatsoever for taquito, and instead defines flauta as the corn tortilla rolled around a savory filling and fried. Wikipedia disagrees somewhat. It doesn’t really matter; both taste amazing.
You can freeze flautas baked or unbaked. If baked, cool them completely prior to packing up for freezing. Reheat in the microwave or oven. If unbaked, freeze them on a lined sheet with the toothpicks inserted. Once frozen solid, remove the toothpicks and package in an airtight container. Bake from frozen.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- chicken – $1.99
- cheese – $1.00
- tortillas – $1.50
- spices and oil – $0.25
While your prices may vary depending on where you shop, you can expect to pay somewhere around $4.74/batch or about $0.26 each.
You can buy frozen “chicken and cheese taquitos” that the cost for 15 frozen is $5.49. That means that they are about 36 cents each.
Homemade chicken flautas are cheaper, but I would also submit that they are tastier and healthier for you. Don’t you think? I used boneless, skinless chicken, Tillamook sharp cheese, Mission tortillas, and heart-healthy olive oil. Convenience foods are so much better when you make them yourself.
I’m convinced that these were better quality for the money, the biggest bang for your buck. That’s kinda how I roll. Especially where chicken flautas are concerned.
More Great Appetizers
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Chicken Flautas Recipe
Equipment
- large skillet
- cooking tongs
- large mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- toothpicks
- heavy duty sheet pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken breast
- 8 oz pepper jack cheese (shredded ) 2 cups, can also use jack or cheddar
- 1 tablespoon chile powder or ground chile
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 corn tortillas
- oil for frying the tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, and seasonings.2 cups shredded chicken breast, 8 oz pepper jack cheese (shredded ), 1 tablespoon chile powder or ground chile, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- In a small skillet, heat about ½ inch of oil. Fry the tortillas in the oil until hot and softened. Transfer to the prepared tray.oil for frying the tortillas, 12 corn tortillas
- Lay out the prepped tortillas and divide the chicken mixture evenly among them. Roll them up tightly and secure each with a toothpick.
- Bake for 10 minutes, turn the flautas. Bake another 10 minutes. Serve hot.
- Cooled flautas can be frozen after baking.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on October 2, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Hollie
We LOVED these! Flautas are my middle daughter’s most favorite dish at our beloved local Mexican joint. We froze the extras, and she’s been taking them for school lunch. Delicious and super easy! Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Yay for awesome school lunches!
Kathleen D
Delicious. But since my Mexican grandma used to make these for me and always called them taquitos I will always call them taquitos. I had never even heard of flautas until maybe 20 years ago.
Diana
I am going to try these in the air fryer! I will report back.
Diana
Initial reaction: the tortillas held onto so much oil! How hot should the oil be and how long do you fry them, approximately? I was using yellow corn tortillas. They seem a bit softer than some white ones I’ve used.
Diana
After air-frying: the air fryer worked great to crisp them up! I’m not sure the filling I used was my favorite (it was actually leftover Chipotle burrito filling and I had asked for a salsa I ended up not loving), and I don’t think I like the flavor of the yellow corn as well as the white. But the method worked as intended and they did get crispy. Thanks!
Daniel
Instead of frying your tortilla. You could heat your tortilla up in a microwave then roll them. When heating them up in your microwave wrap them up with a damp towl or put then a container so they don’t dry out. I usually will do about 1/4 of the bag at a time. Heat 1min. Then flip and do another min. They will be hot. But you can roll them and they will not tear. Works on both corn and flour tortilla.
Jessica Fisher
This strategy works well for enchiladas, but I’m not sure it would work for the flautas since the oil helps them crisp up when you bake them.
Nic
The way you make flautas is the same way you make enchiladas. The only real difference is the sauce process. At least that’s how my nana and my mom taught me to make them. I’ve never tried baking them in the oven. I’m definitely going to try it because it has to be way better than pan frying it the whole way.
Jessica Fisher
Baking is never as good as frying the whole way, but it’s definitely easier!
Anita
I wonder if you could brush them with a beaten egg and that would help crisp them up without having to add oil? Just a suggestion
Jessica Fisher
I’ve never tried it, but if you do, please let me know!
Jackie
My husband and I made these together tonight. It was a lot of fun after the kids went to bed! 🙂 However, I turned the oven to 475 like the directions say, but after the first 9 minutes the edges of the tortillas had already turned dark brown. We didn’t even attempt to put them back in for the second 10 minutes. Did we maybe fry the tortillas too much before the oven?
Jessica Fisher
That is possible. I’m glad you were watching. What kind of oil did you use?
Tiffany Valencia
I use the crockpot chicken breast recipe to make these and they turned out pretty tasty. I only cooked them for the first 10 minutes and they were plenty crispy though.
Cristina
i have a question. can i fry them instead of baked? i dont have an oven
Jessica Fisher
My sister says you can, but I never have. She uses tongs and just turns them in the hot oil. Leave out the cheese, though.
Debbie
I have always fried these (with the cheese) and they come out fine but oh my, this way is faster, easier and crispier! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Ellen
Oh, and the recipe says 14 teaspoon pepper. I’m sure you meant 1/4 t., but I thought I’d tell you.
Jessica Fisher
Good catch. I hope no one made it with 14 teaspoons pepper! Oh my!
Ellen
Is there any reason why it wouldn’t work to just brush the tortillas with oil before baking instead of frying them? I’m looking to save a step. 🙂
Jessica Fisher
Frying them in the oil allows them to roll without tearing.
Jen
I make these often. A black bean/cream cheese/cilantro filling is also delicious.
Jessica Fisher
Ooh, cream cheese sounds like a very yummy filling!
Jill
These look so good!
Just out of curiosity though, I know you mentioned the corn versus flour tortillas – would they be ok being made with flour tortillas instead? That’s usually what we buy around here, but I would get corn if you don’t think flour would work.
Jessica Fisher
I don’t know about baking times, but yes. Flour tortillas are really tasty in these.
Vanessa B
Tried these tonight, they were a little more work than I had planned for, but totally worth it. The husband already requested them for next week. Delicious!
Jessica Fisher
Yeah, they are a bit of work, that’s why it’s good to make a lot at one time.
Kristen @ Joyfullythriving
I agree with you on the definition of taquitos and flautas…but whatever we call them, I’m going to make these this weekend! Or for tomorrow night’s dinner!
Claire
These have been on my to do list for a long time! Lol. Maybe now I will get to them?? Ya never know. Even if they cost more than store bought, I wouldn’t mind at all. They wont have any unknown ingredients. That is worth every penny.
Carrie
Oh goodness. I think every time I go shopping, I pick up a box of these… and put it right back into the freezer from whence it came. Thanks so much for the recipe. These will be a hit around here. Meat, corn tortillas, cheese…. always a winner.
Michelle K
I have some left over spicy pulled pork that I’m going to use for this !!!! Yummo!!!!
Kristin
What a great addition to our Taco Tuesday rotation. I am sure these would be great made with any leftover carnitas or shredded beef as well? I love recipes that you can use up what you have! Thanks Jessica!
orangeheromama
These look and sound amazing! And as someone who can’t eat the ‘frozen seasoned’ yummies from the grocery store I very much appreciate this recipe! My kids are gonna love this too! Thanks! 😀
Jill
Hi! Would you mind sharing what kind of oil you used? I’m new to frying and have no idea what to use! Thanks!!
Jessica Fisher
I use olive or avocado.
KimH
Yum! I have a Pasture Raised Baked Chicken that i needed to “do something” with the leftovers.. I just found the perfect thing. 🙂 I also have corn tortillas & everything else.. Staples in the frig, you know. 😉
Thanks for sharing this.. I like eating them but I’ve never made them.. looking forward to it!
Have a great day!
Jessica Fisher
Enjoy!
Joshua Hampton (Cooking Classes San Diego)
I’ve been following your blog for a while now, and I really appreciate how you show that good, healthy food doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult to make. These chicken flautas will now be part of my meal plans. Thank you.
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for your kind words.