Crispy Chicken Flautas Golden Fried
There is something utterly satisfying about the sound of a truly crispy bite. That’s the first thing you’ll notice about these incredible Crispy Chicken Flautas. It’s that loud, unmistakable crunch, followed by a burst of warm, savoury chicken and gloriously melty cheese. This isn’t just another dinner; it’s an experience for the senses. Friends always ask me for this recipe after trying it at dinner parties, and I’m so excited to finally share my secrets with you all.
Flautas, which means “flutes” in Spanish, are a staple in Mexican cuisine, and for good reason. They are essentially rolled tacos that are fried until perfectly golden and crisp. What makes this particular recipe so special is the filling. We use tender, shredded chicken seasoned with a blend of smoked paprika and cumin, mixed with sharp cheddar and a hint of fresh cilantro. The combination is simply divine.
This dish works beautifully for a lively weekend dinner with the family, a casual get-together with friends, or even as a special treat for movie night. We’ll walk through every step to ensure your flautas are shatteringly crisp on the outside and wonderfully juicy on the inside, every single time.
Recipe Overview
These Crispy Chicken Flautas are all about texture and flavour. The corn tortillas are fried to a deep golden brown, creating a sturdy, crunchy shell for the flavourful chicken and cheese filling. The smokiness of the paprika and the freshness from the cilantro and lime cut through the richness beautifully. After many tests in my kitchen, I found that draining the flautas on a wire rack instead of paper towels is the key to maintaining that all-over crispiness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 4 people (makes 16 flautas)
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Chicken Flautas Recipe
- Sensational Textures: You get the ultimate contrast between the shatteringly crisp, golden fried tortilla shell and the tender, cheesy chicken filling within. It’s a combination that’s genuinely hard to resist.
- Ready in Under 40 Minutes: From start to finish, this impressive meal comes together in about 35 minutes, making it ideal for those evenings when you want something special without spending hours in the kitchen.
- A Truly Flexible Recipe: You can easily adjust the spice level by adding chilli flakes or finely diced jalapeños to the filling. Don’t have cheddar? A Monterey Jack or even a crumbled feta would be delicious. This recipe is a great base for your own creations.
- Great for Sharing: These are fantastic for a casual Saturday night meal, a party appetiser, or when you have friends over to watch the match. They are easy to eat and everyone seems to love them.
- Family Tested and Approved: This is a huge hit in my house. My children adore the crunchy texture and cheesy filling, and it’s one of the few meals where everyone clears their plate without any prompting!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the most flavourful chicken filling, I highly recommend using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. It’s a fantastic time-saver, and the meat is always succulent. If you’re cooking chicken from scratch, my Juicy Chicken Recipe would be a great starting point. The ingredients listed here are what I’ve found to be the perfect balance.
- 500g cooked chicken, shredded
- 16 corn tortillas (15cm size)
- 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
- 50g Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 1 small red onion, very finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander), finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 700ml vegetable or sunflower oil, for frying
- For Serving (Optional): Sour cream, guacamole, salsa, crumbled feta cheese
Sara’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to use “mild” cheddar here. A good, sharp, mature cheddar provides a tangy counterpoint to the chicken and spices that really makes the filling pop.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Flautas
The process is straightforward. We’ll first create our delicious filling, then carefully roll the flautas before frying them to golden perfection. The key is to have everything prepped and ready to go before you start heating the oil.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, finely diced red onion, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and chopped cilantro. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Season the Mixture: Add the lime juice, salt, and black pepper to the chicken mixture. Stir well until everything is evenly incorporated. Have a little taste and adjust the seasoning if you feel it needs it.
- Warm the Tortillas: This step is crucial to prevent the tortillas from cracking when you roll them. Wrap the stack of corn tortillas in a clean, slightly damp tea towel. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds until they are warm and pliable. Work with them while they are warm.
- Fill and Roll: Lay a warm tortilla on a clean surface. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in a line down the centre. Roll the tortilla up as tightly as you can to form a thin cylinder. Place it seam-side down on a tray. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. What works best for me is keeping the rolled flautas covered with another tea towel to stop them from drying out as I work.
- Heat the Oil: Pour the oil into a large, deep frying pan or Dutch oven until it’s about 2-3 cm deep. Heat over a medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, a small piece of tortilla dropped in should sizzle vigorously and turn golden in about 30 seconds.
- Fry the Flautas: Carefully place 3-4 flautas into the hot oil, seam-side down. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until they are deep golden brown and crispy on all sides.
- Drain and Serve: Using tongs, remove the golden flautas from the oil and let any excess drip off. Place them on a wire rack to drain. This keeps them crispy all over. Frying in batches, repeat the process with the remaining flautas. Serve immediately with your favourite toppings.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control is Everything: Maintaining an oil temperature of around 180°C is vital. If the oil is too cool, your flautas will absorb too much oil and become greasy. If it’s too hot, the outside will burn before the cheese inside has a chance to get perfectly melty. Using a cooking thermometer is the most reliable way to guarantee success. You can find more details on frying temperatures in this helpful guide from Serious Eats.
- The Secret Step for No-Crack Tortillas: I learned that the hard way! Cold, dry corn tortillas will crack the second you try to roll them. The damp tea towel and microwave trick gently steams them, making them soft and flexible. Do not skip this step!
- Make-Ahead Method: You can prepare the chicken filling up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. You can also assemble the flautas completely, cover them tightly on a tray, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before you’re ready to fry.
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover flautas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To bring back that amazing crispness, reheat them on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 200°C (180°C fan) for 8-10 minutes, or in an air fryer at 190°C for 4-5 minutes.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the pan: It’s tempting to fry as many as possible at once, but this will cause the oil temperature to drop significantly. The result? Pale, greasy flautas instead of golden, crispy ones. Fry in batches of 3 or 4 for the best results.
- Using the wrong oil temperature: As mentioned in the tips, temperature is key. Guessing can lead to disappointment. A thermometer is a cook’s best friend for frying. If you don’t have one, use the tortilla test described in the instructions.
- Draining on paper towels: While paper towels absorb surface oil, they also trap steam, which will make the underside of your beautifully fried flautas soft. A wire rack allows air to circulate, keeping every single inch perfectly crisp.
Delicious Variations to Try
One of the best things about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Once you have the technique down, you can experiment with all sorts of fillings. Here are a few of our favourites:
- Spicy Chicken Flautas: Add one finely diced jalapeño (seeds removed for less heat) or a tablespoon of chipotle paste to the chicken mixture for a smoky, spicy kick.
- Vegetarian Black Bean Option: Swap the chicken for a 400g tin of black beans (rinsed and drained) mashed with a fork. Add 100g of sweetcorn and use crumbled feta instead of cheddar for a tangy, savoury filling.
- Pulled Pork or Shredded Beef: This method works wonderfully with other slow-cooked meats. Leftover pulled pork or shredded beef brisket make for an incredibly rich and satisfying alternative to chicken. It reminds me a bit of the filling in these Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls, just without the sweetness.
What to Serve With Crispy Chicken Flautas
These are a fantastic main course when paired with a few simple, fresh sides. The goal is to balance the rich, crispy flautas with something cool and zesty.
- Classic Toppings: A dollop of cool sour cream, a scoop of fresh guacamole, and a vibrant pico de gallo or your favourite salsa are essential.
- Mexican Rice and Beans: Serve alongside a simple cilantro-lime rice and a side of refried beans for a complete and hearty meal.
- A Crisp, Refreshing Drink: A cold Mexican lager like Corona or Modelo with a wedge of lime cuts through the richness of the fried flautas perfectly. For a non-alcoholic option, a sparkling limeade is wonderfully refreshing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crispy Chicken Flautas
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, grated cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, finely diced red onion, minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and chopped cilantro. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Season the Mixture: Add the lime juice, salt, and black pepper to the chicken mixture. Stir well until everything is evenly incorporated. Have a little taste and adjust the seasoning if you feel it needs it.
- Warm the Tortillas: This step is crucial to prevent the tortillas from cracking when you roll them. Wrap the stack of corn tortillas in a clean, slightly damp tea towel. Microwave on high for 30-45 seconds until they are warm and pliable. Work with them while they are warm.
- Fill and Roll: Lay a warm tortilla on a clean surface. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in a line down the centre. Roll the tortilla up as tightly as you can to form a thin cylinder. Place it seam-side down on a tray. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. What works best for me is keeping the rolled flautas covered with another tea towel to stop them from drying out as I work.
- Heat the Oil: Pour the oil into a large, deep frying pan or Dutch oven until it's about 2-3 cm deep. Heat over a medium-high heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, a small piece of tortilla dropped in should sizzle vigorously and turn golden in about 30 seconds.
- Fry the Flautas: Carefully place 3-4 flautas into the hot oil, seam-side down. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until they are deep golden brown and crispy on all sides.
- Drain and Serve: Using tongs, remove the golden flautas from the oil and let any excess drip off. Place them on a wire rack to drain. This keeps them crispy all over. Frying in batches, repeat the process with the remaining flautas. Serve immediately with your favourite toppings.
Notes
I really hope you and your family enjoy making these Crispy Chicken Flautas as much as we do. There’s nothing better than putting a plate of these golden, crunchy rolls on the table and watching them disappear. If you do give this recipe a go, I would love it if you left a comment below to let me know how they turned out for you. Happy cooking!
– Sara
