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Crispy Fried Chicken Flautas

Crispy fried chicken flautas on a plate with sour cream, salsa, and shredded lettuce
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Crispy, golden fried chicken flautas filled with seasoned shredded chicken, sauteed onion and jalapeno, salsa, lime juice, and melted Monterey Jack cheese – all rolled tight in flour tortillas and pan-fried to crunchy perfection in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

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  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 large jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie, leftover roasted, or crockpot shredded chicken)
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1/2 lime)
  • 12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided for frying

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, chopped jalapeno, kosher salt, chili powder, and cumin. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
  2. Stir in shredded chicken, salsa, and fresh lime juice. Mix until fully combined and the chicken is coated in the sauce. Remove from heat.
  3. Wrap 12 flour tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute until warm, soft, and pliable. Keep covered to retain heat between assembly.
  4. Place about 2 tablespoons of chicken filling and a sprinkle of Monterey Jack cheese in a line down the center of each warm tortilla. Do not overfill.
  5. Roll each tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam-side down on a plate. Secure with a toothpick if needed. Repeat with all 12 tortillas.
  6. Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches of 4, fry flautas seam-side down for 1 to 2 minutes until golden, then flip and fry 1 to 2 more minutes until golden and crispy all around.
  7. Transfer fried chicken flautas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add remaining oil between batches and allow it to reheat before frying the next round.
  8. Keep finished flautas warm in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 200 degree F oven while frying remaining batches.
  9. Serve immediately with shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Notes

  • Do not overfill – 2 tablespoons of filling per flauta is the right amount for clean, tight rolling without bursting during frying.
  • Warm tortillas before rolling – cold tortillas crack and tear immediately.
  • Always fry seam-side down first so the hot oil seals the flauta before the first flip.
  • Fry in batches of 4 – crowding the skillet drops oil temperature and produces greasy results instead of crispy ones.
  • For a creamy filling variation, mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of softened cream cheese into the warm chicken filling before rolling.
  • Small tears in the rolled tortilla seal themselves closed in the hot oil and are barely noticeable once fried.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.benefitiany.com/fried-chicken-flautas/