Flautas de pollo
Chicken flautas
Flautas: central Mexico's long crisp rolled tortillas with shredded chicken, crema and salsa
MexicanNamed for their flute shape, flautas are a staple of Mexico City cafeterias and street stalls, where long tortillas are rolled tightly around shredded chicken and fried until they crackle. They come piled on a plate under lettuce, crema, crumbled cheese and salsa verde, often with rice and beans. For a vegetarian version, fill them with seasoned mashed potato and cheese instead. Chef's tip: warm the tortillas before rolling and fry seam-side down first, so they seal and don't unravel.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
For the flautas
To serve
- 5 ½ oz iceberg lettuceshredded
- 2 ⅞ oz queso frescocrumbled
- ¾ cup salsa verde
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put the 1 ⅛ lb skinless chicken breasts or thighs, ½ white onion, 2 cloves garlic and 1 tsp salt in a pan, cover with water and simmer gently for 15–18 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 165°F. Cool slightly and shred finely with two forks.
18 minStep 2: Warm the 12 corn tortillas, thin in a dry pan or wrapped in a damp cloth in the microwave for 1 minute until soft and flexible. Cold tortillas crack when rolled, which is the most common problem.
2 minStep 3: Lay 2 tbsp of chicken along one edge of each tortilla and roll up tightly. Secure with a toothpick if needed.
8 minStep 4: Heat the 1 cup vegetable oil, for shallow frying in a frying pan over a medium-high heat to about 350°F. Fry the flautas seam-side down first, in batches, turning, for 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp all over. Drain on paper and remove the toothpicks.
12 minStep 5: Pile on plates and top with 5 ½ oz iceberg lettuce, ½ cup Mexican crema or soured cream, 2 ⅞ oz queso fresco and ¾ cup salsa verde. Eat while crisp.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does flautas de pollo take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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