Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the filling
- Combine shredded cooked chicken or beef, diced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir until evenly distributed. The filling should look thick and speckled with jalapeños and herbs.
- Lay out the flour tortillas on a clean surface and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the center of each. Keep the filling in a neat line so the tortillas roll tightly.
- Top each tortilla with about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese placed over the filling. This helps the cheese melt and hold the roll together.
Roll and fry
- Roll each tortilla tightly, tucking in the sides as you go so the ends are closed. If needed, secure with a toothpick to prevent unrolling.
- Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F. Look for steady bubbling around a small test piece before frying.
- Fry the flautas in batches until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Turn once during frying so both sides develop an even crisp color.
Drain and serve
- Drain the flautas on paper towels briefly so excess oil is removed. You should see steam dissipate and the crust stay crisp.
- Serve immediately with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on the side. Plate while hot so the tortillas remain crunchy.
Notes
For the crispiest flautas, keep tortillas warm and roll while flexible, then fry in small batches so the oil temperature stays near 350°F. Store leftovers refrigerated up to 3 days, but note they soften—recrisp in a hot oven if desired. Freezing is not recommended for best crunch. If you want a lighter option, bake rolled flautas instead of frying (treat crisping as a texture goal rather than deep-fried crunch).