Beef Flautas

Flautas recipe stacked on each other with lettuce, cheese and chopped tomatoes on top.

5 from 65 votes

These crispy beef flautas have been enjoyed for generations - they're fried to perfection and ready to eat in under 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: flautas

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Equipment

Ingredients

vegetable or canola oil, for frying
3 cups shredded beef, or shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
½ cup salsa, store-bought or homemade
1 (4-ounce) can diced chiles
garlic salt with parsley flakes, to taste
pepper, to taste
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, (or flour tortillas)
salt, to taste

Toppings

shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, green salsa, guacamole, Cilantro Ranch dressing

Instructions

Preheat the oven to the warm setting or about 200 degrees F.
Fill a large saucepan with about ¾ inch oil. Heat over medium heat to 375 degrees F. You only need enough oil to come about halfway up the flautas, which makes them easier to turn and keeps the frying process simple.
In a medium bowl, combine shredded beef, cheese, salsa, diced chiles, garlic salt, and pepper.
Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon about ¼ cup filling in a line down the center of each tortilla. Spoon the filling in a narrow line across the tortilla, then roll tightly around the filling and secure with a toothpick.
Using tongs, hold each flauta in hot oil until firm, then release to continue cooking. Cook until golden brown or about 2 minutes. Hold each flauta over the pan for a few seconds and tilt it slightly to let any oil drain from the inside before placing it on paper towels.
Transfer flautas to an alumiunium foil-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while assembling and cooking the remaining tortillas. Serve warm with toppings.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Cold corn tortillas will crack when rolled, especially if they are a bit stale. Whereas warm tortillas are pliable and easy to roll.
Do not overfill the tortillas, as it makes them difficult to roll tightly and prone to bursting during frying.
To avoid soggy falutas, be sure the filling isn't too wet and make sure to maintain an even oil temperature.

Airfryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Lightly spray with cooking spray and cook for about 8-10 minutes, flipping them halfway.

Baked. Placed them seam side down on a lightly greased baking pan. Lightly spray with cooking oil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Prep ahead. Prepare the shredded beef filling up to 48 hours in advance, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to fill and fry.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for 1-2 months.

Nutrition