Chicken Flautas

Method

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 4 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

2. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the green chillies, chicken, crema, lime juice and salt. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes, then fold in the cheese.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

3. Wrap the tortillas in a damp cloth in two stacks and warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds each, until soft enough to roll without cracking. Keep them covered.

   Mark done Start 30 sec timer

4. Overlap two tortillas by half to make a long strip. Spoon about 100 g of filling in a line along the edge nearest you, roll up as tightly as you can and secure with a cocktail stick through the seam. Repeat to make 8 flautas.

   Mark done

5. Pour the oil into a large, deep frying pan to a depth of 1.5 cm and heat it to 180°C / 355°F. Fry the flautas 3 or 4 at a time, seam side down first, for 3 minutes, turning them every minute, until deep golden and crisp all over. Drain on a wire rack and pull out the cocktail sticks.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

6. Serve hot, on a bed of shredded lettuce, with crema, queso fresco, salsa verde and guacamole.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Warm the tortillas before rolling. Cold corn tortillas crack, and the filling spills into the oil.
• Keep the filling dry. Moisture steams the tortilla from the inside and makes the flautas split as they fry.
• Roll tightly and fry seam side down first. The seam seals in the hot oil, and the roll does not open.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Mexican rice
• Refried beans
• Guacamole

Storage & Reheating

Best eaten straight away. Keep leftovers in the fridge up to 2 days and re-crisp them in a 200°C oven for 10 minutes. Freeze the unfried rolls for 2 months and fry from frozen.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.