Flautas is Spanish for flutes. Chicken flautas are traditionally served with rice and beans. You can also use beef or black beans as fillings for flautas.
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Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups Tomatillo Sauce
- grated cheddar cheese
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- cooking oil for frying
- shredded lettuce
- Crema or sour cream
Instructions
- Combine the chicken with the tomatillo sauce, heat, and keep warm.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-hot. Lay a tortilla on the hot surface for a few seconds, then turn and heat the other side. This will make the tortilla pliable enough to roll in a tight flute. (See Note, below.) The fresher the tortilla, the better.
- Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken/tomatillo sauce mixture along one side of the tortilla, and roll the tortilla into a flute — as tightly as possible without tearing the tortilla. Lay the tortilla flute flap down, and continue filling and rolling the rest of the tortillas.
- Heat about an inch of cooking oil in the skillet. The oil should be hot enough to make a few drops of water sizzle when sprinkled into it, or 375°F. Carefully lay the flautas, three at a time, in the hot oil, flap side down, and cook until they are golden and crisp. Drain and keep warm until all flautas are cooked.
- Makes four servings of three flautas each. Garnish with crema or sour cream. On the plate include lettuce, chilled, ripe tomato wedges, and a scoop of guacamole.
- As a side, serve Mexican Red Rice.
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The best flautas are made with homemade corn tortillas because you can press them thinner than those from the store, not to mention the fact that they taste so much better. See our article on How to Make Corn Tortillas.
An alternative method for softening the tortillas is to dip each one into hot oil (use tongs) just until it becomes limp. Remove at once, drain, and repeat with the remaining tortillas. Don’t forget to turn off the heat under the skillet while you fill the tortillas.