Easy Baked Chicken Flautas Recipe (26 cents each) - Good Cheap Eats (2024)

Chicken Flautas are a treat! Crispy corn tortilla wrapped around a filling of shredded, seasoned chicken and cheese makes for a fantastic snack or main dish. These are one of our most popular Mexican food recipes.

Serve these Chicken Flautas alongside Beef Taquitos with Easy 4-Ingredient Guacamole and homemade Taco Shop Style Salsa for the ultimate party snack tray.

During junior high or high school, my sister Jamie and I started making chicken flautas, based on a recipe we found in a magazine. The original version contained cooked chicken, shredded cheddar, and prepared-picante-sauce-not-from-New-York-City. The filling was rolled into fried corn tortillas and baked in the oven.

We loved them. And made them often.

Since my husband doesn’t loveprepared-picante-sauce-not-from-New-York-City and I think it’s too expensive to pay for, I’ve created this version that is cheaper and tastier for the ultimate chicken flautas experience.

Why Make This

Baked Chicken Flautas are a great alternative to frozen taquitos. It’s true. Frozen taquitos just can’t compare to homemade, even the ones you bake. Read the ingredients list and you’ll know this is a better-tasting option.

They are amazingly good. Flautas are almost addicting with their mix of tender filling and crispy exterior. No one can eat just one.

They are freezer friendly. Since they’re so lip-smacking good, it’s worth your while to make some extras to freeze for a quick snack or to add to taco night.

Ingredients

The ingredients list is not all that complicated, especially when you consider the flavor these chicken flautas pack. You’ll need:

corn tortillas – While I love homemade corn tortillas, I find that commercially made tortillas have better texture for flautas. Tortillas are cheaper the more you buy in the bag. So, if you end up with a big bag, you can also make Crockpot Enchiladas or Homemade Mexican Bean Tostadas with the leftovers.

oil for frying – While the chicken flautas are baked in the oven, you’ll be frying the tortillas briefly in hot oil. Use whatever cooking oil you like, though olive or grape seed oils have higher smoke points that’s more appropriate for frying.

shredded chicken – I like to use Instant Pot Shredded Chicken – it’s so incredibly easy! — but you can also shred a rotisserie chicken or even use leftover turkey if you like.

shredded pepper jack – I love the melting quality of Monterey jack cheese and the pepper variety brings a little heat to the filling. You can use your favorite shredded cheese that you use in tacos and the like.

spices – The spices are basically those that you would fine in taco seasoning mix. You can use a ready mix if you like, but the proportions here are pretty spot on. Be sure to use chile powder with nothing else added to it. Some manufacturers add salt to the mixture and that will throw off the seasoning here.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, and seasonings.
2. In a small skillet, heat about ½ inch of oil. Fry the tortillas in the oil until hot and softened. Transfer to the prepared tray.
3. Lay out the prepped tortillas and divide the chicken mixture evenly among them. Roll them up tightly and secure each with a toothpick.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the flautas. Bake another 10 minutes. Remove the toothpicks and serve hot.

Freezing Instructions

To freeze baked flautas:Drain on paper toweling and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven for best texture, though you can reheat in the microwave as well.

To freeze flautas unbaked:Once they are all rolled, place the flautas on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until the flautas are frozen hard. Remove the toothpicks and store the frozen flautas in a ziptop freezer bag. Do not thaw before baking. Place flautas on a tray and bake as directed. Increase baking time if necessary to accommodate for frozen flautas.

FAQs

Recipe Costs

Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

• chicken – $1.99
• cheese – $1.00
• tortillas – $1.50
• spices and oil – $0.25

While your prices may vary depending on where you shop, you can expect to pay somewhere around $4.74/batch or about $0.26 each.

You can buy frozen “chicken and cheese taquitos” that the cost for 15 frozen is $5.49. That means that they are about 36 cents each.

Homemade chicken flautas are cheaper, but I would also submit that they are tastier and healthier for you. Don’t you think? I used boneless, skinless chicken, Tillamook sharp cheese, Mission tortillas, and heart-healthy olive oil. Convenience foods are so much better when you make them yourself.

I’m convinced that these were better quality for the money, the biggest bang for your buck. That’s kinda how I roll. Especially where chicken flautas are concerned.

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This post was originally published on October 2, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.