Flautas- these crispy rolled up tacos are filled with chicken and cheese and easy to make at home! Bake, fry, or pop them in the air-fryer for perfect, crispy flautas every time.
To bake the flautas in the oven, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeno. Cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked onion, jalapeno, shredded cooked chicken, cumin, chili powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, green chiles, and lime juice. Stir in the shredded cheese.
Heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds so they are pliable. Place a flour tortilla on a flat surface. Add about 3 tablespoons of the filling to the bottom third of each tortilla then tightly roll up tortillas and place seam side down on the wire rack. Continue rolling until you are out of filling.
Make sure the flautas are in a single layer on the wire rack and that they are not touching. Spray generously with cooking oil or brush with oil. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until flautas are golden brown and crisp. If you want them extra crispy, you can broil them briefly, but watch them closely.
Notes
To fry the flautas:
Fill a large pot with canola or vegetable oil, enough to reach about 2-inches up the side of the pan. Heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 375 degrees F. Use tongs to carefully place the flautas in the hot oil, holding until firm. Release and cook until golden brown about 2 minutes. You can probably cook 4 flautas at a time. When golden brown, remove from the oil and place on plate that has been lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle with a little salt. To keep the flautas warm, place on a large baking sheet and place in a 200 degrees F oven. To air fry the flautas:
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray the flautas generously with cooking oil or brush with oil. Working in batches, place seam side down in the air fryer basket, making sure the flautas aren’t touching and the basket isn’t crowded. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the flautas are nice and crispy. To keep the flautas warm, place on a large baking sheet and place in a 200 degrees F oven. If you use smaller flour tortillas, use less filling and you will end up with more flautas.