Flautas! Crispy rolled tacos! That’s the easiest description for these popular tacos dorados(crispy tacos). On the nights Mom would prepare flautas, we would be eagerly waiting. She literally would make them on the spot, to order! My Mom was awesome!
The flautas I remember the most is a tender shredded beef version. I remember it well because it was usually my job to shred the beef! Lol!
Flautas de Rajas Con Queso. Poblano and Cheese Flautas!
Ingredients
For Salsa
- 6 large tomatillos 1 pound
- 1/4 white onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 jalapeños or 2 serranos
- 1/2 large avocado
- 1/4-1/3 cup cilantro
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3 tbs silver tequila optional
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Salt to taste
For Flautas
- Grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 Poblanos previously roasted, cleaned and sliced into strips
- 16 oz queso fresco or panela Reserve 4 ounces of queso. Slice the remaining cheese into 12 long and skinny sticks
- 1 cup Mexican Crema
- 4 cups Lettuce shredded
- 2 Roma Tomatoes sliced
- 1/2 White onion thinly sliced
- 1 Avocado sliced
- Lime wedges
Instructions
For Salsa
- Peel and wash the tomatillos. Remove stems from chile peppers. Add tomatillos, onion, garlic and chile peppers to a pot of simmering water, Cook just until tomatillos turn from bright green to opaque green. Do let allow them to tear open. Remove from heat and let ingredients cool.
- When ready, use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer tomatillos, onion, garlic and peppers to the blender. Pour in 1/2 cup of the cooking water from the pot into the blender. Add cilantro, lime, tequila and salt to taste. Blend on high until very smooth. Taste for salt.
For Flautas
- Brush the corn tortillas on both sides with the oil. Cook for a about 20 seconds on each side on preheated comal or griddle. Transfer to a plate. Loosely cover with foil paper and let sit for 10 minutes. This extra step seals the tortillas better so they don't tear when you fill and roll them. A good quality tortilla is key also!
- In a skillet, preheat 2 cups of oil to medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
- While the oil heats up, fill each tortilla with a few poblano strips and 1 stick of cheese. Rol as tight as you can. Place two flautas side by side, so the seams are on the inside touching each other. Secure one toothpick on each end to hold the flautas together.
- When oil is hot, carefully place some of the flautas in the skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side or until flautas are very crispy.
- Transfer cooked flautas to a bowl that is lined with paper towels. Stand the flautas up against the side of the bowl so the excess oil drains out.
- When ready, add flautas to serving plate. Crumble the reserved cheese. Spoon salsa onto flautas generously. Garnish with crema, crumbled queso, lettuce, tomato onion, avocado and lime.
Notes
Want more Recipes? Check out these shredded brisket version prepared with extra long homemade corn tortillas! With the works! https://pinaenlacocina.com/shredded-brisket-flautas-flautas-estilo-de-la-romero-rubio/
I especially like using the queso fresco or panela because it won’t melt out of the flauta when fried. It just gets soft, warm and delicious!
The tomatillo avocado salsa can also be prepared with all uncooked ingredients. It’s a delicious alternative.
bkhuna
I lived in San Diego for many years. Every single taqueria sold these and called them taquitos. What if anything differentiates them from flautas? Is it just regional?
Sonia
My family is from Monterrey and I grew up knowing them as flautas and taquitos dorados. In Mexico they actually produce a large oval corn tortilla specifically for flautas. It can get confusing when one grows up first generation Mexican-American and travels to Mexico twice a year. Lol! Some people simply call them tacos dorados. I will take them any name people want to call them.
Penelope
Looks so delicious, I wish I still ate meat! Just beautiful!
Sonia
Thank you Penelope!
Roxanna
How would you make these with shredded beef or chicken?
Sonia
Roxanna, I have both beef and chicken flauta recipes on my blog. Just type flautas into the search bar.
Sonia
On my blog I have both chicken and beef flauta recipes.
Lillian
In the recipe it says “queso fresco or panela”, why panela? Isn’t that sugar?
Sonia
Hi Lillian, panela is a cheese made from cow’s milk in Mexico. It’s much like queso fresco. I use this in the flautas because it won’t melt out when I fry the flautas.