Flautas De Pollo

Ingredients

• 2red chillies
• 6plum tomatoes
• 1red onion
• 1 clovegarlic
• 400 gskinless chicken thigh
• 1 clovegarlic
• 8tortillas
• 1 bunchcoriander
• to tastesalt
• to tasteblack pepper
• 250 mlvegetable oil
• 1romaine lettuce
• 1avocado
• 1lime
• 150 mlsour cream
• 200 gfeta
• to servesalsa

Instructions

1. 1

   Char the vegetables

   Heat a pan over high heat and char the chillies on both sides. Remove them, then char the tomatoes in the same way to give the salsa a smoky flavour.

2. 2

   Prepare the onion

   Roughly chop the onion, setting aside a small amount for garnish. Crush one clove of garlic with the flat side of a knife.

3. 3

   Start the salsa

   Warm some of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until fragrant, then add the chillies and tomatoes and stir. For a milder salsa, add the chillies gradually and taste as you go.

4. 4

   Simmer the salsa

   Add the coriander and season with salt and pepper. Pour in enough water to come close to covering the ingredients without submerging them, then bring to the boil.

5. 5

   Mash and cook

   Use a wooden spoon to mash the tomatoes and chillies. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   Blend the salsa

   Let the sauce cool completely, then roughly blend it in the pan with a handheld blender. If it is too thin, simmer it for longer until it reaches the consistency you want, then set aside.

7. 7

   Poach the chicken

   Put the chicken in a medium pan with half the onion and the other garlic clove. Add enough water to cover everything, season with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

8. 8

   Prepare the toppings

   Thinly slice the lettuce and set it aside. Mash the avocado in a bowl with the juice of half the lime, then season with salt and pepper.

9. 9

   Lime the cream

   Squeeze the juice from the remaining half of the lime into the sour cream and mix.

10. 10

    Shred the chicken

    When the chicken is cooked, lift it out of the pan and reserve the stock. Shred the chicken in a bowl, mix in 2 teaspoons of the stock, then season with salt and pepper.

11. 11

    Roll the flautas

    Add some shredded chicken to each tortilla and roll it into a long flute shape. If needed, secure the rolls with toothpicks before frying.

12. 12

    Fry until golden

    Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the flautas until golden brown. Avoid crowding the pan and cook in batches if necessary.

13. 13

    Add the toppings

    Serve the flautas with shredded lettuce, lime sour cream, mashed avocado, the reserved onion, crumbled feta and homemade salsa.

What are flautas?

Flautas are Mexican rolled tortillas, usually filled and fried until crisp; their name refers to their flute-like shape. They are often served with toppings or sauces that add freshness and contrast to the crunchy shell.

Here, shredded chicken makes a savoury filling, while charred tomatoes and chillies bring a smoky salsa. Cool sour cream, avocado, lettuce and salty feta round out each serving.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 940 calories, 41g protein, 58g carbs, 58g fat.

The tortillas and tomatoes supply most of the carbohydrates, while the chicken contributes protein. The frying oil, sour cream, avocado and feta account for much of the fat; serve with extra lettuce or a side salad to add freshness and balance the plate.

Building the smoky salsa

Char first: Blistering the chillies and tomatoes over high heat gives the salsa a deeper, smoky flavour. Keep an eye on them and turn the chillies so both sides char.

Control the heat: Add the chillies to the onion and tomato mixture gradually if you prefer a milder sauce. Simmering softens the ingredients, and reducing the blended sauce helps it cling to the flautas.

Keeping the chicken tender

Gentle poaching: Once the pan comes to the boil, lower the heat and let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes. The method uses onion and garlic in the cooking water to season the meat.

Moist filling: Reserve the cooking stock before shredding the chicken, then stir 2 teaspoons into the meat. This adds moisture without making the tortillas soggy.

Rolling and frying

Secure rolls: Spread the chicken along each tortilla and roll it into a narrow flute. Toothpicks can hold a roll together if it loosens before frying; remove them before serving.

Fry in batches: Give the flautas room in the pan so they can turn golden rather than crowding together. They are ready when crisp and evenly browned.

Fresh toppings and texture

Avocado and lime: Lime juice brings brightness to the mashed avocado and sour cream. Season the avocado with salt and pepper so it complements the chicken and salsa.

Crunch and salt: Thinly sliced romaine adds a crisp topping, while crumbled feta provides a salty finish. Add the toppings just before serving to keep the fried tortillas crisp.

Serving the flautas

Serve them soon after frying, with the toppings arranged over or alongside the rolls. Extra salsa lets everyone add as much smoky sauce as they like.

For a fuller meal, serve with beans or a simple side salad. Keep wet toppings separate until serving if you expect leftovers.

Recipe notes & tips

• Char the tomatoes and chillies until their skins are visibly blackened in places for a smoky salsa.
• Add the chillies to the salsa in stages if you want more control over its heat.
• Cool the salsa fully before blending it with a handheld blender.
• Reserve the chicken stock before shredding so you can moisten the filling.
• Fry the flautas in batches rather than filling the pan too tightly.
• Keep the lettuce and creamy toppings separate until just before serving.

Variations

• Use corn tortillas: Choose small corn tortillas for a traditional-style alternative, warming them first so they roll more easily.
• Adjust the chilli: Use fewer chillies for a milder salsa or add them gradually for a hotter finish.
• Change the cheese: Crumble another salty, crumbly cheese over the flautas if feta is unavailable.
• Add beans: Serve with warm beans on the side for a more substantial meal.
• Make it herbier: Scatter extra chopped coriander over the assembled flautas just before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowded frying pan: The flautas may cook unevenly; fry them in batches with space between each roll.
• Soggy tortillas: Too much liquid in the filling can soften the rolls; use only 2 teaspoons of reserved stock.
• Over-blended salsa: A completely smooth sauce loses the recipe's rough texture; blend it briefly until roughly combined.
• Salsa too thin: Return it to the pan and simmer until it thickens to your preferred consistency.
• Loose rolls: Secure the tortillas with toothpicks before frying, then remove them before serving.
• Toppings added too early: The fried tortillas can lose their crispness; assemble them just before eating.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover chicken, salsa and toppings separately in covered containers and use within 3 days. The fried flautas are best eaten fresh; reheat them in an oven or air fryer until hot and crisp, then add the cold toppings.

Frequently asked questions