Saturday, April 18, 2009

Chicken Flautas


These were one of the first big hits with the kids after we moved to Mexico. Flautas are very common here and they are also fairly easy to make, that is if you pick up the fresh corn tortillas from the store that is. Trust me 8 pesos for 50 warm tortillas is a steal.You will need:
1 chicken breast
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
cumin
salt and pepper
corn tortillas
vegetable oil
sour cream
salsa Verde
lettuce
Chilies (optional)

To make the chicken filling:
in a medium sauce pan add chicken and enough water to cover and boil chicken until done, about 25 minutes. lay chicken on a cutting board and shred into little pieces with to forks. Set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat saute onions in 1 tablespoon oil until translucent. add in reserved chicken and diced tomatoes and cook until tomatoes break down, add in the cumin salt and pepper. If you like spicy or your not feeding little ones feel free to add some chillies or jalapenos the chicken mixture. Set mixture aside.

in a large deep skillet fill half way with oil and heat.

The Tortilla:
To be able to roll the tortillas they need to be heated or they will break and crack on you. I heat a pan of water and put my spatter cover over the pan and set the tortillas on that so they heat enough to roll but no too hot or too wet. I have read that you can put the tortillas in the hot oil for a few minutes to heat them but I feel that why add another step of oil to the meal and I would rather not mess with hot oil that much with kids around. I mean I am already deep frying them as it is.

Wrap and Fry:
take a warm tortilla and add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in and wrap as tight as you can into a cigar. place the cigar in the hot oil seam side down so that it will not unroll. when that side is done I turn with a pair of tongs and cook the other side. I give each side 2 to 3 minutes or until they are nice a crisp and light brown.

once the flautas are done they can be covered in either salsa verde and lettuce, sour cream and lettuce or just go crazy and cover with all of it, that is how I like it.

these are now one of the foods that we have to make about once a week and I make a large batch of filling and freeze it so that it is super quick and easy to make.

7 comments:

Jen said...

These look gorgeous, Shayne! I've always stayed away from flautas due to the frying element. I may have to try them, though.

Shayne said...

yeah I am bad I fry a lot of things. but with these you really only eat 3 maybe 4 of them so the nutrition count is is only like 375 calories

muzzyblue said...

These look delicious! I was taught how to make beef flautas from a friend who grew up in El Paso, but oddly enough, never thought about switching it up with chicken.
I'm looking forward to trying more authentic recipes in your blog!

Jeff said...

Anything fried wins in my book.

BTW I love the saying in your header and it is so true. Something I am going to have to say to my friends who are obsessed with how much cash they make.

cindy* said...

yum. those look fantastic and warm tortillas! mmm.

Katie Zeller said...

I've been catching up... your tacos and flautas look yummy.... As does your cheesecakes...
I hope your having fun exploring your everywhere!

winedeb said...

Hi Shayne! Just wanted to check in with you to make sure you and your family are avoiding "the flu". I have seen so much publicity regarding it and Mexico and am concerned about you guys.
Hope all is going well!
Chicken Flautas look so yummy! Must be fun cooking with all of those new ingredients! Take good care!