The name of these crispy rolled tacos (“Flautas”) is given to them because of their resemblance of a “flute”, and because you hold them with your fingers to eat them. In some parts of Mexico, these tacos are made using thin long oval-shaped corn tortillas and deep fried in lard. The best flautas I have ever had are from Toluca, while I was living there back in the late ‘80s.
Mexican Beef Crispy Taquitos (Flautas)
Beef Taquitos
Those flautas were long, thick and cooked in a mix of vegetable oil and lard topped with a spicy jalapeno sauce. If you live close to some areas of Chicago, Texas, and California you can buy these tortillas at the Tortilla Factories. But we are using regular corn tortillas as many people in Mexico do for this recipe. Flautas are very popular among the children and are really easy and affordable to make. My mother still makes them with a potato filling like back then when she had 8 children to feed. But this time she cooks for her grandchildren that come to Grandma’s house every day for lunch after school.
How to Make Mexican Beef Crispy Taquitos
- Cook the meat in a small pot with the onion, garlic, bay leave, salt, and water. Simmer covered for about 40-45 minutes or until tender, cool and shred the meat. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Place the Chicken, garlic, onion, salt, and water in a pot and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.or until tender. Let it cool and shred.
- Peel and cut the potatoes in large cubes, cook in salted water until tender, do not over cook. Drain and mash. Taste in case it needs more salt.
- Heat the tortillas on a griddle to make them more pliable and easy to roll. Put some shreds of the meat close to the edge of the tortilla.
- Roll tightly but not to much to avoid squeezing the filling out of the tortilla.
- Secure the tortilla with a toothpick. Roll another tortilla with its filling and again hold the center with a toothpick. You can attach them in pairs as shown in the picture.
- While you are rolling the tacos, heat the oil in a frying pan on high heat.
- Deep fry the flautas in the already heated oil turning once until golden and crisp.
- Remove and drain the excess oil on paper towels, as shown in the picture at the top.
It’s also a good idea to let them cool a little since the filling will be very hot.
Serve on a plate and top with the salsa of your choice, Mexican cream, and cheese. My son likes them with cream and cheese (and ketchup) only. I prefer to eat them with lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese and salsa.
HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN BEEF CRISPY TAQUITOS
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas the thinner the better
- 2 cups of the filling of your choice Beef, chicken or potato (see instructions bellow)
- 12 to othpicks to hold the tortillas together
- Vegetable oil to fry the flautas
- 1 cup of “Cotija” Cheese shredded or fresh Mexican Cheese Crumbled
- ½ cup Mexican cream or creme fraiche
For the beef filling
- 1 Pound of Flank steak or skirt cut in cubes
- ¼ of an onion
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 bay leave
- Enough water to cover the meat.
- Salt to taste
For the chicken filling:
- 1 large chicken breast bone in
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 slices of onion
- Enough water to cover the chicken
- salt to taste
For the potato filling:
- 2 Large potatoes
- salt to taste and enough water to cover the potatoes.
Instructions
For the beef filling
- Cook the meat in a small pot with the onion, garlic, bay leave, salt, and water. Simmer covered for about 40-45 minutes or until tender, cool and shred the meat.
For the chicken filling:
- Place the Chicken, garlic, onion, salt, and water in a pot and simmer covered for about 30 minutes.or until tender. Let it cool and shred.
For the potato filling:
- Peel and cut the potatoes in large cubes, cook in salted water until tender, do not over cook. Drain and mash. Taste in case it needs more salt.
- Heat the tortillas on a griddle to make them more pliable and easy to roll. Put some shreds of the meat close to the edge of the tortilla.
- Roll tightly but not to much to avoid squeezing the filling out of the tortilla.
- Secure the tortilla with a toothpick. Roll another tortilla with its filling and again hold the center with a toothpick. You can attach them in pairs as shown in the picture.
- While you are rolling the tacos, heat the oil in a frying pan on high heat.
- Deep fry the flautas in the already heated oil turning once until golden and crisp.
- Remove and drain the excess oil on paper towels, as shown in the picture at the top.
- It’s also a good idea to let them cool a little since the filling will be very hot.
- Serve on a plate and top with the salsa of your choice, Mexican cream, and cheese. My son likes them with cream and cheese (and ketchup) only. I prefer to eat them with lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese and salsa.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy! And remember you do not need your silverware to eat this dish.
Provecho!
Mely Martínez,
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John Leitch
Mely! Please tell us about the special frying pan used in this recipe. Thanks for all the good things.
mmartinez
Hello John, This is a similar FRYING PAN to the one in the picture. The one you see in the picture is also from México, but the ones in AMAZON are a little heavier.