Recipe by: Barbara Martinez
Our Recipe Books features a unique collection of authentic Texas home-cooking recipes straight from the heart of the Homestead Heritage community, where tradition and wholesome ingredients come together to create mouthwatering meals.
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June 1, 2025
Crispy, crunchy, and filled with simply seasoned chicken, these Flautas de Pollo are a comforting classic that families across Mexico have been making for generations. They’re also a favorite on Mexican restaurant menus here in Texas—and for good reason! This easy, homemade version brings that same delicious flavor to your own kitchen, perfect for sharing with family or friends around the dinner table.
In a medium sized pot, over medium-high heat, add the chicken breast (2 lb) and cover with several inches of water (4 quarts).
Add the carrot (1), celery (1 rib), onion (½ small), garlic (1–2 cloves), whole jalapeno (1), peppercorns (3–4), cilantro springs (4–5 sprigs), and kosher salt (1 Tbsp).
There is no need to peel or cut any of the vegetables. These are simply to add flavor to our chicken and will be discarded once the chicken has finished cooking.
Allow everything to come to a simmer and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink and registers an internal temperature of 165 °F degrees, approximately 25 minutes.
While the chicken is simmering, place a sauté pan or skillet over medium high heat adding about 2 tablespoons of oil. Line a plate or glass dish with a few layers of paper towels.
Once the oil is hot, adding one tortilla at a time, allow to cook for approximately 15-20 seconds per side, moving the tortillas to the paper towel lined plate when done and set aside.
The goal here is to slightly sear the tortilla to make it pliable but not actually fry the tortilla hard. You will need to move quickly to keep the tortilla from becoming crispy. If the tortilla starts to fall apart, try increasing the heat and allowing it to cook slightly longer before flipping while still ensuring the tortilla remains pliable.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and to a plate or bowl allowing it to cool for about 5 minutes.
Shred the chicken using clean hands or two forks, if still too hot to handle. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
Alternatively, your stand mixer will do an excellent job of shredding the chicken while it's still hot. Just toss the chicken breasts into the mixer with the paddle attachment and run the mixer on low-medium speed just long enough for mixer to shred the chicken.
Working with one tortilla at a time, lay about 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken along the bottom edge of the tortilla closest to you. Roll the tortilla up and set it seam down onto a plate.
If you are having trouble with keeping the tortilla rolled up, you can use toothpicks to keep them sealed. Just remember to remove all of the toothpicks after frying is complete!
Set your oven to 220 °F degrees and line a baking sheet with a few paper towels.
Using the same sauté pan from earlier, add about 1 cup of oil and heat the oil over medium-high heat.
If using a digital or frying thermometer the temperature range should be around 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
You will need to add enough oil to the pan so that the oil will come up about halfway to the flauta once it is placed in the sauté pan.
The oil needs to be hot enough to fry the flautas but it should not be smoking or they will burn.
Once the oil is ready, carefully add a few flautas to the pan, seam side down and allow them to fry until crisp on the first side, approximately 3 minutes.
Once the first side of the flauta is golden and crisp, use kitchen tongs to carefully flip each flauta to the other side to finish frying- about another 3 minutes.
When the flautas are done frying, using the kitchen tongs, carefully remove them from the oil, allowing it to drain back into the pan and set them in the oven on the paper towel lined baking sheet. Continue frying the remaining flautas in the same manner.
If at any time the paper towels start to become saturated with oil, replace them with more paper towels to ensure the flautas remain crisp and do not get soggy.
To serve, on each plate place 2-3 flautas, drizzle with the Crema Agria (Mexican style sour cream), followed by a drizzle of the avocado salsa.
Add a dollop of guacamole and generously sprinkle the flautas with queso fresco.
Add your side dishes and serve!
Halve the avocados, remove the pit and skin, then add the flesh to a small to medium mixing bowl.
Add the onion, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. Using a fork, mash all ingredients together until chunky.
Squeeze half of the lime into the guacamole along with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Mix until combined and taste to adjust for salt.
Add the tomatillos and jalapeño to a medium sized pot, covering them with water.
You only need enough water to submerge them fully. If you like your salsa very spicy, sub a Serrano for the jalapeño.
Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil and cook until the tomatillos and jalapeños are softened, about 10 minutes.
Allow the tomatillos and jalapeños to cool for a bit, about 15 minutes, then using a slotted spoon carefully add the cooked tomatillos and jalapeños to your blender canister. Add all the remaining ingredients on top and blend until smooth.
You will blend the entire jalapeño, so don't worry about the stem! If the salsa seems a little too thick, you can add small amounts of the water from boiling the veggies to the blender and blend to incorporate.
Taste for salt and adjust to taste.
In an airtight jar this will last around 4-5 days in the fridge and can therefore be made ahead of time.
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