Crispy Chicken Flautas with Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Tightly rolled corn tortillas stuffed with garlicky shredded chicken, pinned with toothpicks and shallow-fried until they blister into shattering golden tubes. Serve them under a snowfall of cotija, crema and a bright avocado-tomatillo salsa. Air-fryer instructions included for a lighter, hands-off version.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ancho or regular chili powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 16 corn tortillas (5 to 6 inch)
• 16 wooden toothpicks
• 2 cups vegetable or canola oil, for shallow-frying

• 8 oz tomatillos, husked and halved
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed and halved
• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp water

• 1/2 cup Mexican crema or thinned sour cream
• 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
• 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced radish
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Season the chicken thighs all over with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high and sear the thighs 3 minutes per side, just to build color. Transfer to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium and add the onion to the same pan. Cook 4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir 45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more so it darkens slightly.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, scrape up the browned bits, and return the chicken with any juices. Cover and simmer gently over medium-low for 20 to 22 minutes, until the thighs shred easily with a fork (internal temperature 175°F).
4. Shred the chicken directly in the pan with two forks, then simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid clings to the meat but the pan is no longer wet — a soggy filling makes soggy flautas. Cool 10 minutes, then fold in the Monterey Jack. You should have about 3 cups of filling.
5. Make the salsa: broil the tomatillos and jalapeño cut side up on a foil-lined sheet 6 inches from the element for 6 to 8 minutes, until blistered and slack. Scrape everything, juices included, into a blender with the avocado, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt and water. Blend smooth and refrigerate.
6. Warm the tortillas so they roll without cracking: stack them in a damp kitchen towel and microwave 45 to 60 seconds, or pass each one through a dry skillet over medium heat for 15 seconds per side. Keep them wrapped and warm as you work.
7. Roll in batches of four. Lay a warm tortilla down, spoon 2 tablespoons of filling in a line just off center, and roll it up tightly into a cigar. Push a toothpick straight through the seam and out the other side, catching the overlapping edge — that pin is the whole trick; without it the flauta unfurls in the oil. Set seam side down and repeat.
8. Pour oil 3/4 inch deep into a heavy skillet and heat to 350°F (a tortilla scrap should bubble vigorously on contact). Fry 4 flautas at a time, seam side down first, for 2 minutes, then roll them over and fry 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more until deep gold and rigid.
9. Drain on a wire rack set over a sheet pan (not paper towels, which steam the bottoms) and salt immediately. Let the oil return to 350°F between batches. Pull the toothpicks once the flautas are cool enough to handle.
10. Air-fryer version: skip the frying oil and instead brush each rolled flauta all over with about 2 teaspoons oil total per 4 pieces. Arrange seam side down in a single layer in a 400°F air fryer and cook 9 to 11 minutes, flipping at the 6-minute mark, until crackly and browned. Keep the toothpicks in for this method too.
11. Spread the salsa across a platter, pile the flautas on top, and finish with drizzled crema, cotija, shredded lettuce, radish and lime wedges. Serve right away while they are still loud.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem