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If you are looking for a quick, family friendly dinner that everyone actually gets excited about, these Easy Chicken Flautas are it. Warm flour tortillas wrapped around creamy, cheesy chicken, baked until crispy and golden, and perfect for dipping in all your favorite toppings. They are simple enough for a busy weeknight and fun enough for game day or a party platter.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made these for the first time tonight and they were a huge hit! I love how quickly I could put these together, and how tasty they were! Thank you!” – Meggan
“I made these on Sunday during halftime of the Houston Texans game (since my family ate all the Cheese Steak Crescent Rolls before the game). BIG hit! I made a double batch so we could eat them for snacks and/or school lunches this week. And they were all gone today! Thanks for another great recipe!” – Melissa
“I made these chicken flautas last night. They came together so fast!. We loved them, and needed something easy during the holiday season. I served them with a green salad, and they were perfect. Thanks.“ – Katie
Why I Love These Flautas
These Easy Chicken Flautas are a staple at my house. I make them for dinner, of course, but I also love to make extra and store them in the fridge for quick after school snacks or a last minute appetizer when friends stop by. They feel a little more substantial than the usual pantry snacks my kids might reach for, and I love that I know exactly what is in them.
They are also one of my favorite game day foods because you do not need utensils to eat them, they are easy to hold, and they are not messy. I can roll a tray into the oven at halftime and have hot, crispy flautas ready by the time everyone is asking for more food. I like to serve it with our Restaurant Style Mexican Rice, Grilled Mexican Street Corn, and Refried Beans for a full meal.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shredded chicken: cooked chicken that is shredded or finely chopped, great for using leftovers, rotisserie chicken, or chicken you cook just for this recipe
- Cream cheese: softens the filling and makes it creamy, helping everything hold together inside the tortillas
- Monterey Jack cheese: melts beautifully and adds mild flavor, or use Pepper Jack cheese if you want a little extra heat
- Salsa: adds moisture and flavor to the filling, use your favorite jarred salsa or a homemade salsa
- Salt and pepper: simple seasoning to bring all the flavors together
- Flour tortillas: soft taco size tortillas that roll easily and crisp up nicely in the oven
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Cheese options: substitute part of the Monterey Jack with cheddar, Colby Jack, or Pepper Jack for a spicier flavor
- Chicken choices: use leftover baked or grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken in a pinch
- Meat options: try shredded pork, shredded beef, or even seasoned ground turkey or ground beef for a different twist on these Easy Chicken Flautas
- Extra mix ins: stir in a little canned green chile, finely chopped onion, corn, or black beans for extra texture and flavor
- Spices: season the filling with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, or smoked paprika if you want more of a taco style flavor
- Tortillas: this recipe is written for flour tortillas, but you can use low carb flour tortillas or whole wheat tortillas if you prefer
- Milder option: use mild salsa and Monterey Jack if you are serving kids or anyone who does not like spice
How to Make Easy Chicken Flautas
- Mix the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, shredded Monterey Jack, salsa, and salt and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly mixed and creamy.
- Fill and roll the tortillas: Lay out your flour tortillas. Spoon the chicken mixture in a line down the center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla up tightly around the filling, keeping the seam side down.
- Prepare the baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Place the rolled tortillas seam side down on the sheet, leaving a little space between each one, then spray the tops generously with cooking spray so they crisp in the oven.
- Bake until crispy: Bake at 400 degrees F for about 12 to 16 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy on the edges. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then serve with your favorite toppings and dips.
Recipe Tips
- Soften the cream cheese first so it mixes easily with the chicken and cheese
- Roll tightly so the filling stays inside and the flautas keep their shape while baking
- Do not overfill the tortillas, a thin line of filling down the center is enough and makes rolling much easier
- Use parchment or foil with cooking spray so the flautas crisp up and do not stick to the pan
- Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven browns unevenly
- Serve right away for the crispiest texture, especially if you are making them for a party or game day
Flauta Dipping Ideas
We love to dip our flautas! Our favorites are sour cream, salsa, guacamole, Mexican crema, or ranch dressing. If you want to make some dips at home, try some of our favorite recipes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Flautas are a Mexican dish made from a savory filling wrapped in a tortilla and cooked until crispy. The filling is usually shredded chicken or beef, cheese, and a flavorful sauce. In this recipe, the flautas are baked instead of fried, which keeps things lighter while still giving you a crispy, golden tortilla.
Most flautas are filled with shredded meat, melted cheese, and a flavorful sauce or salsa. These Easy Chicken Flautas use shredded chicken, cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and salsa for a creamy, cheesy, slightly tangy filling that kids and adults both love.
I almost always make these when I have leftover chicken from another meal. They are perfect for using up cooked chicken from earlier in the week.
You can also use Rotisserie chicken for a super fast shortcut,
chicken cooked in the Instant Pot or slow cooker, then shredded
canned chicken if you are in a hurry and that is what you have on hand.
One of my favorite ways to make it is shredded chicken in the Instant Pot. I add a couple of chicken breasts with chicken broth, salt, and pepper, cook on high pressure, and then shred.
The main difference is the tortilla. Flautas are made with larger flour tortillas (burrito or quesadilla size) that are rolled up. Taquitos are made with smaller corn tortillas. The fillings are usually very similar. You can use shredded chicken, pork, beef, or even a vegetarian filling in either flautas or taquitos.
I think so. Store bought flautas, like the ones from big box stores, are convenient, but there are some advantages to making your own:
Healthier – these are baked instead of deep fried in oil
Customizable – you can choose your tortillas, filling, and level of spice
More economical – a package of frozen flautas can be pricey for the amount you get, and you can usually make a larger batch at home for the same cost
You can also choose flour, whole wheat, low carb, or even corn tortillas, and use the cheese and salsa your family likes best.
Yes! See our recipe for Air Fryer Flautas!
If you prefer a more traditional flauta, you can shallow fry them in a skillet with vegetable oil. Fry the rolled tortillas seam side down until golden and crispy on all sides, then drain on paper towels. Baking keeps things lighter and simpler, but both methods are delicious.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead; Assemble the flautas, place them on a baking sheet, and cover tightly before refrigerating for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake, put them straight into the oven and add a couple of extra minutes if they are very cold.
- Storing; Let baked flautas cool completely, then place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. They make great quick lunches, after school snacks, or easy leftovers for busy nights.
- Freezing; Arrange unbaked flautas in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container. Bake from frozen, adding extra time as needed until the filling is hot and the tortillas are crispy.
- Reheating; Warm leftovers in the oven or air fryer so the tortillas crisp back up nicely. You can use the microwave for a faster option, but the flautas will be softer and not as crispy.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
These Easy Chicken Flautas are creamy, cheesy, crispy, and so simple to make. They use basic ingredients, come together fast, and can be served as a main dish, snack, or party appetizer. If you make them I would love to hear what you think. Please leave a rating, share your tweaks, and what you served it with in the comments so others can get ideas too. 💛
Chicken Flautas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup salsa
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 flour tortillas, soft taco size
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Combine chicken, cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, salsa, and salt & pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Mix together well.
- Evenly distribute chicken mixture over each tortilla, making a line down the middle of each tortilla and then rolling them up tight.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place rolled up tortillas evenly spaced on the cookie sheet (place seam side down) and spray cooking spray generously over the top.
- Bake for 12-16 minutes or until tortillas become golden-brown.
Notes
- Use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken to make these flautas even faster on busy nights.
- Soften the cream cheese before mixing so the filling comes together smoothly.
- A thin line of filling down the center of each tortilla makes rolling easier and keeps the flautas from bursting open.
- Place the flautas seam side down on the baking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray so they crisp up in the oven.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden and crispy on the edges.
- For extra flavor, season the filling with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, or paprika.
- Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or ranch dressing for dipping, plus shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and avocado on the side.
- To make ahead, assemble and refrigerate the flautas for up to 24 hours, then bake just before serving.
- Leftovers reheat best in the oven or air fryer so the tortillas stay crisp.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These are fantastic! One of my favorites, and they are easy to make 😃
Thanks Nana! So glad that you like them!
Wow, my family absolutely loved these! They are so quick and simple but oh so tasty!
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How long do they last before they go bad?
About a week in the fridge, or a month in the freezer.
Really enjoyed this and will make it again.
Made these, only I fried them for the extra crunch, bought a higher quality salsa and used onion and chive cream cheese instead (just a family my family preference), they were really good! Great Recipe, Thank You!
Yum! My son is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to make this recipe!
I’m picking up a rotisserie chicken and making these tonight! I love an easy dinner recipe.
Way better than store bought! Love that these use flour tortillas, which I love!
At 15 mins these still were soft. Turned it up to 425″ for another 5 mins. Still not really crispy. My filling was tasty, but not what I expected.
Was pretty good with fresh salsa and fresh guacamole.
I would like to make these for our Cinco de Mayo potluck on Sunday at church. If I baked them ahead of time, do you think putting them in a warm oven for about 3 hours would work alright?
Yeah I think that should be fine!
These are not flautas.
What would you constitute as a flauta?
can corn street taco tortillas be used?
Sure! They are a little more fragile though so handle with care.
I just made the tonight. My picky husband loved them. My grandson also. So easy to make..thank you
So glad you liked them! If both your husband AND your grandson liked them, I definitely consider that a WIN! 😀
Wow, these look SO good. Our local takeout Mexican food place offers 3 chicken flautas for $4.95 and by the time I get home they are nearly cold. Watched the video and realize I can make them at home. Cannot wait to try these at home. Thank you so much for posting.
Hi Karen! So excited for you to try them! We almost never buy them anymore because they are just SO easy to make AND you can make them healthier because they are baked instead of fried. Let us know what you think when you try them!
I made these today and they are awesome! Definitely will be making them again.
Would cheddar cheese work instead of Monterey Jack
Absolutely! Cheddar cheese would be every bit as good. Thanks for asking!
For us ‘eaters’ here in Oz, tell me what Monterey Jack cheese is?
It is a white cheese similar to texture as mozzarella but typically used in Mexican dishes. Do you have pepper Jack cheese there? It is pepper Jack without the peppers!
I would like to know if these are best frozen before they are baked?
Should you bake these first before freezing? I am making approximately 60 to 70 for our church children’s summer camp.
Thank you
Beth
You can definitely freeze them before baking.. but if it were me, I would probably bake them first unless you can flash freeze them (so they don’t get soggy). Either way would probably work fine. 🙂 Hope this helps!