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Jump to:What are Flautas? Watch Flautas / Taquito Video RecipeWhat is the difference between a flauta and a taquito?Flautas ingredientsHow to make a Flauta?What kind of filling goes best for this taquito / flauta recipe?What is the best kind of tortilla to use for making taquito?What sides go best with this flauta recipe?Fried vs baked flautasTips and Tricks for making tex mex flautasHow to store these tex mex flautas?How to reheat tex mex flautas?Let us know what you thinkTex Mex Flautas
What are Flautas?
Flautas are a Tex-Mex dish that involves rolling a filling inside of a tortilla shell and then frying them. The result is a crispy shell with a soft inside that is bursting with southwest flavor. Our flautas offer an excellent combination of flavor and heat. And they also offer your family a healthier option because we air fry them or bake them in the oven. By reducing the amount of oil we use, we reduce the amount of calories and make them a bit healthier. You can feel good serving these protein and fiber packed snacks to your kids or you can add extra sides to make a delicious meal.
Watch Flautas / Taquito Video Recipe
What is the difference between a flauta and a taquito?
Depending on who you ask, there really is not much difference between the two. Traditionally, the main difference is taquitos use corn tortillas while flautas use flour ones. Often that results in a longer style roll for flautas. But, since they are often used interchangeably, you can use either type of tortilla you prefer. We like to use corn, so we use corn in our recipe, but you can definitely use flour instead if you prefer.
Flautas ingredients
When you are ready to make these flavorful flautas, here’s what you will need to have on hand:
Bell peppers - You’ll need both a red and green pepper. Refried beans - You can use your favorite brand or follow our easy, homemade recipe found here. Corn kernels - You can use frozen, canned, or kernels taken directly off the cob. Black beans - You could use red beans, but black beans work great. Cilantro - This adds a fresh burst of flavor to the veggie mix filling. Jalapeno pepper - This adds some extra spice, but if you really don’t want the heat, you can cut it out. Salt 4 Cheese Mexican blend - You could also use cheddar, Monterey jack, or your favorite cheese blend. Taco seasoning - You can use your preferred brand or mix. Tortilla - We use corn tortillas, but you could use flour tortillas for a more authentic flautas. Oil - You’ll need to use this to brush or spray onto the flautas.
For garnish and dipping, you will also want to have the following on hand:
Lettuce Pico de gallo Cilantro Salsa Sour cream or Greek yogurt Guacamole
How to make a Flauta?
First, mix the refried beans, black beans, corn, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, cheese, cilantro, and taco seasonings in a large bowl. Once they are well combined, you’ll want to work in small batches of about 3 to 4 tortillas. To start, wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 30 seconds. You may need to add an additional 30 seconds to the cook time.
The combined moisture and heat should make them more pliable and less likely to break when folding them around the stuffing. Once the tortilla can fold, immediately spray or brush one side with oil and add the veggie filling to the center of the “dry side” of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla into about a 1-inch thick roll and place them in a row on either a wire rack or waiting area if using the air fryer. Once you have enough to fill either your oven or air fryer, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F or your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Once either is up to heat, place the wire rack in the oven or carefully place the rolled flautas into the air fryer basket.
When you have filled the basket, spray or brush on the cooking oil. Finally, cook them in the air fryer for 6 to 9 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Once they have turned golden, flip them, spray again with cooking oil, and then cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. If using the oven, cook them for about 15 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Serve them hot from the fryer or oven with your favorite toppings and dips.
What kind of filling goes best for this taquito / flauta recipe?
When we make these, we love a good mix of beans, corn, and peppers. Not only do the flavors really come together well, the fiber and protein from the beans helps to keep you fuller for longer. And since you either air fry or bake these, you can feel good about serving them to your hungry family.
What is the best kind of tortilla to use for making taquito?
We like to use corn tortillas. We use street style or smaller shells, but you can use slightly larger ones if you prefer. If you don’t like or have corn tortillas, you can use flour ones. They are actually more traditionally used for flautas. Again, just keep them on the slightly smaller size.
What sides go best with this flauta recipe?
One of the great things about Tex-Mex food is there is almost no shortage of potential side dishes you can serve with them. Here are some of our favorite recipes to pair with the flautas on the side:
Homemade Mexican Chalupa Sopa De Fideo Mexican Fiesta Rice Spanish rice Easy Instant Pot Pinto Beans Bolillo
Fried vs baked flautas
When you fry flautas, you have to use a lot of oil. The oil seeps into the corn tortillas making thema bit greasier to the touch. Baking the flautas in the oven or using your air fryer instead helps to reduce the amount of oil you need to use. The result is that the flautas feel a bit less oily. But there are other trade offs. Deep fried flautas have a bit more of a crispy bite that is hard to replicate, even in the air fryer. Air fried or baked flautas are a bit less crisp, but they also have a lot less calories and are a bit healthier for your family to enjoy.
Tips and Tricks for making tex mex flautas
For best results, check out these easy to follow tips and tricks.
When using corn tortillas, always make sure to wrap them in a damp paper towel and warm them in the microwave so they become easier to fold without breaking. Don’t overstuff the rolls! They can easily break or seep out, which makes a bit of a mess. For less heat, skip the jalapeno, or for more heat, use a habanero or other hotter pepper in its place.
How to store these tex mex flautas?
Once these flautas have cooled completely, we recommend wrapping each in a paper towel and placing it in an airtight container in the fridge. They should store for about 5 to 7 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them if you prefer. To freeze, allow them to cool completely and then wrap each in a paper towel. Place them into a large freezer safe container or bag and then put it into the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to reheat tex mex flautas?
When you are ready to reheat the flautas, you have a couple of options. First, you could place them in the microwave, covered, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Another option is to place them in the oven set at 350 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through. Finally, you could place them in the air fryer set to 350 for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. When using frozen flautas, you can either thaw them first in the fridge or just increase the reheat times.
More Air Fryer Recipes that you might like to try
Air fried pickles Tostadas Apple chips Vegetable Fajitas Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Onion Rings Olive Garden Bread Sticks
Let us know what you think
If you make this delicious recipe, let us know how it went! When you make this, be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!
Instant Pot Vortex 6-Quart 4-in-1 Air Fryer Gourmia GAF400 Electric Multipurpose Classic Rapid Air Fryer with Dual Dial Timer & Temperature Controls, 10 Cup/4.5 Qt. Capacity, 1230W, Black Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans, 12 Cans, 1 Pound (Pack of 12) McCormick Premium Taco Seasoning Mix 24 oz (pack of 2) La Tortilla Factory Organic Yellow Corn Tortillas, 8-Count, 6 Packages
