Flautas: golden chicken taquitos, the Mexican antojito on the table

What is it?

Flautas, also called golden taquitos, are one of the most beloved antojitos of the Mexican table: maize tortillas filled, rolled into a long shape and fried until crisp and golden. The most common filling is shredded chicken, although there are also potato, barbacoa, picadillo or requeson versions. They are usually served on a bed of shredded lettuce, bathed in cream, salsa verde or roja, fresh cheese and avocado. Unlike a fresh taco, a flauta is eaten with knife and fork when bathed, or with the hand if served dry with salsas on the side. It is a common dish in fondas and set-menu restaurants as well as at family celebrations and school kermesses across the country.

Origin and history

The origin of flautas lies in the cooking of central-western Mexico, particularly in Jalisco, although the Mexico City version became popular as a market and fonda antojito in the first half of the twentieth century. The name flauta (flute) refers to its elongated shape, similar to the instrument, and it is distinguished from the golden taquito mainly by length: flautas are made with long tortillas or with two tortillas joined, while golden taquitos use a single shorter tortilla. The technique of frying the filled tortilla has colonial roots, when pork lard made frying possible as an everyday cooking method. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century cookbooks, such as those by Vicenta Torres de Rubio and Josefina Velazquez de Leon, already feature flautas as an established dish. In the north and in the Mexican diaspora in the United States, flautas were transformed into a bar dish and a Tex-Mex restaurant dish, while the chef-driven version by Pati Jinich has projected the traditional recipe onto the international scene.

Characteristic ingredients

Fresh maize tortilla is essential: if too dry it breaks when rolled, so it is briefly warmed on the comal or softened with a touch of oil before filling. The classic filling is cooked and shredded chicken, seasoned with onion and sometimes tomato; in the Jalisco version it is plain chicken, well seasoned. Potato flautas are filled with cooked mashed potato with salt, popular for being economical. Other variants include beef barbacoa, picadillo, requeson or mushrooms for vegetarian versions. They are closed with a cocktail stick and fried in hot oil, fully submerged, until evenly golden. The typical accompaniments are Mexican cream, shredded lettuce or cabbage, crumbled fresh cheese, salsa verde of tomatillo or red tomato salsa, avocado and, in some regions, a creamy avocado sauce blended with cream, known as liquid guacamole.

Cultural significance

Flautas are part of the repertoire of table antojitos served in Mexico as a main course accompanied by rice and beans. They are an unmissable dish at children's parties, parish kermesses and Sunday family meals, and they represent one of the most popular ways to use leftover cooked chicken. In Guadalajara and Mexico City there are specialised establishments, the so-called flauterias, that have run for generations, such as Las Lupitas in Mexico City. Traditional Mexican cuisine, inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, covers this kind of nixtamalised maize preparation. In the United States, flautas became one of the best-selling frozen Mexican products, with brands such as Delimex and Jose Ole, showing how the antojito crossed borders to become global comfort food.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a flauta and a golden taquito?

Both are filled and fried maize tortillas, but the flauta is longer: it is made with large tortillas or by joining two together to achieve the elongated shape that recalls the musical instrument. The golden taquito uses a single smaller tortilla and ends up shorter. The filling and accompaniments are usually identical.

What do chicken flautas taste like?

The dominant flavour is the toasted note of fried tortilla, crisp outside and soft inside, contrasting with tender, seasoned shredded chicken. The cream and fresh cheese bring unctuousness and salt, while salsa verde of tomatillo introduces tartness and heat that cleanse the palate. The lettuce and avocado add freshness.

How are flautas served?

Three or four are arranged on a bed of shredded lettuce, bathed with Mexican cream, sprinkled with crumbled fresh cheese and covered with salsa verde or roja. They are accompanied by sliced avocado, refried beans and rice. In some fondas they are served dry with salsas on the side to preserve the crunch.

Where do flautas come from?

Flautas originated in central-western Mexico, with Jalisco one of their most documented birthplaces. The technique of frying the filled tortilla has colonial roots, made possible by the introduction of pork lard. Mexican cookbooks since the nineteenth century have recorded them as an established dish, and today they are national heritage with variants in every region.