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How To Make Three-Ingredient Pork Flautas

June 18, 2020
Flautas, also known as Taquitos are crispy rolled tacos. These flautas are filled with roast pork. Use chopped pork roast or shredded pork (a great way to use up leftovers). They are perfect for parties or make into dinner with shredded lettuce and sour cream on top. The entire recipe uses only three ingredients. Learn how to make them at home! #flautas #pork #taquitos #mexicanfood
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Cast iron skillet with pork flautas frying and a white plate with 3 more flautas on the side.
Pork Flautas are literally the best party trick in the world.
 
They are incredibly simple (just three ingredients), are super crispy on the outside, filled with tender pork on the inside, and are basically irresistible.
 
Pork Taquitos on a plate topped with lettuce, radishes, and red onions.
 
They are perfect for a New Year’s Party. I suspect by now you have New Year’s plans?
 
Maybe you’re headed out, maybe you’re hosting, or maybe, like me, you’ll be asleep long before the ball drops in Time Square.
 
Even though I won’t be clinking any champagne flutes or even giving anyone a kiss at the strike of midnight (my husband is out of town, so unless it’s my kids, that’s probably a bad idea).
 
I can still help you celebrate in style however!
 
Ideally you are going to someone’s house or are entertaining in your home.
 
Which is way more fun (in my opinion) than attending one of those NEW YEAR’S EVE parties at some hotel or club where, for a bunch of money, you get the privilege of eating some crappy buffet and dancing to a bad cover band amongst strangers.
 
If you are throwing your own shin dig, drinks are probably covered. I’m sure you’ve got something sparkling chilling in the fridge.
 
I’ve also got a party punch you might be interested in.
 
Let’s move on to some incredibly easy finger food that you can make using (shhhhhh…..leftovers).
 
Pork Flautas!
 

First Things First: What’s The Difference Between Flautas and Taquitos Anyway?

So in the US, right or wrong, we use the terms interchangeably.

Technically speaking however, a Flauta is longer, thinner and looks more like it’s namesake, a flute.

A taquito, which literally translates to “little taco” is shorter and thicker.

The recipe that follows is more a taquito than a flauta, but in our house we call them flautas so that’s what I’m calling them here.

Pork taquitos on a plate topped with avocado, lime, and salsa.
 

4 Reasons You Should Make These Pork Flautas

The number one reason is, they are super delicious and everyone loves flautas but there’s more:
  1. They use up your leftovers! These flautas or taquitos (whichever term you prefer) are made with cooked pork. I used leftover pork roast, chopped fine, but if you had shredded pork shoulder that would be amazing too.
  2. They are super versatile! You can really use any cooked meat you’d like, you can also use mashed potato, sweet potato, or beans too.
  3. They are super adaptable! Roll them up and fry them up then serve with salsa as an app or make it into dinner by serving with a salad on top and a sprinkling of cheese.
  4. You can make them ahead! They are best immediately eaten after frying, but if you are taking them to a party and need to fry in advance, you can rewarm them in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

How To Make Pork Flautas

The Filling

The first step is you are going to need some pork for the filling. I used leftover pork roast that I chopped into small, bite-sized pieces.

My Instant Pot Pork Carnitas would also be good.

Corn tortilla on a wooden cutting board with pork on top.

The Tortillas

Next, the tortillas. How many do you need and what kind?

Corn tortillas are what you want to use for this recipe. They are sturdy enough to hold the filling and get nice and crisp in the oil. Flour tortillas tend to fall apart and get soggy.

As far as how many, that depends on how much pork filling you have (you’ll use about 3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup filling in each flauta or taquito.)

The recipe calls for 12, but you could make more or less depending on how many people you are serving and how much pork you have. I always assume everyone will eat at least 4 flautas each.

Warm the tortillas before you fill them to prevent cracking.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat add a tortilla, one-at-a-time, gently warming them until they are flexible, but not crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or clean kitchen towel.

Pork Flautas sitting on a wooden cutting board with a yellow measuring cup behind them.

Rolling and Keeping Them Rolled Up

I think it is easier to warm all the tortillas at once, fill them all at once, and fry them all at once.
 
You can also try to fill them as each tortilla comes out warm off the pan. Just put about 3 tablespoons of the filling on the edge of 1 warm tortilla, then roll it up.
 
After you fill them and roll them up, then hold together with a toothpick.
 
Do one at a time, or stick a toothpick through two or three at a time if you have longer toothpicks. I like these 6-inch toothpicks.
 

Frying Them

Pork Flautas frying in a cast iron skillet next to a plate of fried Flautas.
 
Once you have them all rolled up, the next step is to fry them.
 
Pour enough oil so it covers the bottom of the frying pan and comes about 1/2-inch up the sides.
 
Use vegetable, canola, corn, or peanut oil. Don’t use olive oil the smoke point is too low and it can burn and taste bitter.
 
Some people turn their nose up at Crisco and lard but a heaping spoonful of either one added to the oil makes for extra-crispy flautas.
 
Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough by dipping one edge of a flauta in the oil.
 
If the oil bubbles rapidly around the flauta the oil is ready. If it doesn’t right away, give the oil a bit more time to heat up.
 
Add two or three flautas to the hot oil and let fry about 2 minutes per side or until the flautas are crispy and browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil and repeat with the remaining flautas.
 
Pork Flautas on a paper towel-lined plate with green salsa on the side.

Roll Em Up!

Show us your stuff! We want to see how these flautas worked out for you, so snap a photo and share it on Instagram using @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno. Happy eating!

This post was originally published in December 2013. Updated in June 2020.
 
Print

3 Ingredient Pork Flautas

Pork Flautas on a paper towel-lined plate with green salsa on the side.

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

Flautas, also known as Taquitos are crispy rolled tacos. These flautas are filled with roast pork. Use chopped pork roast or shredded pork (a great way to use up leftovers). They are perfect for parties or make into dinner with shredded lettuce and sour cream on top. The entire recipe uses only three ingredients. Learn how to make them at home!

  • Author: Kate Ramos
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Fry
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Scale

Ingredients

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked pork
  • 2 cups vegetable oil
  • Garnishes: 
  • Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa (or your favorite salsa)
  • sour cream
  • Guacamole
  • limes
  • sliced radishes
  • shredded lettuce
  • crumbled feta or cotija cheese

Instructions

  1. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet, one at a time, for about 30 seconds per side over medium heat. Keep wrapped in a clean kitchen towel until you are ready to assemble.
  2. Working with one tortilla at a time, place about 2-3 tablespoons of pork along the edge of the tortilla closest to you. Roll the tortilla around the filling and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
  3. Pour the oil into a high-sided frying pan and heat over medium heat until the side of 1 flauta fries in 30 seconds. Add the flautas 3-4 at a time, making sure not to crowd the pan, and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining flautas. Remove the toothpicks before serving.
  4. Serve warm with whichever garnishes you desire. My personal favorite is to combine tomatillo salsa and sour cream together and serve that as a dipping sauce.

Keywords: Pork Flautas

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @holajalapeno on Instagram and hashtag it #holajalapeno

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11 Comments

  • Avatar
    Reply Sarah Copeland December 30, 2013 at 8:31 pm

    oh, yum! I’ve actually never made flautas, but I had them again recently at a FOOD52 party and was astounded at how good they are–with sour cream, and pico de gallo. I’m mean, that should be obviously but sometimes it just hits you like–WOAH. For a veggie version, what would you use? I’m thinking vegetarian refried beans? Okay, licking my chops and heading to the grocery. x

  • Avatar
    Reply Kate Ramos December 30, 2013 at 8:34 pm

    Thank Sarah! For a vegetarian version you could absolutely do beans, but also mashed sweet potato or regular potato by itself, or with some cotija cheese and cilantro mixed in.

  • Avatar
    Reply Maria Jose Cayuela Maldonado June 24, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Que delicia Kate y con aguacate le damos ese toque saludable. No conocía la diferencia entre los tacos y las tortillas. Muy interesante, gracias

    ★★★★★

  • Avatar
    Reply Enriqueta E Lemoine June 24, 2020 at 1:03 pm

    Those pork flautas look so delicious, Kate! I love the way you serve ten, so festive!

    ★★★★★

    • Kate Ramos
      Reply Kate Ramos June 25, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      You are always so kind Enri! Thank you so much!

  • Avatar
    Reply Elba valverde June 24, 2020 at 4:59 pm

    I’m starving right now! My mom used to make flautas often. She would loveeee this recipe! I’ll share it with her

    • Kate Ramos
      Reply Kate Ramos June 25, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      Oh that makes me so happy Elba! Thank you!

  • Avatar
    Reply Carlos Wollenstein June 24, 2020 at 7:59 pm

    You had me at flautas!! Se ven deliciosas! Un día de estos se las hago a la familia. Gracias!!!

    ★★★★★

    • Kate Ramos
      Reply Kate Ramos June 25, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      ¡Increíble Carlos! Déjame saber cómo resultan.

  • Avatar
    Reply Anne Marie León June 24, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    Que delicia, disfruto mucho la comida mexicana, es una buena opción para celebrar en familia este 4 de julio!

    ★★★★★

    • Kate Ramos
      Reply Kate Ramos June 25, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      ¡Si! ¡Estos serían perfectos para el 4 de julio!

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