How To Make Flautas

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 flautas at home! {This post was first published in December 2013, and last updated on February 2, 2022}

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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. They are incredibly easy finger food that you can make using (shhhhhh…..leftovers).

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

When it comes to Mexican food, what something is called varies greatly depending on where you are from. 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. It can be rolled or simply folded over. 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.

4 Reasons You Should Make Flautas

The obvious 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, chicken flautas made with rotisserie chicken are really good. For plant-based versions you can 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 shredded cheese.
4. You can make them ahead! They are best eaten immediately after frying, but you can rewarm leftover flautas in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

How To Make Flautas

The Filling

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

My Instant Pot Pork Carnitas would also be good. Feel free to add flavorings to this filling. Green chiles and a few squeezes of fresh lime juice would be good.

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.)

This 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 by heating a skillet over medium-high heat and adding 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.

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

Once you have the flautas filled, the next step is to fry the flautas.

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 seam side down and let fry until browned about 2 minutes per side or until the flautas are crispy and browned. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain any excess oil and repeat with the remaining flautas.

If you have an air fryer you can also air fry them. Check this post out for how to air fry flautas.

More Taco Recipes You’ll Love

• Poblano, Corn, and Queso Fresco Taquitos
• Shredded Beef for Tacos {Carne Deshebrada}
• Slow Cooker Honey Lime Chicken Tacos
• Instant Pot Carnitas Tacos
• Wild Alaskan Cod Fish Tacos with Toasted Corn Salad
• Beer-Braised Beef Barbacoa Tacos
• Vegan Chipotle-Spiced Mushroom Tacos

Roll Em Up!

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