Chicken Flautas with Flour Tortillas, Lettuce, Avocado & Cotija
- July 2024
- By Vivi Abeja
- Recipe from Mexico
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Chicken flautas — so crunchy-delicioso and garnished with the works — satisfy the soul, says Vivi Abeja, one of our favorite Mexican cooks. The Chicago native, who grew up and lives in the city’s Little Village neighborhood, teaches cooking classes and caters through her Vivi’s Table. Lucky us: She’s also a regular contributor to Familia Kitchen. (Check out Vivi’s carne asada tacos, DIY-at home al pastor tacos, and these amazing enchiladas suizas.)
And don’t forget to try her newest recipe shared with Familia Kitchen: Chicken flautas. Vivi tells us she finds herself making this super-fácil dish for occasions small and big. “This is such an easy meal to put together. I’ll make it if I’m low on time and want something quick and still delicious. I also make this for parties. I was raised to not show up to a party empty-handed, and I’ve brought my flautas to several family parties. They are always a hit!”
Does Vivi remember the first time she learned to make this dish? “My grandmother was the one who cooked for our family, and she had the magic to use the simplest ingredients and turn them into a grand meal for a big family, like ours. This is one of those recipes.”
Are flautas as must-make as tacos for her? Vivi nods. “This is such a staple in Mexican households. You can add all types of fillings. My favorite are chicken and potatoes with cheese. They are easy to make and always hit the spot.”
Of course Vivi has to add her own touch to even the most traditional of her family recipes. How has she made these flautas de pollo her own? “I like to sprinkle my flautas with taco seasoning after pulling them from the oil. I grew up with flautas being seasoned with salt, but I love to add the extra flavor of taco seasoning. It takes it to the next level.”
Vivi also switched things up by cooking with flour tortillas (instead of corn), using Azteca tortillas, made in Illinois, locally near her. The tortilla company was founded in 1970 in Pilsen, a Chicago neighborhood known for its Mexican heritage (and home to many of our favorite restaurants.). Vivi is now a convert, she says. ”These aren’t the type of chicken flautas I grew up with, but I love the texture flour tortillas give this dish.”
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