These leftover pulled pork flautas are These leftover pulled pork flautas are crispy on the outside, full of savory, cheesy flavor, and ready to eat in 15 minutes! They make a perfect appetizer, snack, or main course.
Why you’ll love this pulled pork flautas
Whether you’re looking for something new to try or have leftover pulled pork you don’t know what to do with, this pulled pork flautas recipe always hits the spot!
Crunchy, savory, and quick to make, it’s a crowd-pleasing recipe perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to holiday parties.
- Great for leftovers – Don’t let leftover meat go to waste! Repurpose it with these flautas so you never get bored.
- Versatile – Mix and match different proteins, fillings, and toppings, to switch up the flavor, and make this recipe your own.
- Flavor – Every bite is satisfyingly crispy and full of warm, savory, cheesy flavor that leaves you coming back for more!
Serve these pork flautas on their own. Or, add them to an appetizer platter with 3-ingredient homemade jalapeño poppers and beer BBQ meatballs for holiday parties, family gatherings, and game days.
What is flautas?
Flautas are a Mexican dish that consists of rolled tortillas, corn or flour, filled with meat like chicken, beef, or pork. Named for their flute-like shape, flautas are long tubes that are fried until golden and crispy and are completely delicious!
Compared to taquitos, flautas are larger in size.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Pulled pork – Use leftover pulled pork, or swap it out with shredded chicken instead.
- Cheese – I use a combination of Mexican four-cheese blend and crumbled fresco for a Tex-Mex-inspired flavor. Feel free to use any cheese you like best, though!
- Scallions add a pungent, mildly spicy taste.
- Cilantro (Coriander) – Use fresh cilantro for a bright, peppery taste that balances some of the warmth of the spices.
- Spices – Ground black pepper, coriander, ground cumin, red cayenne pepper, and salt create a delicious savory, slightly spicy flavor.
- Flour tortillas – I use 6-inch, or taco size, flour tortillas. Corn tortillas work perfectly too!
- Oil – Use this to fry the flautas. Vegetable oil or canola oil works best!
How to make flautas
Before you begin, be sure to preheat your oven to 200°F.
- Mix the pork, cheeses, scallions, cilantro, and all the spices in a medium bowl. Give the mixture a taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking!
- Place ¼ cup of the meat filling on each tortilla.
- Then, roll them into a flute, wrapping the filling inside.
- Secure the seams with a toothpick so they don’t fall apart.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet until the oil is shimmering.
- Add 4-5 flautas to the pan, and lightly fry them on all sides until they’re nice and golden.
- Transfer the pork flautas to a baking sheet lined with a rack.
- Repeat with the remaining flautas.
Keep them warm
Place the baking sheet in the oven to keep the flautas warm and crispy until you’re ready to serve.
Tips for Success
- Secure the flautas. Make sure to seal each tortilla with a toothpick before frying. Otherwise, they’ll unravel, and your fillings will spill all over the place!
- Avoid overfilling the tortillas. Leave space around the edges of the tortillas, allowing for plenty of room to roll the fillings. Otherwise, your tortillas are likely to split, and the fillings will ooze out as they cook.
- Use a neutral-tasting, high-heat oil. If you use a low-heat oil, the flautas are likely to absorb too much and will turn out soggy.
- Avoid overcooking. Keep a close eye on the tortillas, flipping them quickly, and removing them from the skillet as soon as they’re golden. They can go from perfectly cooked to burnt very quickly!
How to serve pulled pork flautas
I love to serve this recipe as an appetizer with condiments like shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, tomatillo salsa verde, sour cream, guacamole, and sliced jalapeños! However, it’s also great as a main course with rice, corn salsa, refried beans, orpinto beans.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Prepare pulled pork up to 4 days in advance.I like to serve it as sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce and make extras for flautas so I can cook once and eat twice!
- Whisk the spices in a small bowl, and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to cook.
- Shred the cheese yourself, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Storing Tips
These pulled pork flautas are best served right away while they’re crisp. However, you can store leftovers for later if needed!
- Store cooled flautas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freeze cooked or uncooked flautas for up to 3 months! If freezing uncooked flautas, flash freeze them on baking sheet until solid. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag to store.
- Reheat thawed pork flautas in a skillet over medium heat, in the oven at 425ºF or in the microwave just until warmed through.
FAQs
The main difference between a taquito and a flauta is the size. Taquitos are smaller and skinnier.
Flautas are fried until golden and crunchy, making for a satisfying bite.
Both flour and corn tortillas are suitable for making flautas. It’s just matter of preference.
More Finger Food Recipes
Leftover Pulled Pork Flautas
Ingredients
- 3 cups (400 g) leftover pulled pork Note 1
- 1 ½ cups (120 g) Mexican-style four cheese blend
- ½ cup (120 g) crumbled Fresco (Mexican style crumbling cheese)
- 3 scallions thinly chopped
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
- 14 taco size flour tortillas
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or canola oil) for frying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C).
- In a medium bowl, mix together pork, cheeses, scallions, cilantro and all the spices. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
- Place ¼ cup of filling on each tortilla and roll into a flute. Secure the seams with a toothpick.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil.
- When oils is shimmering, carefully add 4-5 flautas and lightly fry on all sides until nice and golden. Transfer the fried flautas onto a baking sheet lined with a rack. Repeat with remaining flautas.
- Place the baking sheet with fried flautas in to the oven to keep them warm and crispy until ready to serve.
- Serve the flautas over shredded lettuce warm with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Store cooled flautas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
– Freeze cooked or uncooked flautas for up to 3 months! If freezing uncooked flautas, flash freeze them on baking sheet. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag to store.
– Reheat thawed pork flautas in a skillet over medium heat, in the oven at 425ºF or in the microwave just until warmed through.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on November 19, 2014.
This is a PERFECT use for leftover pulled pork and will definitely be in my recipe book!! So good!!
So happy to hear this, JHogge! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Ooh, I think my whole family would love these!! They sound amazing.
Thank you, Karly! 🙂
Never tried flautas before! These look delicious and definitely are something I need to make.
Yes, they are delicious! Thanks, Thalia. Let me know if you try this recipe. 🙂