Martha Stewart Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas Recipe

I always thought flautas had to be fried. These are not. Martha Stewart’s Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas fills flour tortillas with ground chicken cooked in chipotle in adobo and tomato paste, rolls them up with Monterey Jack cheese, brushes the outside with olive oil, and bakes them at 425 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes until they crack when you bite into them.

This is the Martha Stewart chicken recipe I pull out when my family asks for something that feels like takeout but I do not want to stand over a pan of hot oil. It is one of those easy baked chicken dishes that sounds too good to be true. Ground chicken, chipotle, cheese, tortillas, oven. Done in 45 minutes. One of Martha Stewart’s best chicken recipes for a weeknight when everyone wants Mexican food and nobody wants to clean up a mess.

Try More Dinner Recipes:

• Chicken Enchiladas
• Chicken Taco Salad
• Adobo Chicken Quesadillas

Why You Will Love These Baked Chicken Flautas:

• Baked, not fried: You brush the rolled flautas with olive oil and the oven does the rest. They come out golden and crunchy without any deep frying. I was honestly surprised how crispy they got with just a brushing of oil and 12 minutes in a hot oven.
• Ground chicken cooks in 3 minutes: No shredding, no poaching, no waiting for a whole chicken to cool down. You brown the ground chicken, stir in the chipotle and tomato paste, and the filling is ready. I can do that part while the oven preheats.
• The chipotle makes them smoky: Two teaspoons of chopped chipotle plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce gives the filling a warm, smoky heat that regular chili powder cannot touch. It is not spicy enough to scare anyone but you definitely taste it.

Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 pound ground chicken, preferably dark meat
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle in adobo, plus 2 teaspoons sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for serving
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 6 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
• 6 flour tortillas (each 8 inches)
• Pico de gallo, for serving
• Sour cream, for serving

How To Make Martha Stewart Crispy Baked Chicken Flautas

1. Cook the filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, chopped chipotle, adobo sauce, and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice.
2. Assemble the flautas: Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Arrange 1/4 cup of cheese and about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture along the center of one tortilla. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cheese, meat, and tortillas.
3. Bake: Brush the tops of the flautas with oil. Bake until browned and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes.
4. Serve: Serve with pico de gallo, sour cream, and cilantro.

Recipe Tips

• Use dark meat ground chicken: The recipe says “preferably dark meat” and I agree. Dark meat ground chicken has more fat so the filling stays juicy inside the flauta. White meat ground chicken dries out fast and the flautas feel chalky. I learned that the first time.
• Roll them tight: Loose flautas open up in the oven and the cheese melts out onto the baking sheet. I roll each one as snug as I can and make sure the seam faces down so the weight of the flauta holds it shut.
• Brush oil on top, not just the pan: The oil on the bottom keeps them from sticking, but the oil on top is what makes the tortilla turn golden and crispy. I use a pastry brush and give each one a good coat. Skipping this step means pale, soft flautas.
• Do not overcook the filling: The ground chicken only needs 3 to 4 minutes. Then the chipotle mixture simmers for about 2 minutes. That is it. Overcooking makes the meat dry and tough, and it still has 12 to 14 minutes in the oven ahead of it.

What Goes Well With These Chicken Flautas

I put a bowl of guacamole and some chips on the table and that is honestly the whole spread. The flautas already come with pico de gallo and sour cream so the plate is full. A pot of white rice on the side fills things out if I am feeding extra people.

My kids dip the flautas in sour cream like they are breadsticks. I just let it happen.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the flautas in a single layer in an airtight container. Stacking them makes the bottoms go soggy from steam. They keep 3 days. I would not freeze baked flautas because the tortilla turns chewy after thawing.

To reheat, I put them on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for about 6 minutes. The oven crisps the outside back up. I tried microwaving one once and it came out rubbery and sad. Oven only.

FAQs

• Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour? You can, but corn tortillas crack when you roll them. If you want to try it, warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet first so they become pliable. I stick with flour because they roll without breaking and get crispier in the oven.
• How spicy are these? Mild to moderate. The chipotle adds smokiness more than heat. My kids eat these without complaining, and they notice spice quickly. If you want more kick, add an extra teaspoon of chipotle or serve with hot sauce on the side.
• Can I use ground turkey instead? Ground turkey works but it is even leaner than white meat chicken, so the filling will be drier. If you use turkey, I would add an extra tablespoon of oil to the skillet to compensate. Dark meat ground chicken is still the best option.
• Can I prep these ahead of time? You can assemble the flautas, cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. Add a minute or two to the bake time since they will be cold going in. I have done this for parties and it makes the day much easier.

More Dinner Recipes:

• Steak And Egg Tacos
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Piccata

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 560
• Total Fat: 30g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Cholesterol: 130mg
• Sodium: 680mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 36g
• Protein: 36g