Flautas are a delicious Tex-Mex appetizer consisting of filled corn tortillas that are tightly rolled, fried until crispy, and served with various toppings. While the filled rolled tortilla tubes have a wonderful flavor and texture when done right, a common frustration when making flautas at home is that they can unroll and fall apart when frying them. So what are some tips and tricks to keep those flautas neatly rolled up during the frying process?
Use Corn Tortillas vs Flour
The first recommendation is to use corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas. Corn tortillas have a more rigid structure than flour tortillas due to the way they are made. Flour tortillas contain gluten which makes the dough stretchy and flexible. Corn tortillas rely only on finely ground corn masa and water, so they have less stretch and flex to them. The more rigid structure of a corn tortilla shell will help the flauta maintain its tightly rolled cylindrical shape better while frying.
You can find high quality corn tortillas of different sizes at any grocery store, Mexican market, or tortilleria. Standard size tortillas are 6 inches in diameter, but you can also find smaller sizes like 4 inch tortillas which may be easier to roll and fry if you are new to making flautas.
Look for Sturdy, Thicker Tortillas
When purchasing corn tortillas, inspect the package to ensure you select ones that look sturdy and are a little thicker. Thin and flimsy tortillas are more prone to tearing and unrolling during frying. Slightly thicker tortillas with some density to the corn masa will have more structural integrity to withstand the hot oil.
Avoid Tortillas that are Stale, Brittle or Crack
On the other hand, if the corn tortillas are very dried out, stiff and cracked looking, these are too brittle and will likely break apart when you try to roll and fry them. Look for corn tortilla packages where the tortillas look flexible but sturdy, not dried out and stiff.
Use a Delicate Hand When Rolling
The way you carefully handle and roll the corn tortillas also impacts how well they will hold their shape during frying. It’s important to have a delicate touch when rolling flautas to avoid tearing the tortilla or rolling too loosely.
Don’t Overfill the Tortillas
Be careful not to overfill the center of the tortilla with too much of your filling mixture. Overstuffing can cause rips and tears to the tortilla during rolling. Aim for about 2 tablespoons of filling for a standard 6 inch tortilla.
Roll Tightly but not too Tight
As you roll, be sure to tuck the sides in and roll the tortilla relatively tight around the filling. But don’t roll overly tight or you could tear the tortilla. Gently shape into a cylinder as you roll.
Rolling Technique Matters
Develop a rolling cadence and technique that is delicate yet effective. Roll seam side down and use your fingers to gently but snugly form the cylinder shape as you go. Rolling smoothly, seam side down helps the flauta hold together.
Moisten Seam with Water or Egg Wash
Before frying, consider sealing the rolled seam with a bit of water or egg wash to reinforce the seal. Simply dip your finger in water and moisten the edge of the tortilla before rolling. Or brush the edge with beaten egg before rolling. This extra moisture can help “glue” the seam together.
Freeze Rolled Flautas Before Frying
Here is a great technique guaranteed to help your flautas retain their rolled shape during frying without fail: after rolling them, place the flautas in a single layer on a baking sheet and into the freezer for 15-30 minutes until frozen solid. Then transfer the frozen flautas directly to the hot oil to fry. The frozen flautas will initially keep their rolls tight as they cook through and crisp up.
Benefits of Freezing Before Frying
Freezing helps lock the rolled shape in place. As the flautas fry, the ice crystals melt and the steam created inside helps puff up the tortilla from within, keeping the roll intact.
Chilling before frying also reduces the chances of the flautas absorbing excess oil and getting greasy.
Fry in Oil at Correct Temperature
Using properly hot oil at the ideal temperature range is also key for achieving perfectly crisped flautas with a sealed cylindrical shape.
Best Oil Temp for Frying Flautas
| Oil Type | Ideal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Vegetable Oil | 350°F to 375°F |
| Canola Oil | 350°F to 375°F |
| Peanut Oil | 350°F to 375°F |
| Lard or Shortening | 325°F to 350°F |
Tips for Proper Oil Temperature
Use a deep fry or candy thermometer to monitor the temperature and adjust the heat to maintain the proper range.
Give the oil time to fully preheat before adding any flautas. Heating the oil properly is more important than cooking quickly.
Don’t overcrowd the pan – fry in batches to maintain correct oil temp.
If oil is too cool, flautas will get greasy. If oil is too hot, outside may burn while inside is undercooked.
Alternative Fried Snacks to Try
If you have trouble with flautas unrolling despite your best efforts, don’t despair! There are some other tasty Mexican inspired fried snacks you can attempt instead that may be easier to fry up neatly:
Taquitos
Taquitos are essentially the same concept as flautas – filled rolled tortillas – but taquitos often use smaller corn tortillas that are easier to roll tightly. Try making taquitos with 4 inch corn tortillas.
Chimichangas
Chimichangas are larger burrito-sized tortillas that are filled and deeply fried. Their larger size makes these easier to roll up neatly around ample fillings.
Fried Empanadas
Empanadas consist of pastry dough pockets filled with savory or sweet ingredients and fried. Trying baking some empanada dough cups from scratch or using frozen empanadas.
Quesadillas
Quesadillas are simply filled tortillas fried on both sides until crispy, no rolling required. Try cutting quesadillas into wedges after frying for a similar flautas experience.
Helpful Tools for Rolling Flautas
Beyond proper techniques and ingredients, having the right kitchen tools can further help with your flautas rolling success. Consider acquiring:
Tortilla Rollers
A plastic tortilla roller tool can help neatly roll uniform flautas faster than by hand with less risk of tearing. They come in various sizes, shapes and materials.
Silicone Pastry Mat
Rolling flautas on a silicone pastry mat provides the right amount of grip to hold the tortillas in place as you roll without sticking.
Pastry Brush
Use a pastry brush to neatly and sparingly brush water or egg wash on the tortilla edges before rolling.
Fry Baskets
Lower your flautas into the hot oil gently using metal fry baskets rather than dumping them straight in from a plate.
Slotted Spoons & Tongs
Gently turn and transfer flautas from oil with long handled slotted spoons or tongs instead of forks which may puncture and unroll.
Conclusion
Making perfect flautas does involve some effort, patience and the right techniques. But with the proper ingredients, handling, frying temperature, and tools, you can become a flautas rolling pro in no time. Just remember to use fresh, sturdy corn tortillas, fill and roll them with care, briefly freeze before frying, monitor your oil temperature closely, and equip yourself with some helpful flautas gadgets. Now get rolling and enjoy this flavorful appetizer!