Time Traveling Table

When I started planning my 1940s Mexican menu, I knew I had to include flautas. They’re one of those iconic dishes that immediately come to mind when you think of Mexican cuisine. But if I’m being honest…I wasn’t all that excited about them. I’d had flautas before, but only the frozen ones from the grocery store or lighter baked versions that never seemed particularly memorable.

Then I made them the traditional way.

Fresh corn tortillas wrapped around tender shredded chicken and fried until perfectly crisp completely changed my opinion. For such a simple combination of ingredients, these were incredibly satisfying. The tortillas became light and crunchy, the chicken stayed moist, and topped with crisp lettuce, queso fresco, Mexican crema, and fresh pico de gallo, every bite had a wonderful balance of textures and flavors. I was genuinely surprised by just how good they were, and they reheated so nice the next day, making them just as practical as they were delicious.

That practicality was part of their appeal in 1940s Mexico. Families were often cooking with modest, readily available ingredients, and dishes like flautas transformed leftover cooked chicken into a meal that felt special. Corn tortillas, chicken, fresh vegetables, and locally made cheeses were staples in many households, and frying gave yesterday’s leftovers an entirely new life. It’s easy to see why flautas became such a beloved part of Mexican home cooking, they’re economical, filling, and incredibly flavorful without requiring an expensive list of ingredients.

If your only experience with flautas has come from the freezer aisle like mine had, I can’t recommend trying them fresh enough. They completely changed my perspective on this classic Mexican dish.

Servings: 18–24 flautas

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1.4 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3 lb) or 1.8–2.3 kg bone-in chicken pieces (4–5 lb)
• 1 medium white onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves
• 10 ml salt (2 tsp)
• Water, enough to cover the chicken

Pico de Gallo

• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• ½ medium white onion, finely diced
• 1–2 jalapeños, minced
• 60 ml fresh lime juice (juice of 2 limes)
• 120 ml chopped cilantro (½ cup)
• Salt, to taste

Toppings

• 140 g shredded lettuce (2 cups)
• 115 g crumbled queso fresco (1 cup)
• 240 ml Mexican crema (1 cup)

Flautas

• 24 corn tortillas
• 30 ml reserved chicken broth (¼ cup)
• 30 ml shredded chicken (2 Tbsp), per tortilla
• Vegetable oil or lard, for frying

Instructions

1. Place the chicken, onion, garlic, salt, and enough water to cover the chicken in a large pot.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40–45 minutes if using boneless chicken thighs or 60–75 minutes if using bone-in chicken pieces.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and reserve the broth
4. Shred the chicken and mix with 30 ml (¼ cup) of the reserved broth. Add additional salt if needed. The chicken should be moist, but not wet.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
6. Warm the tortillas until pliable so they won’t crack when rolled.
7. Spoon about 30 ml (2 Tbsp) of shredded chicken onto each tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam-side down.
8. Heat about 1 cm (½ inch) of oil or lard in a skillet over medium heat.
9. Fry 3–4 flautas at a time, seam-side down first, for about 2 minutes. Once the seam has sealed, continue turning the flautas occasionally until crisp and golden on all sides, about 4–6 minutes total per batch.
10. Transfer the cooked flautas to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
11. If serving a crowd, keep the cooked flautas warm in a 95°C (200°F) oven while frying the remaining batches.
12. Arrange the flautas on a large platter. Top with shredded lettuce, queso fresco, and Mexican crema, and serve the pico de gallo on the side.

Travel Through Food

This recipe recreates a dish that could have been enjoyed in 1940s Mexico using the ingredients and preparation from our historical meal. Measurements have been presented in both metric and U.S. customary units to make the recipe easy to follow for modern home cooks while preserving the original cooking experience.