These air fryer buffalo chicken flautas are a crispy and spicy twist on a classic pub appetizer. This buffalo chicken flauta recipe is made with melted cheese, tender chicken, and a cooling and spicy buffalo ranch sauce.
If you’re scratching your head and asking yourself what flautas are, don’t worry. You’re not alone. You actually do know what they are, you’ve just never heard them called flautas. These fried, rolled-up tortillas of deliciousness are better known as taquitos. That’s right, we’re talking about taquitos today! WOO! I don’t know about you, but I’m a lifelong fan of taquitos. I mean, what’s not to love? They’re crispy and fried to perfection on the outside and absolutely stuffed with all the good stuff like meat, cheese, and spices that punch you in the face with flavor. To this Texas girl, it sounds like Heaven.
Air Fried Buffalo Chicken Flautas
I used to make traditionally fried flautas all the time. After I got my air fryer, I discovered that I could get the exact same flavor and texture without a ton of oil, and I was hooked. I love being able to make my favorite crispy bites without all the messy cleanup of deep frying or pan frying. That’s exactly what you get with these Buffalo chicken flautas. They start with shredded chicken. Then, I add onions, spicy seasonings, cheese, and of course, Buffalo sauce. Finally, I air fry them to golden brown perfection to create a delicious variation on taquitos that everyone always loves.
Why You’ll Love These Buffalo Chicken Flautas
- They’re cheesy, crispy, and super flavorful, and they’re air fried to perfection.
- They’re made with tender, perfectly seasoned chicken, tons of cheese, and a tasty Buffalo sauce, then air fried to crispy perfection.
- They make a great snack, appetizer, or even meal.
Buffalo Chicken Flautas Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this delicious Mexican-inspired dish. You’ll find everything you need easily at your local grocery store.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Onion
- Butter
- Slap Ya Mama Seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Buffalo sauce
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Flour tortillas, soft taco size
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Flautas
These flautas are totally from scratch, but even so, they’re super easy to make. Even beginning cooks will have no issues with this recipe.
Step 1: Cook and Shred the Chicken
Boil the chicken on medium-high heat in a pot until no longer pink. Then, add it to a medium bowl and shred it.
Step 2: Make the Filling
Sauté the onions in a medium skillet over medium heat until translucent. Then, add the shredded chicken and seasonings and stir to combine. Finally, add the Buffalo sauce, stir, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 3: Fill the Tortillas
Wrap tortillas 10 at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. Cover half a tortilla in shredded cheese, then add shredded chicken mixture down the center. Roll the tortilla up tightly and place it seam side down. Fill the remaining tortillas, then microwave the remaining tortillas and repeat the process.
Step 4: Air Fry
Preheat the air fryer to 390 degrees for 2 minutes. Then, place 4 chicken flautas on a disposable liner in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray with cooking spray and air fry for 6 minutes. Then, flip the flautas, lightly spray them again, and air fry for another 3 minutes. Work in batches and repeat for all flautas.
Recipe Tips
- Be careful to leave about ¼ to ½-inch of space between the filling and the edge of the tortilla so all that goodness stays inside the flautas while cooking.
- Shred the chicken as soon as you’re safely able to do so. Hot or very warm chicken shreds so much more easily than cool chicken.
- Don’t skip spraying the flautas with cooking spray. That spritz of oil is what gets them nice and golden.
Variations
- Make these with shredded pork or beef.
- You can make a breakfast version by substituting the chicken with eggs, sausage, and cheese.
- Also, rotisserie chicken is great to use.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Flautas
Flautas of any kind are delicious with all of your favorite Mexican dishes. Try serving these alongside:
- Chips and guacamole
- Chips and salsa
- Pico de Gallo
- Mexican rice
- Spanish rice
- Jalapeno cornbread
- Elote
- Elote casserole
- Blue cheese or ranch dressing
Recipe FAQ
What’s the difference between a taquito and a flauta?
True flautas are made with flour tortillas, while taquitos are made with corn tortillas. These days, however, most people use the term for both varieties.
Can Buffalo chicken flautas be made in the oven?
Absolutely. Brush them with oil and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes at 425 degrees.
Are flautas corn or flour tortillas?
Authentic flautas are made with flour tortillas.
Can you freeze leftover Buffalo chicken flautas?
Yes, you can. They freeze very well and will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
How long will leftover chicken flautas last in the fridge?
They’ll keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
How to Store and Reheat Buffalo Chicken Flautas
Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them in an airtight, freezer-safe container in single layers separated by wax paper for up to 3 months.
To reheat flautas, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until heated through.
Try These Delicious Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Flautas Today
These cheesy Buffalo chicken flautas, also called buffalo chicken taquitos, combine classic Buffalo chicken flavor with Mexican sensibilities and air fries the whole thing to golden brown perfection. These delicious flautas make great appetizers or even a meal, and everyone always loves them. Give this one a try, and I know you’ll make it a regular part of your recipe rotation.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Chicken Cobbler – A delicious chicken casserole called a “cobbler” that is made with tender, shredded chicken, mixed vegetables, cheese, with a biscuit topping, and then baked to golden perfection.
Creamy Chicken Salad – A delicious chicken salad with is made with tender, juicy chicken, crisp red grapes, chopped walnuts, diced red onions, and more. The perfect chicken salad recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Honey BBQ Chicken Wraps – These wraps are easy to make and delicious. Made with crispy fried, deliciously seasoned chicken tenders covered in honey barbecue sauce, shredded lettuce, crispy fried onions, wrapped up in flour tortillas.
And, here is a delicious Sizzler® Malibu Chicken copycat recipe, from Great Grub, Delicious Treats, that you are sure to enjoy as well.
Buffalo Chicken Flautas (Air Fryer Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 4 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 16-18 flour tortillas soft taco size
Instructions
- In a medium pot, boil chicken over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
- Drain. Add chicken to a medium bowl and shred chicken.
- Melt butter in a large frying pan, or skillet, over medium heat.
- Sauté onions until translucent then add shredded chicken and seasonings. Stir to combine then add buffalo sauce. Stir and let cook for 3-4 additional minutes.
- Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels, 10 at a time, and place on a microwave safe plate.
- Heat for 30 seconds and set aside. Then after filling, heat the remaining tortillas.
- Add shredded cheese to over half of the tortilla followed by the shredded chicken down the center.
- Roll up tightly and place seam side down and filling the remaining tortillas.
- Preheat the air fryer at 390° for 2 minutes.
- Place 4 chicken flautas on the disposable liner in the air fryer basket.
- Lightly spray flautas with cooking spray and air fry at 390° for 6 minutes, flip, lightly spray flautas again, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the air fryer basket and continue cooking the remaining flautas.
- Serve with ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing or buffalo sauce.
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