Succulent slow cooker shredded beef flavored with cumin, oregano and pickled jalapeños are stuffed into corn tortillas to create the tastiest Texas flavored flautas.
Flautas, Flautas, Flautas! I love them!
My mami made flautas for dinner at least twice a month for us growing up. The second and last Friday of each month we knew she was going to whip up a huge batch of flautas for us to have for dinner on Friday. She was attending night school and Friday nights were her days to pull all-nighters and study for her bi-weekly exams.
She would place beef in her slow cooker Thursday evening, then assemble the flautas Friday after she got home from work. She would place them in a warm oven for us to help ourselves and she would proceed to lock herself in her room to study.
As we walked through the door the heavenly scent filled the house – flautas, my little sister yelled. We knew the drill – fix yourself a plate, clean up the dishes and give her much needed alone time. We happily obliged, dinner & TV time. Yay!
I’m excited to be teaming up with Beef Loving Texans to share my spin on a childhood classic dish made with a Texas Twist, my pickled jalapeno shredded beef flautas are not only easy to make, they hit the spot after a long day.
Flautas are rolled tacos that are fried until golden and crispy. Their name is said to hail from the Spanish word for flute, and they can be found in most restaurants throughout Mexico.
Flautas are an extremely popular item in many restaurants in South Texas, and you can even find flautas in the freezer section of the grocery store. But why buy them frozen when homemade tastes so much better?
My flautas start in the slow cooker. This busy mom relies heavily on her slow cooker throughout the week to whip up delicious meals for the week. I place a roast in the slow cooker and top it with garlic cloves, onion, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, pickled jalapeños, and beef broth.
I cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until beef is fork tender. Once beef is fork tender, I carefully remove beef to a cutting board, shred with two forks and am ready to assemble my flautas. My secret ingredients to this dish are the pickled jalapeños with their juice – the pickling juice and jalapeños give the beef a wonderfully pickled flavor and help to tenderize the beef. No need to worry the heat is not overpowering.
Served warm with shredded cabbage, Mexican crema, and salsa these flautas are sure to be hit at your table.
Tips on Making my Pickled Jalapeño Shredded Beef Flautas:
- Warming the corn tortillas before assembling helps in assembling. You want the tortilla pliable for easier rolling. In this recipe, I used a heated comal to soften my tortilla, but you can heat a few at a time in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel.
- Try not to overstuff the flautas. We do not want out flauta to tear/break when frying, this will cause oil splatters which y’all know – hurt. One tablespoon is all you need — on one end and roll securely so that it does not fall out while frying. Secure your flautas using toothpicks.
- Place flautas in a warm oven until ready to serve. Store remaining flautas in a fridge, quickly reheat in the microwave or a warm oven.
- Any cut of beef that is ideal for slow cooking can be used for this recipe.
I hope you give these tasty flautas a try, they are delicious. For more inspiration, beef recipes and to learn more about the talented Texans who raise, cook, and share the wonder of beef Texan-style, head over to Beef Loving Texans.
- For shredded beef:
- 3 pounds roast
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion sliced in half
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup pickled jalapenos with liquid
- 2 cups beef broth
- For flautas:
- 18 corn tortillas
- Toothpicks
- Vegetable oil for frying
- To serve:
- Shredded cabbage
- Crema
- salsa
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For Shredded beef:
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Place roast in slow cooker, add garlic cloves, onion, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, pickled jalapenos, and beef broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until beef is fork tender. Once beef is fork tender, carefully remove beef to a cutting board, shred with two forks and set aside until ready to assemble flautas.
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For flautas:
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preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Warm tortillas on a heated Comal until pliable, this makes for easier rolling. Fill each corn tortilla with shredded beef. Roll the tortilla up over filling tightly and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat until temperature reaches 375 degrees.
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Using tongs, carefully fry flautas in batches until golden brown, flipping halfway. Transfer the flautas to baking sheet lined with paper towels and place in warm oven to keep warm until all flautas have been fried.
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Serve warm, with shredded cabbage, salsa, and crema.
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