Baked Beef & Cheese Flautas Recipe – Tortillas are filled with zesty taco meat and cheese and baked to perfection. Can serve as an appetizer or main dish. Whether enjoyed on their own or paired with your favorite toppings like guacamole, sour cream, or salsa for a meal better than any Mexican restaurant!
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Pin This RecipeEasy Baked Flautas
Baked Beef & Cheese Flautas are a delicious twist on the classic Mexican dish, offering all the flavor and crunch without the extra grease. Seasoned ground beef, perfectly cooked and enveloped in a warm flour tortilla alongside zesty salsa and gooey melted cheese. The tortillas, baked to golden perfection, provide a satisfying crunch that gives way to the rich, cheesy filling inside. Served hot from the oven, these flautas are a crowd-pleasing appetizer or main dish that’s sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
How to Make Beef & Cheese Flautas
This recipe is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain excess grease. Add taco seasoning, salsa, and water to the pan. Simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat.
Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm. Top the tortillas with shredded cheese and taco meat. Roll up tightly and secure the seam with a toothpick. Place on a rimmed baking sheet topped with a wire rack. Lightly spray the flautas with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in a preheated oven until crispy and golden brown.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Flauta? In Spanish, “Flautas” means flutes. Flautas resemble a flute. They are long, thin, and flute-shaped.
- What is the difference between a Flauta and a Taquito? A flauta uses a flour tortilla, and a taquito uses a corn tortilla.
- You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- Variations/Additions:
- bell peppers
- onions
- diced green chiles
- Rotel
- olives
- You can use any cheese that you enjoy in this dish.
- cheddar cheese
- Monterey jack cheese
- pepper jack cheese
- Mexican cheese blend
- cotija cheese
- Use low-carb tortillas and Keto Taco Seasoning for a low-carb and keto-friendly dish.
- Can I make flautas ahead of time? Yes! You can assemble the flautas in advance and store them covered in the refrigerator.
- Can I freeze flautas? Yes! You can freeze the tortillas baked or unbaked.
- Can I make flautas in the air fryer? Yes! Bake them at 325ºF for about 8 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in the microwave or in the air fryer.
What to Serve with Flautas
When serving baked flautas, it’s all about complementing their delicious flavors with fresh and vibrant side dishes.
- Start by offering a side of homemade guacamole or jalapeno ranch dip. This will provide a cool and creamy contrast to the warm and savory flautas.
- Additionally, a crisp and refreshing side salad tossed with tangy vinaigrette or topped with diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro adds a burst of freshness to the meal.
- For a heartier option, consider serving Mexican rice or refried beans.
- And don’t forget the toppings! Offer a variety of condiments such as iceberg lettuce, queso fresco, sour cream, pico de gallo, hot sauce, Mexican crema, and chopped cilantro for guests to customize their meal to their liking.
With these delicious accompaniments, these crispy flautas become the centerpiece of a flavorful and satisfying meal that’s perfect for any occasion. Looking for more side dish ideas? Here are some popular recipes from the website:
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Beef & Cheese Flautas
Ingredients:
- 1 -lb ground beef,
- 1 (1-oz) package taco seasoning
- ⅔ cup salsa
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 small flour tortillas, fajita size
- toothpicks
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Drain excess grease. Return meat to skillet and add taco seasoning, salsa, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm.
- To assemble the flautas, put 1/12 of the meat on top of the tortilla. Top with cheese. Roll up tightly and secure with a toothpick.
- Place on a rimmed baking sheet topped with a wire rack. Lightly spray the flautas with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.
Notes:
- What is a Flauta? In Spanish, “Flautas” means flutes. Flautas resemble a flute. They are long, thin, and flute-shaped.
- What is the difference between a Flauta and a Taquito? A flauta uses a flour tortilla, and a taquito uses a corn tortilla.
- You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- Variations/Additions:
- bell peppers
- onions
- diced green chiles
- Rotel
- olives
- You can use any cheese in this dish that you enjoy.
- cheddar cheese
- Monterey jack cheese
- pepper jack cheese
- Mexican cheese blend
- cotija cheese
- Can I make flautas ahead of time? Yes! You can assemble the flautas in advance and store them covered in the refrigerator.
- Can I freeze flautas? Yes! You can freeze the tortillas baked or unbaked.
- Can I make flautas in the air fryer? Yes! Bake them at 325ºF for about 8 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in the microwave or in the air fryer.
Steph
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Pin This Recipe
These look good, but traditional flautas are rolled in corn tortillas and deep fried. I grew up eating them all the time. 🙂
Great recipes, btw!
These were delicious and couldn't get any easier. I made the beans to go along with them and some guacamole. Awesome dinner! Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes!
These look super good, Steph. I prefer mine fried, but like you, hate frying at home.
Just passed through your neck of the woods this week. Man you guys had some weather, didn't you? Couldn't believe all the down trees from Ft Payne to Birmingham.
Wow these were so good, I made them with the Ro-Tel Mexican rice which was really good too…. I love all of our recipes I have tried…. I enjoy everyday lookin at your recipes posted and the Meow Monday too your cats are so beautiful 🙂 Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes and beautiful pics.
~ Jennifer
Made these for dinner tonight & they were a HUGE hit with the hubby & the girls!!! And, I think they are going on the list of dinners the girls (8&9) can make!
Oh yum, this looks delicious!
Kelley – the beans are easy. Can of refried beans, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup salsa. Mix together put in small baking dish – top with cheese and bake with the flautas – should be heated through when the flautas are done.
These look SO good Steph!! And those beans? Uh, recipe please!!
Nini – just divide the meat between the 12 tortillas. About 2-3 Tbsp on each. You just have to eyeball it.
1/12 of the meat mixture??? Approximately how much??