Crispy and oh-so-cheesy, these beef flautas are a quick and easy 30-minute dinner made in the oven or air fryer! With a deliciously crunchy shell and a savory, seasoned beef filling, they’re perfect for dipping in guacamole, sour cream, or salsa. Bonus: Use corn tortillas to make the best beef taquitos instead!
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Test Kitchen Review
Ellen
I made these using corn tortillas and they were SO good! My family really loved the filling and are planning to try it in other recipes. It would be great in quesadillas or served in tacos too!
Flautas are one of the ultimate kid-friendly, crowd-pleasing dinner options or handheld favorites for game day. These crispy, stuffed and rolled tacos are easy to eat, and taste fantastic on their own or with your favorite dipping sauce. If you’re a fan of cheesy Tex-Mex flavors, you’ve got to try these!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Beef Flautas Recipe
- Perfectly crisp and golden every time!
- The cheesy and creamy beef filling is so flavorful and never dry.
- Crowd-pleaser for all ages, kids and adults both love them!
- Flautas freeze great, making them perfect for meal prep.
- Easily made spicy or kept mild for the kids.
Check out more of our favorite Mexican-inspired appetizers, like these chicken taquitos, cheesy Mexican bean dip and queso fundido!
Key Ingredients
Whether you choose to use corn tortillas for a traditional taquito vibe or flour tortillas for classic flautas, this recipe guarantees a crunchy and satisfying bite every time. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full ingredient list.
- Ground Beef: I like to use lean ground beef, but ground chuck or other ground beef is fine, too. You can even use ground turkey if you want.
- Cream Cheese and Sour Cream: These make the filling moist, creamy, and irresistible! I prefer to use regular (not low-fat) options for the creamiest consistency.
- Salsa: Your favorite store-bought salsa will get the job done! Or, go the extra mile with some homemade roasted salsa ranchera.
- Pepper Jack Cheese: My family likes a hint of spice with pepper jack cheese, but you can substitute cheddar, Colby, Colby jack, or just about any other melting cheese that you like.
- Tortillas: Flautas are made with flour tortillas, taquitos are made with corn tortillas, and both taste delicious with this cheesy beef filling. Use whichever you prefer!
How to Make Beef Flautas
Here’s a quick tutorial showing you how to make this flautas recipe. Please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions or to watch the recipe video.
- Cook the beef: Brown the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces as you go. Drain, then stir in the taco seasoning, sour cream, cream cheese, and salsa.
- Make it cheesy: Stir in the cheese until well combined.
- Roll the taquitos: Soften the tortillas by microwaving them for a few seconds. Spoon two tablespoons of filling down one side of the first tortilla, and then wrap it up. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat the process until all filling has been used.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes, or pan fry in oil, until crispy. Serve immediately with all your favorite toppings!
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Fill Generously: While a flat should be fairly thin, it’s important not to under fill them – you want to taste the filling, not just the tortilla.
- Rolled Tightly: Roll the tortillas tightly around the filling to prevent them from falling apart during cooking.
- Tortilla Size: Avoid large burrito size tortillas. They should be medium-sized, the same as you would use for regular tacos.
- Add Heat: You can use spicy salsa or add chopped jalapeños, Serrano peppers, or a dash of hot sauce to the beef filling.
- Veggie Additions: Mix in sautéed onions, bell peppers, black beans or pinto beans for added texture and nutrients!
- Pan Fry: Heat about half an inch of oil in a shallow skillet and fry the flautas on each side, until golden brown and crispy.
What To Serve With Flautas
- Sauces or Toppings: Queso, guacamole, sour cream, crumbled queso fresco, fresh pico de gallo, salsa, or tomatillo avocado salsa are all great options!
- Rice: Any kind of rice is great, but cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice is hard to beat!
- Beans: My family loves these instant pot charro beans, but these Mexican beans or refried beans are classic choices. You also can’t go wrong with ranch style beans!
Make Ahead
- Fridge: Assemble flautas up to two days in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Add 3 minutes to baking time and 1-2 minutes to air fry time when cooking straight from the fridge.
- Freezer: Freeze uncooked flautas on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen for an easy meal, adding 5 to 7 minutes to baking time and 2 to 3 minutes to air fry time.
Storing, Reheating, and Freezing Leftovers
- Storing: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Reheating: You can reheat them in the microwave or oven, but for the best results, we highly recommend reheating in the air fryer (375°F for about 3 minutes) for crisper results.
- Freezing: Pack cooled leftovers into a freezer bag, pressing out as much air as you can before sealing. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the air fryer for best results.
Yield: 8 Flautas
Cheesy Beef Flautas Recipe (or Beef Taquitos)
These quick, easy, and oh-so-cheesy Beef Flatuas, or Beef Taquitos, are made in the oven or air fryer. Filled with a cheesy, seasoned beef filling and wrapped in a crispy tortilla, they are perfect for an easy dinner or game-day appetizer!
Ingredients
For the Taquitos
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 8 flour tortillas, or corn tortillas (for taquitos)
Optional Toppings
- Salsa
- Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Homemade Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Queso
- Cilantro
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. (Or preheat air fryer to 350°F.)
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, breaking it apart with a spatula, until it is no longer pink. Drain any excess grease (if desired). Add the taco seasoning, and stir to combine.
- Add the cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa, stirring until melted and hot. Stir in the cheese and remove from the stove.
- If your tortillas are too stiff to work with, heat them in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften.
- Place two heaping tablespoons of filling on one side of a tortilla, and then wrap it into a tight roll. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the filling and tortillas have been used.
- OVEN: Bake until the tortillas are crispy, about 15 minutes. Optional: Brush rolled flautas with oil before baking for extra crispy results.
- AIR FRYER: Place taquitos in air fryer set to 375°F and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until tortillas are crispy. Optional: Brush rolled flautas with oil before baking for extra crispy results.
- PAN FRY: Add about half an inch of oil to a shallow skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add 2 to 4 flautas to hot oil and fry on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan and set on a paper towel to drain.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings!
Video
Notes
Make Ahead: Assemble up to two days in advance, but do not cook. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add 3 minutes to baking time and 1-2 minutes to air fry time when cooking straight from fridge.
Store: Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Reheat: For the best results, reheat in the air fryer (375°F for about 3 minutes) for crisper results.
Freeze: Pack cooled leftovers in a freezer safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the air fryer for best results.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Flauta, Calories: 305kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 509mg, Potassium: 324mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 478IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 187mg, Iron: 3mg
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Made the is exactly how you have it and now my boyfriend wants it AT LEAST once a week
I love Mexican food, and these are fantastic! My husband and I love them.
Turned out absolutely amazing, used habanero heat shredded cheese instead, so delicious will definitely e making them again!! They got me tickets to see Luke Bryan my old man loved them so much!! Thank you!!
Dang! When I made them all I got were dishes haha! Glad y’all enjoyed them Melinda! 😉
We love these! They are my husband’s weekly request.
These were so good!!! My boys loved them and even asked for more! These will definitely be a staple in our house!
These were super yummy!!!! Even my picky kiddo loved them.
My family loves these “taquitos” (we call them flautas). I make them 2-3 times a month! They have become part of our regular dinner rotation! So much flavor! Great and easy recipe!
These are the BEST beef flautas! We have made them with both flour and corn tortillas and love them both ways. The cheesy spiced beef filling is SO delicious!
Oh these taquitos. They have captured my teenagers hearts. So easy to make. I’ve made these exact ones or chicken with verde salsa every Tuesday since I found this recipe. Here’s my notes: I always have the ingredients on hand except salsa. Today I put a can of diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and chili powder in a dish and used my immersion blender to mix it up. It was way better (and cheaper!) than store bought salsa and I always have diced tomatoes. These are the best tasting ones so far. Thank you!
Good to know and so glad you all enjoy them! 🙂
Amazing recipe made it for my husband and he loves it I used homemade Taco seasoning at first it came out a little sausy but I will say (that was my own fault) DO NOT add water to the taco seasoning even if you always Have for foods Because the salsa Will create more than enough juice
Did I read the ingredients correctly? Need 11 oz of taco mix?
It is just 1 oz of taco seasoning!
Hi May! YES! No water! Glad it still worked out anyways! 🙂
I’m just as happy it worked out I had to add a little bit of cornstarch (half a spoonful) And Then still used some of the left over sauce as a topping and drizzles it over the top of them
Yep, But just Incase someone does I would recommend add Half a spoonful of Cornstarch, or use the extra sauce as a topping and drizzle it ontop of the taquitos (my husband is Puerto Rican And his mother always used the left over sauce as a topping) and it tastes wonderful
Sounds delicious!!
Do you still add the water as instructed on the taco seasoning packet? Thanks!
Nope! Instead of water, we add salsa for more flavor in this recipe!
Do you recommend corn or flour tortillas?
It’s really personal preference, both work, it’s up to which style you prefer!
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