Tray Of Flautas (ground Beef) Recipe

Prep

Peel and finely dice the yellow onion. Mince the garlic cloves. Measure out the spices and have the tomato paste and beef broth ready.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, then add the ground beef. Break the beef into small pieces with a spatula and brown until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano. Cook for 1–2 minutes to toast the spices and distribute the tomato paste.

Pour in 60 ml beef broth, scrape up any browned bits from the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 4–5 minutes. Taste and season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, adjust as desired.

Transfer the cooked filling to a bowl and let it cool for 10–15 minutes so it’s easier to handle when assembling.

Warm the corn tortillas so they are pliable and won’t crack when rolled: stack them on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave in 30-second intervals until warm and flexible (about 45–60 seconds total). Alternatively, warm briefly in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame for a few seconds per side.

Set up an assembly station: warmed tortillas, cooled beef filling, shredded cheese, and the beaten egg. Keep a small bowl of the beaten egg and a pastry brush or fork for sealing.

Place one tortilla on a flat surface. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cooled beef filling along the lower third of the tortilla (you want a thin, even line). Sprinkle about 1–2 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the filling. (Adjust amounts so filling is distributed evenly across all tortillas.)

Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling, rolling away from you and keeping the seam on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. If seams won’t stick, brush a little beaten egg along the edge and press to seal.

Place rolled flautas seam-side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment if baking, or on a plate if you plan to fry. Once all are rolled, brush the outside of each flauta lightly with 60 ml vegetable oil (use a brush or spray) to promote browning in the oven.

Baking (recommended for a tray)

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Arrange the assembled, oiled flautas seam-side down on one or two rimmed baking sheets without overcrowding. Bake 10–12 minutes, then flip each flauta and bake an additional 6–8 minutes, until evenly golden and crisp.

Shallow frying (optional, for extra crispness)

Pour about 2–3 cm of vegetable oil into a heavy skillet and heat to 175–180°C (350–360°F). Fry flautas in batches seam-side down for 1–2 minutes per side, turning carefully, until deep golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain excess oil.

While the flautas finish cooking, arrange the toppings: place 1 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream) and 1 cup salsa into serving bowls, crumble 1 cup queso fresco, chop 1/4 cup cilantro, and cut 2 limes into wedges.

Transfer hot flautas to a serving tray. Drizzle or dollop crema and spoon salsa over as desired, sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro, and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the flautas.

Serve immediately while hot and crisp. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp.