These homemade crispy shredded beef flautas are loaded with tender seasoned beef, melty cheese, and fried until perfectly golden and crunchy. The shredded beef can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or pot roast style using your stove top and oven, making this the kind of recipe that’s perfect for weekends, game day, family gatherings, or anytime you’re craving restaurant-style flautas at home. Feeding a crowd? Grab a 5-6 pound roast like I did and make 40! Your family will appreciate the leftovers.

Not in a beef mood? Shredded chicken works just as well, which makes these flautas easy to customize if that’s what you prefer or happen to have.

This recipe gets requested constantly in our house because they’re crispy, cheesy, ridiculously flavorful, and honestly better (and way cheaper) than most restaurant flautas we’ve ordered over the years. Add some salsa, guacamole, queso, or sour cream and suddenly everybody’s hovering around the kitchen like they haven’t eaten in days.

Crispy shredded beef flautas on a bed of lettuce next to bowls of sour cream and salsa con queso on a white plate.

Serves: Makes about 20
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: varies with cooking method plus frying time

What’s the difference between flautas and taquitos?

Traditionally, flatuas are made with a soft taco size flour tortilla where taquitos are smaller and made with corn tortillas.

Ingredients:

3-4 lb chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 large onion (yellow or sweet)
4 garlic cloves
3 cups beef broth or stock
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend)
1 Tbsp cumin (plus more to taste)
about 20 soft taco size flour tortillas
canola or vegetable oil for frying
20 toothpicks
Optional toppings such as sour cream, salsa, lettuce, etc.

Get the full printable instructions at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

What to serve with flautas:

guacamole – classic, fresh, nothing weird
this easy rice dish – with zesty lime and cilantro
fresh pico – simple ingredients, lots of flavor

Instant Pot Directions:

Step 1: Blot the chuck roast dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté feature; brown each side of roast for 2-3 minutes. Remove beef to a plate and set aside. Add diced onion and sauté until softened (about 3 minutes) scraping up any bits stuck to bottom of the pot, then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.

Juicy beef roast cooking in an instant pot, perfect for tender, flavorful meals. Ideal for easy dinner recipes and meal prep.

Step 2:Pour in the beef broth and continue scraping bottom of pot. Return the chuck roast back to the pot and seal with the lid. Cook for 60-70 minutes depending on size of roast, then let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.

diced onions and broth in a pot, ready for beef to be added for flautas

Step 3: Use the valve to release any remaining pressure being careful to avoid any steam (I use a wooden spoon to move the valve). Reserve the broth and place the chuck roast on a cutting board or in a large dish and shred with two forks, discarding any fat.

Stovetop/Oven Alternative:

Follow steps 1-4 but use a large pot over medium high heat instead of the instant pot. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bake in a preheated oven at 275º for 3-4 hours depending on size of roast. Shred as directed above.

Slow Cooker Alternative

Add the beef, onion, garlic, and broth to a slow cooker. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours until tender. Shred as directed.

Juicy, tender pulled beef shredded with forks, perfect for sandwiches, served on a teal cutting board. Ideal for easy, flavorful meal prep and family dinners.

Preparing the filling:

In a large bowl, combine the shredded beef, a cup of shredded cheese (up to 2 cups depending on preference and size of roast), cumin, and 1 cup of leftover broth being sure to scoop up some onion and garlic. Taste the beef mixture and add more salt, pepper, and/or cumin if needed.

Juicy shredded beef with shredded cheddar cheese in a glass bowl, ready to be served as delicious nachos, seasoned with spices for a flavorful meal.

Rolling and frying the flautas:

Step 1: Place ¼ cup of beef mixture in the center of one tortilla, fold sides over then roll tortilla and secure with a toothpick.

Hands folding a soft flour tortilla around seasoned shredded beef filling, ready to be rolled into a delicious homemade flauta on a rustic wooden surface.

tortilla being folded by hands on a wooden surface. Perfect for making tacos, wraps, or burritos with authentic flavor and soft texture.

Hands sealing a flat with a toothpick on a rustic wooden surface, showcasing traditional homemade flautas preparation.

Step 2: Heat 1 inch of oil over medium heat in a deep, heavy pan. Check oil temperature by dipping a small corner of the tortilla in – if it bubbles, it’s ready.

Step 2: Fry 4-5 flautas at a time for about 3 minutes turning with tongs to ensure even browning – lower temperature if browning too quickly. Remove from the oil when they reach desired doneness and drain on a rack or paper towels. You may need to add a bit more oil to the pan after a few batches – be careful when pouring it in, especially if using an open flame.

Fried flautas cooking in hot oil, crispy golden exterior, ready to serve.

Step 3: Remove the toothpicks and serve the flautas on a bed of shredded lettuce with your choice of toppings and prepare yourself – you won’t be able to each just one.

Want to make this with chicken?

Simply substitute the chuck roast with about 2-3 pounds of boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts and the beef stock for chicken stock. You won’t need as much chicken since the fat content is less.

For the Instant Pot, set your time to 20 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. The slow cooker remains the same. For stove top – skip the oven and let it simmer, covered, over low heat for 20- 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded (it should be falling apart).

Storing and reheating:

You can prep these a day ahead, refrigerate covered, and fry when ready.
You can also fry these, then store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bake on a metal sheet pan in the oven at 350º for about 5 minutes or air fry them at 350º for 3 minutes to reheat.
You can also skip the deep frying altogether and air fry them – spritz with a bit of oil to help them crisp up, preheat your air fryer to 385º and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning after about 4 minutes. They won’t crisp up as much, but they’re still tasty!

Before you Go . . .

Chuck roast might be one of the hardest working cuts of beef in my kitchen. It’s usually way more budget friendly than a lot of other beef cuts, but when you cook it low and slow, it turns into tender, flavorful perfection every single time. That’s why I love using it for recipes like these crispy shredded beef flautas. If you’ve got another chuck roast hanging out in the fridge or freezer, you should also try our Easy Savory Onion Pot Roast for pure comfort food energy, or our Slow Cooker Pepperoncini Pot Roast when you want something ridiculously easy with big flavor. And if you’re more of a classic Sunday dinner person, our Traditional Pot Roast never goes out of style. Chuck roast is proof that you don’t need fancy ingredients to make a dinner everybody loves.