CHEF JEFF’S CRISPY CHICKEN TINGA FLAUTAS
Houston Cougars stadium-inspired • Smoky-sweet chicken, crispy flour tortillas & honey-chipotle crema
Yield: 8 large flautas|Prep: 25 minutes|Cook: 35–45 minutes|Heat: mild
INGREDIENTS — CHICKEN TINGA
• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced; 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo; 1–2 tsp adobo sauce (start with 1 tsp)
• ½ cup chicken broth; 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano; ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste; 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
INGREDIENTS — FLAUTAS & TOPPINGS
• 8 flour tortillas (about 8 inches); neutral oil for shallow-frying
• 1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce; ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
• ½ cup pico de gallo; fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
INGREDIENTS — HONEY-CHIPOTLE CREMA
• ½ cup sour cream; ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1–2 tsp adobo sauce from the chipotle can (start with 1 tsp)
• 1 tsp honey; 1 tbsp lime juice; 1–2 tbsp milk; pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Soften the onions. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sliced onion 7–9 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
2. Blend the sauce. Blend fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle pepper, 1 tsp adobo sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and salt until smooth.
3. Simmer the chicken. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the onions. Add chicken thighs, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook 20–25 minutes, until the chicken reaches at least 165°F and is tender.
4. Shred and reduce. Transfer chicken to a board and shred. Return to skillet and simmer uncovered 5–10 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken without pooling. Stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust salt or sweetness.
5. Mix the crema. Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, 1 tsp adobo sauce, honey, lime juice and salt. Add milk a little at a time until drizzleable; add more adobo only if desired.
6. Fill and roll. Warm flour tortillas briefly until flexible. Place about ⅓ cup tinga near one edge of each tortilla, tuck in the sides slightly and roll tightly. Set seam-side down.
7. Fry until crisp. Heat ½ inch neutral oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F. Fry in batches, starting seam-side down, turning until evenly golden and crisp, about 3–5 minutes total. Drain on a wire rack.
8. Finish and serve. Arrange flautas over shredded lettuce. Drizzle lightly with honey-chipotle crema; sprinkle with cotija, pico de gallo and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.
CHEF JEFF'S TIPS
• Reduce the filling until moist but not wet; excess liquid makes the tortillas soggy.
• Flour tortillas make larger flautas easy to roll without cracking. Warm them briefly first.
• Start with the smaller amount of adobo in both the filling and crema for balanced, gentle heat.
• Drain fried flautas on a rack, not a stack of paper towels, to preserve their crunch.
