2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 medium tomato, sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
For the flautas:
16 El Cielo white corn tortillas
Toothpicks
Vegetable oil, for frying
Shredded lettuce
Crema
Sliced avocado
Instructions:
Make the shredded chicken:
Place everything in a large pot. Place all the shredded chicken ingredients in a large pot.
Cover with water. Add enough water to completely cover the chicken by 1 inch.
Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
Shred the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Shred with 2 forks and set aside.
Make the flautas:
Prepare a baking sheet. Heat the oven to 200ºF. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave to make pliable, 10 to 15 seconds.
Fill the tortillas. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the shredded chicken onto a tortilla. Roll the tortilla up over the filling tightly, then secure with a toothpick so that the filling does not fall out during frying. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Heat the oil. Add enough oil to a Dutch oven so that it comes up about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat until 375ºF.
Fry the flautas. Using tongs and working in batches of 4, carefully slide the flautas into the oil and fry until golden-brown and crispy, flipping halfway through, 2 to 4 minutes total.
Drain the flautas. Transfer the flautas to the baking sheet and place in the oven until all the flautas have been fried.
