I am inspired by all sorts of recipes–gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and meaty. Basically, if the pictures are beautiful and the ingredients are interesting, I can appreciate it, even if it doesn’t fit into my diet. I love to peruse Pinterestย every day and let inspiration strike and that is exactly what happened with these flautas. If you read Beard + Bonnet, you’ve probably noticed that we are Mexican food junkies, so it didn’t come as a surprise to me that the Chicken Flautas with Spicy Avocado Sauce from Heather Christo stood out to me as I was browsing Pinterest, practically calling my name!
As I was brainstorming ways to make this dish meatless I knew that I definitely wanted to make this a simple 30 minute meal so that everyone could enjoy flautas, even on a hectic weeknight. For the filling, I replaced the shredded chicken with store-bought spicy vegetarian refried black beans and my top secret, knock-your-socks-off, incredibly easy taco topping that I serve at every taco dinner we have here at home. Well, I guess after this post it won’t be top secret anymore. (It’s okay, you guys are my friends and friends share things like top secret taco toppings.)
The spicy avocado dipping sauce for these black bean flautas sounded pretty amazing as it was originally written, so except for two minor tweaks to use ingredients that I already had on hand, I left it as it was. Why mess with perfection, right? This sauce is pretty much a super smooth, spicy, guacamole and in case you were wondering it is totally okay to dip your chips in it too! Go ahead, get all up in there, don’t be shy!
So I made a batch of black bean flautas and styled them all pretty for you, but I also thought I should be perfectly honest and show you exactly how we devoured them! These bad boys never hit a plate, my kids literally lined up in the kitchen and they dunked and ate them as fast as I could cook them up. ย There was lots of giggling and play fighting about who got the next flauta from the pan. When their bellies were full, they were nice enough to leave a few for me to enjoy. I had 6 black bean flautas left so I ate 3 immediately and saved 3 to reheat later. I wasn’t sure how well they would reheat, but I thought it would be good information to share with all of you here, so I wrapped them on a plate with plastic wrap, and stuck them in the fridge. When the need for a flauta hit me, I simply popped them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. It only took a minute or two to reheat and they were just as crispy as the first time around. Yay flautas!
This post was originally published on March 12, 2014.
PrintBlack Bean Flautas

Crispy black bean flautas adapted from Heather Christo’s Chicken Flautas with Spicy Avocado Sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 flautas
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Juice of 1 large lime
- 1 (16-ounce) can spicy vegetarian refried black beans
- 16 white corn tortillas, warmed (see note)
- Grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil for pan frying
- Avocado Dipping Sauce (see recipe below)
- Chopped lettuce, cilantro, Cotija cheese, hot sauce, and lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the red onion, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally.
- In a large heavy skillet, heat ยผ-inch of oil over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, spread 1 heaping tablespoon of refried black beans and 1/2 tablespoon of the onion, cilantro, and lime mixture evenly along one side of the tortilla. Gently roll the tortilla tightly beginning on the side with the filling. Use a toothpick to secure the flauta so it doesn’t unroll while cooking. (Corn tortillas have a tendency to dry out quickly and split, so I rolled 4 flautas then placed them in the hot pan and rolled 4 more while the others were cooking until they were all finished.)
- Place the prepared flautas seam side down in the hot oil and cook, rotating with tongs, until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides, approximately 4-5 minutes per batch. Continue to cook the rest of the flautas in batches, adding more oil as needed. Remove the toothpicks after you have fried them and serve with Avocado Dipping Sauce, lettuce, cilantro, cheese, hot sauce, and lime wedges.
Notes
Corn tortillas will often tear if they’re not warmed before you roll them. To heat them up, simply wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds at a time until they’re pliable.
If you’d prefer to bake your flautas, soak the toothpicks in water while you’re doing the prep work and preheat your oven to 400ยบF. Spray a baking sheet with an oil mister. Prepare the flautas as described in the recipe, then place them on the baking sheet. Spray them with oil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3-4 per person
Avocado Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved and pits removed, scooped from their shells
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, chopped (for a less spicy version remove the seeds and ribs)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons water
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine the avocado, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, and water in a blender or food processor, then puree until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with kosher salt. Chill until ready to use.
72 Comments
Julia Mueller
March 12, 2014 at 8:31 amYES, Meg!! YES, YES, YES!! That Flauta would never see a plate in my house, either…They’d get consumed straight off the cookie sheet, fresh out of the oven. I’d probably burn my face on them. It’d be worth it. Gimme dat guacamole!! ๐
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 1:00 pmJulia,
Thanks! We totally burned our mouths the first go around!! Be careful;)
Jennie @themessybakerblog
March 12, 2014 at 9:00 amBless your soul for making this a 30-minute meal. I’m all about Mexican cuisine. Love this!
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 1:00 pmYay Jennie!
Thank you so much, I am happy to have shared a new 30-minute meal for you:)
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
March 12, 2014 at 10:43 amI looove flautas and I have all the ingredients for these, perfect!
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 1:05 pmYay Abby! I hope you love them too.
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl
March 12, 2014 at 10:43 amYyyeah…these are definitely getting made ASAP! They sound amazing and it is only 9:30 a.m.! ๐
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 1:05 pmHannah,
Flautas are a perfectly acceptable breakfast in my opinion;)
Letty Flatt
March 13, 2014 at 3:19 pmHere here re: these for breakfast! with an egg perhaps?
gretchen | kumquat
March 12, 2014 at 10:53 ami decidedly do not eat enough flautas. thank you for my remedy!
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:23 amI hope you love these Gretchen!
Cookin Canuck
March 12, 2014 at 11:08 amThose looks so good and I love your styling!
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:23 amThank you SO much!!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
March 12, 2014 at 11:09 ami could eat a dozen of these…
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 1:06 pmDixya,
We could totally have a flauta eating contest! Ha ha!
Leslie @ My Kitchen Is Open
March 12, 2014 at 2:09 pmThese look awesome and sound delicious! Gonna put on some black beans today so I can make some this weekend!
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 3:12 pmYay Leslie!!! You are going to love these flautas, I just know it!
Maggie
March 12, 2014 at 2:16 pmLove this recipe Meg! We are Mexican lovers in this house too so I will definitely be trying these – the rolling up corn torts scares me a little, but you’ve inspired me ๐ Did I miss the taco topping, or is it the onion, cilantro, lime mix? All of which I happen to have in my frigo right now! Thanks Meg. You always inspire me!
Meg van der Kruik
March 12, 2014 at 3:11 pmMaggie you inspire me too!!! Just heat the torts before hand, I put a note in the recipe box:) You will be great and even if a few of them split they are still super yummy! Oh and yes! That simple little citrus juice, onion, and cilantro is my secret weapon. The lime juice just gets in there and does something amazing to the onion and cilantro. We don’t make tacos, black bean burgers, or quesadilla’s without it!
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate
March 12, 2014 at 4:40 pmBlack beans and avocados are 2 foods I could not live without! I love this dip’s take on guac!
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:28 amThanks Mallory!
Connie at Bird and Seed
March 12, 2014 at 7:25 pmWow. These look super tasty. My tummy just growled. Love the lime wedges for serving.
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:29 amConnie,
Thank you! I think we pretty much have lime wedges with every meal at our house so I totally appreciate someone else that gets it too.:)
Joanne
March 14, 2014 at 12:02 amFlautas consumption – assembly line style! I approve. It sounds like a super efficient way to get those into your belly as soon as possible!
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:24 amHa ha! Joanne, it totally cuts down in dishes too.
Elizabeth
March 14, 2014 at 11:44 amMade these last night and they were a huge hit with everybody – an eighteen month old, a three year old, and a husband – so much so that the three year old wanted them for breakfast! Highly recommend making your own tortillas if you’ve got the time. Totally worth the extra effort and puts these flautas over the top!
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:25 amThat is so great Elizabeth!! My 3 year old is obsessed with them too so I am working on a few new filling recipes to share for flautas on my site. We will keep you posted when they go live.:)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
March 14, 2014 at 12:23 pmThese look killer, the perfect solution to a Mexican food craving!
Scotia48
March 15, 2014 at 2:29 amI made these last night and they were marvelous! I used a can of organic black beans and added a sofrito and some seasonings and a little chopped roasted hatch chile and some dried oregano and some spices. In the flauta along with the cilantro, onion and lime, I added some thinly sliced cabbage.
I made a yellow rice with some saffron, cilantro, onion and some “Not Chicken” broth.
The avocado dip was really great. Except I added some spices and left out the peppers and garlic. It was perfect for us.
I will be making this again. Thank you for the inspiration!
Meg van der Kruik
March 16, 2014 at 12:22 amWow, those sound amazing! I love hearing new variations if my recipes and I will for sure be trying yours.
Maria
March 17, 2014 at 8:07 pmSo in love with these! Pinned!
Rachel @ Itty Bitty Ivie
April 2, 2014 at 6:59 pmOh my flautas! These look sooo delicious right now! pinning for sure ๐
Heather
May 3, 2014 at 12:23 pmWhat brand of vegetarian refried black beans did you purchase?
Meg van der Kruik
May 22, 2014 at 8:47 pmHeather, I picked up my refried beans from Trader Joe’s, but Pacific Foods has a good one too.
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom
May 5, 2014 at 12:04 pmHello from Melissa French, The More With Less Mom. I have included this recipe in my May Real Food Meal Plan post. Thanks for sharing! http://www.morewithlessmom.com/index.php/2014/05/05/may-real-food-monthly-meal-plan/
Meg van der Kruik
May 22, 2014 at 8:47 pmThanks for sharing Melissa!
kara
June 18, 2014 at 1:54 pmWill be preparing these for dinner tonight. I didn’t have cilantro on hand so I replaced it with
mint instead. Cant wait to give them a whirl.
Maggie
June 29, 2014 at 12:23 pmI made these, SO DELICIOUS. It was very tricky for us to fry them, but even with lopsided and falling apart tortillas, still delicious. Great vegetarian meal!
Lin
August 18, 2014 at 5:17 pmWhat is the red sauce you use on top in your picture?
Meg van der Kruik
August 18, 2014 at 11:09 pmHi Lin,
The red sauce that is drizzled over the flautas is hot sauce.
Lin
August 18, 2014 at 5:20 pmAlso, where can we find the recipe for the tomato salsa pictured above?
Meg van der Kruik
August 18, 2014 at 11:11 pmThe salsa in the image is a fresh chunky salsa that I picked up at the grocery store.
Sandy
September 9, 2014 at 6:40 pmI am making these for lunch tomorrow. I think the family is going to love them ^_^.
rosina
September 10, 2014 at 11:55 amMade these for dinner last night along with the avocado dipping sauce and they were a big hit! My hubby and kids loved them! Thanks for sharing!!