Shrimp Flautas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa is the perfect celebration meal. Crispy, cheesy and flavorful. Serve with homemade spanish rice.
Ten times better making your own than going out for Mexican. Easy dish to prepare that won’t disappoint.
Today, I’m making these because I have an over abundance of peppers, tortillas and Monterey jack cheese. And I’m also on this Mexican food kick. I can’t get enough.
I love shrimp anything so naturally I’m going to put shrimp in this, but I recommend using any kind of protein that suits your fancy. Shredded pork, flank steak, lobster, name your game and run with it. Easy to serve a vegetarian option as well. You could also bake these instead of frying but what’s the fun in that?! I have no self control.
Make the tomatillo salsa ahead of time and in large batches to keep in your fridge, because trust me you’re not going to be able to have enough. It goes well with anything and it’s an easy on hand salsa recipe that will be requested often.
Shrimp Flautas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 whole Poblano Peppers
- 1 whole Onion, quartered
- 6 whole Tomatillos, husked
- 2 whole Jalapenos
- 4 cloves Garlic, with skins on
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- 1 whole Lime, juiced
- 1 bunch Cilantro {about 1 cup packed}, stems removed
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 whole Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 pinch Cayenne
- 1 pound Medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
- 1 package Corn Tortillas
- 1 cup Canola Oil, for frying
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Step 2 Place poblano peppers, onions, tomatillos, jalapenos and whole garlic cloves on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove pan and allow peppers to cool slightly before cutting off stems and using the back of your knife to scrape the seeds out of the peppers. Remove the garlic from their skins.
- Step 3 In a blender, add the peppers, onion, tomatillos, garlic cloves, lime juice, and the cilantro leaves. Puree the mixture until smooth. Season with kosher salt. Pour into a serving bowl and set aside until ready to serve.
- Step 4 For the Flautas: In a large saute pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and peppers and stir until caramelized and soft, about 15 minutes. Add smoked paprika, cumin and a pinch of cayenne, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Step 5 Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp are no longer opaque. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Turn heat off and set aside.
- Step 6 In a cast iron skillet fill with canola oil 1/2″ deep. Heat to 350 degrees F. In the middle of each tortilla spoon 2 small spoonfuls of shrimp mixture and sprinkle with monterey jack cheese on top. Work in batches, roll the flautas up and use tongs to place seam side down in the hot oil. The tortillas will seal themselves as they cook. Fry for 2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Make sure the oil doesn’t get too hot. Remove flautas and let them drain on a paper towel lined plate. Serve flautas with roasted tomatillo sauce and enjoy!
Repeat after me: Cumin, Smoked Paprika, Cayenne. The 3 spices that will give you a good Mexican style base to any meal. Now I’m not claiming these are the only ones but they’re definitely the ones that matter.
In a medium size pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Add the sliced onion and peppers and stir until caramelized and soft, about 15 minutes.
Before….
After.
Add smoked paprika, cumin and a pinch of cayenne, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp are no longer opaque. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat off and set aside.
In a cast iron skillet fill with canola oil. Heat to 350 degrees F.
To assemble flautas. In the middle of each tortilla spoon 2 small spoonfuls of shrimp mixture and sprinkle monterey jack cheese on top.
Okay this might have been a little generous…and I may have taken some out, but you get the idea.
Don’t forget the cheese!
Working in batches, roll the flautas up and with tongs place seam side down in the hot oil.
The tortillas will seal themselves as they cook. Once golden brown and crispy flip the flautas over, about 2 minutes per side.
Make sure the oil doesn’t get too hot. Remove flautas and let drain on a paper towel.
Serve flautas with roasted tomatillo sauce. And serve with this beautiful Spanish Rice!
Savor and Enjoy!