Craving Chicken Flautas in Orlando? Here's What You'll Bite Into
In Orlando, El Patron's Flautas De Pollo are crispy corn tortillas filled with chicken tinga confit and Chihuahua cheese, with avocado sauce on the side. Picture the first bite: the corn shell crackles, the tinga and Chihuahua cheese follow, and cool queso fresco, lettuce and tomato land right behind them.
You already know you want flautas, so let's skip the history lesson. Ahead: every layer decoded, a planner that matches your order to your situation, and simple habits that keep the crunch alive on the way home.
Key Takeaways
5 facts to carry into your order:
- El Patron's Flautas De Pollo are crispy corn tortillas filled with chicken tinga confit and Chihuahua cheese, topped with lettuce, queso fresco and tomatoes.
- The avocado sauce comes on the side, so you control when it meets the crunch, which matters most for pickup orders.
- Tinga is a Mexican dish of shredded chicken in a tomato, chipotle and onion sauce, generally traced to Puebla.
- Flautas De Pollo sit in the Starters section of our menu and pair naturally with Tamales, Nachos or 3 Tacos Mix & Match.
- Leftover flautas reheat best in an oven or air fryer rather than a microwave, and they should be reheated until hot all the way through.
The Short Version
If you want chicken flautas in Orlando, order our Flautas De Pollo to share as a starter, add 3 Tacos Mix & Match when you want a full meal, and keep the avocado sauce on the side until the moment you eat.
What comes with our chicken flautas, layer by layer?
Our Flautas De Pollo come in layers: crispy corn tortillas, chicken tinga confit and Chihuahua cheese inside, then lettuce, queso fresco and tomatoes on top. The avocado sauce comes on the side, so you decide how much lands on each bite and when.
Plate anatomy: Flautas De Pollo, component by component
| Component | Where it sits | What it is in Mexican cooking |
|---|---|---|
| Corn tortilla | The crispy outer shell | A round pressed from masa, dough made from nixtamalized corn, which Wikipedia describes as corn cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution such as limewater. |
| Chicken tinga | Inside the roll | Shredded chicken in a sauce of tomatoes, chipotle chiles in adobo and sliced onions, a dish generally traced to Puebla. |
| Confit | The word attached to the tinga | A French term from confire, "to preserve," that Wikipedia defines as cooking food slowly in fat at low temperatures. |
| Chihuahua cheese | Inside the roll, with the tinga | A mild, buttery, semi-soft melting cheese first made by Mennonite settlers in northern Mexico, according to Mexico News Daily. |
| Lettuce and tomatoes | On top | The classic cool garnish; The Forked Spoon notes that flautas are often served with shredded lettuce and sliced tomato. |
| Queso fresco | On top | A tangy cheese of cow's milk curdled with an acid such as vinegar or lime juice, per Mexico News Daily. |
| Avocado sauce | On the side | Yours to add whenever you like, bite by bite. |
Takeaway: the roll holds the rich, melting layers, while the toppings and the sauce bring the cool, bright ones.
Wikipedia dates the first known published tinga recipe to an 1881 cookbook, La cocinera poblana, so tinga carries real Puebla pedigree. The 2 cheeses play opposite roles, too, since Wisconsin Cheese explains that Chihuahua cheese melts easily where fresh cheeses like queso fresco don't, and that Mennonite communities who arrived from Canada first made it in the 1920s. The full description lives on our Flautas De Pollo dish page.
The Flautas Order Planner: 5 Situations, 5 Smart Orders
Flautas De Pollo work as a table starter, a light solo meal, part of a bigger spread, a partner for tacos, or a pickup order. Find your situation in the planner below, and you'll know exactly what to add before you open the menu.
How do you want your flautas?
| Your situation | What to order | Why it fits | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A starter for the table | Flautas De Pollo | They sit in our Starters section, and the avocado sauce on the side lets everyone dress their own bite. | Starters section of our menu |
| A light meal for one | Flautas De Pollo on their own | One plate covers crunch, tinga, 2 cheeses and cool toppings without a second dish. | Starters section of our menu |
| A group that wants more than one starter | Flautas De Pollo, Tamales and Nachos | Crispy corn tortillas, corn masa tamales and tortilla chips give the table corn 3 ways. | Starters section of our menu |
| Flautas plus tacos | Flautas De Pollo and 3 Tacos Mix & Match | You pick any 3 Artisan Tacos, and Mexican rice and refried beans can be added to round out the meal. | Artisan Tacos section of our menu |
| Pickup for home | Flautas De Pollo, plus any pairing above | The avocado sauce rides on the side, so you add it at home once the crunch has made the trip. | Online ordering for pickup |
Takeaway: start every order with the flautas, then add the dish that matches who's eating and where.
Want to see everything side by side before you decide? Browse our full menu, where Flautas De Pollo, Tamales and Nachos share the Starters section and the tacos sit under Artisan Tacos.
Are flautas a starter or a full meal?
Flautas De Pollo sit in the Starters section of our menu, but flautas commonly anchor a meal too, so your appetite decides. Share them when the table's ordering several dishes, or add tacos with rice and beans when you want a full plate.
Both uses have deep roots. Recipe developer Jessica Randhawa of The Forked Spoon writes that chicken flautas are usually served as a main dish but also work as a shared appetizer, and that as a meal they're often paired with Mexican rice and refried black beans.
Our read: if you're eating solo and hungry, build the meal yourself. Order our 3 Tacos Mix & Match, pick any combination of 3 Artisan Tacos, and add Mexican rice and refried beans. You'll get the classic rice-and-beans companions next to the crunch, plus a second dish to trade bites with.
Sharing instead? Keep it simple. Put one order of flautas in the middle of the table and let the planner's group picks fill in around it.
Feeding a Group: Flautas, Tamales and Nachos Together
For a group, Flautas De Pollo pair best with Tamales and Nachos, 3 Starters that span crispy rolls, corn masa tamales and tortilla chips. Our read: order all 3, because the table gets corn 3 ways and a dish everyone can customize.
Our Tamales are two fresh house-made corn masa tamales, with a choice of shredded chicken with tomatillo sauce, or Rajas and Cheese with ranchera sauce. Our Nachos layer tortilla chips with refried black beans, queso blanco, lettuce, pico de gallo, Mexican cream and pickled jalapeños, plus your choice of protein, including grilled chicken, chicken tinga or ground beef.
Here's the one decision that matters: tinga twice, or contrast? Choose chicken tinga on the nachos if your group can't get enough of it, or pick grilled chicken or ground beef so every dish tastes different.
There's a quiet logic to the trio, too. Wikipedia notes that nixtamalized corn is the basis for tortillas, tortilla chips and tamales alike, a technique with evidence dating to 1200 to 1500 BCE on Guatemala's southern coast.
Are flautas good for takeout?
Flautas travel well when the sauce stays separate and you eat them soon, which is why our avocado sauce on the side matters for pickup. Steam is what softens a crisp shell, so the whole game is keeping moisture away from the crunch until you sit down.
Real-world orders show the risk. When writer Alyssa Buckley of Smile Politely compared flautas from 5 restaurants, one takeout order had lost most of its crispiness under a cheesy topping by the time she got it home.
Moisture is the culprit. USDA guidance on leftovers points out that covering and wrapping food helps it retain moisture, which is great for food safety and tough on a crisp tortilla.
A few habits help. Head straight home, get the flautas out of the bag and onto a plate as soon as you arrive, and add the avocado sauce at the table. The Forked Spoon puts it plainly: chicken flautas are best served hot. Our read: dine in when peak crunch is the goal, and order pickup when you'll eat soon after you collect it.
Keep the Crunch at Home: Reheating and Food Safety
Leftover flautas reheat best in an oven or air fryer, which crisp the tortilla, while a microwave tends to leave the shell soft. Food safety comes first, though, so chill leftovers promptly and reheat them until they're hot all the way through.
Keep-Them-Crispy Tip Box
- Chill them quickly. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, to toss perishable food that's sat out longer than 1 hour when it's above 90°F, and to eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
- Check the temperature. USDA's tips for restaurant leftovers say to reheat meat and poultry in an oven set no lower than 325°F and to confirm the food reaches 165°F with a food thermometer.
- Keep the cool parts cool. Lift off the lettuce and tomatoes before reheating, keep the avocado sauce chilled, and add everything back once the shell is crisp again.
These are general kitchen and food safety guidelines, so they work for any crispy leftovers you bring home.
Where can you get flautas in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area?
Our Flautas De Pollo are waiting at El Patron Restaurante Mexicano, 12167 S Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL 32836, (407) 238-5300, just off Disney property. We're open daily for lunch and dinner, and we've been a family-owned Orlando kitchen since October 2007.
Dine in and the flautas reach you at their crispiest, straight from our kitchen to your table. If you'd like a table set aside for your group, you can reserve a table online. Planning around a park day? Check today's hours on our contact page before you head over.
Prefer to eat at your hotel or at home? Pickup works beautifully with flautas, as long as you follow the takeout habits above and keep that avocado sauce on the side until you're ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to a few more flautas questions before you order.
Are your chicken flautas spicy?
Our menu doesn't give Flautas De Pollo a heat rating, so if spice matters to you, ask us when you order. Classic tinga gets its sauce from tomatoes, chipotle chiles in adobo and sliced onions, according to Wikipedia, and every kitchen seasons it its own way. Either way, the queso fresco, lettuce and tomatoes on top and the avocado sauce on the side bring cool relief to every bite.
What sauce do your flautas come with?
Our Flautas De Pollo come with avocado sauce on the side. Keeping it separate lets you dip, drizzle or save it, and it protects the crispy corn shell until you're ready, which is handy for pickup. Avocado is a natural match for tinga, too: Wikipedia notes that avocado slices are a topping for tinga dishes, alongside crumbled cheese, crema and salsa.
What's the difference between chicken tinga and plain shredded chicken?
Tinga is shredded chicken dressed in a sauce, typically tomatoes, chipotle chiles in adobo and sliced onions, while plain shredded chicken has no sauce at all. The name has character, too: Wikipedia recounts that Francisco J. Santamaría's 1895 Dictionary of Mexicanisms defined tinga as a colloquial word for something "disorderly." Our read: a little delicious disorder is exactly what you want inside a crispy tortilla.
Can I get flautas with beef instead of chicken?
Our flautas are Flautas De Pollo, built around chicken tinga confit, so chicken is the filling. If you're craving beef, our Nachos come with a choice of protein that includes ground beef, and they sit right beside the flautas in our Starters section. Order both and you'll cover chicken and beef in a single round, with plenty of crunch on the table.
Should I eat flautas with my hands or a fork?
Both work, and our read is to use each where it counts. Start with a fork so you catch the lettuce, queso fresco and tomatoes that sit on top, then pick up the last pieces by hand for the full crunch. Dip into the avocado sauce as you go, since it's on the side and ready whenever you are.
Crunch Time: Order Your Flautas De Pollo
Our Flautas De Pollo bring crispy corn, chicken tinga confit, Chihuahua cheese and cool toppings together, with avocado sauce on the side waiting for you. Grab a seat with us at El Patron Restaurante Mexicano and let the crunch come to your table, or bring the whole plate home.
Hungry already? Order your Flautas De Pollo for pickup.
References
- Wikipedia. "Tinga (dish)." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Confit." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Nixtamalization." en.wikipedia.org
- Belot, Monica. "Your guide to Mexican cheeses (and the dishes that love them)." Mexico News Daily, 19 August 2024. mexiconewsdaily.com
- Wisconsin Cheese Staff. "Queso Chihuahua Cheese." Wisconsin Cheese, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. wisconsincheese.com
- Randhawa, Jessica. "Flautas de Pollo (Chicken Flautas)." The Forked Spoon, 17 October 2023. theforkedspoon.com
- Buckley, Alyssa. "Five fantastic flautas you can eat in Champaign-Urbana." Smile Politely, 16 July 2021. smilepolitely.com
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. "Leftovers and Food Safety." fsis.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. "10 Smart Tips to Keep Your Restaurant Leftovers Safe." USDA Blog, 21 June 2021. usda.gov
Disclaimer
Menus, dishes and ingredients can change without notice, so check the current menu on our site before you plan your visit. This guide is general food and culinary information, not allergy, dietary or medical advice.