BBQ Shrimp and Corn Flautas

Whenever I think of taquitos, I think about the 7-11 taquitos. They didn't look appetizing to me but my friend would always buy them and declared them to be delicious. I never tried the 7-11 ones but I did try taquitos at a restaurant and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were. Fast forward years later and I finally decided to make my own version at home. Made with flour tortillas instead of corn, these bbq shrimp and corn flautas are a fun fusion dish perfect for the whole family.

Recipe

Print Recipe

BBQ Shrimp and Corn Flautas

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: shrimp

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Avocado jalapeno verde

• 1 avocado skin and pit removed
• 2 jalapenos stems and seeds removed
• 1 bunch cilantro
• ¼ cup chopped scallions
• 1 garlic clove
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• salt and pepper

Flautas

• 2 tablespoons oil divided
• ¾ cup corn kernels
• ½ medium onion chopped
• 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined and chopped into small chunks
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• ¼ cup BBQ sauce
• 10 6-inch flour tortillas
• ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese
• ¼ cup chopped pickled red onion
• 2 tablespoons cilantro for garnish
• lime wedges for serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Make avocado jalapeno verde. Place all ingredients for verde including avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, scallions, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and water in a blender. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saute pan over high heat. Add corn kernels and saute until lightly charred. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat another tablespoon oil. Add chopped onion and saute until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp, garlic, paprika, chipotle pepper, and bbq sauce, tossing to coat. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until shrimp is pink and firm, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Assemble flautas. Spoon 2 tablespoons shrimp and 1 tablespoon corn on the bottom third of each tortilla. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese on top and roll tortillas. Place flautas seam side down on prepared baking sheet and spray tops with cooking spray.
• Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and flip over flautas. Bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven.
• Place flautas on serving platter and garnish with chopped red onion and cilantro. Serve with avocado jalapeno verde and lime wedges if desired.

Watch how to make this:

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Instead of making traditional flautas, I wanted to make an American one using summer produce. What could be more perfect for summer than bbq sauce, corn, and shrimp all wrapped in a crispy tortilla? The avocado jalapeno verde doesn't hurt either.

The bbq shrimp and corn flautas are pretty easy to make, it's just all about the preparation. Let's start by making the avocado jalapeno verde. This dip is similar to a salsa verde except we're adding avocado to make it creamier.

All you have to do is add all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. If you want mild salsa, you can use only one jalapeno and omit the seeds. However, if you want it spicy, add the seeds to the blender.

You can make the dip the day before but the color won't be as vibrant and green.

Set aside the sauce while you prepare the fillings for the flautas. Heat a large saute pan and saute the corn until lightly charred. If corn isn't in season, you can use frozen instead.

Remove the corn from the pan and saute chopped onion until it's softened.

Add chopped shrimp, garlic, paprika, chipotle, and bbq sauce, tossing everything together. Continue to simmer until the shrimp is pink and firm. You don't need a lot of bbq sauce, just enough to season the seafood.

Let the shrimp filling cool slightly before assembling the flautas. Feel free to prepare the shrimp and corn the day before if desired.

Now grab a flour tortilla and spoon the shrimp filling, corn, and shredded cheese towards the bottom third of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it with the seam side down on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the bbq shrimp and corn flautas for about 7 minutes. Then, flip them over and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. You can also pop them in the air fryer for the same amount of time.

Remove the flautas from the oven and garnish them with chopped pickled onions and cilantro. Make sure to serve them with a generous portion of the avocado jalapeno verde and enjoy!

I loved how crispy these flautas got in the oven - no messy frying required! The filling is perfectly seasoned with a hint of smokiness and sweetness all wrapped in one. And the salsa? The perfect spicy creamy pairing. I would gladly enjoy these any day of the week!

For more seafood appetizer inspiration check out this buttermilk fried calamari with lemon aioli recipe!