Description
These Chicken Tinga Tacos feature tender, shredded chicken simmered in a smoky, spicy chipotle tomato sauce, served on warm corn or flour tortillas with fresh toppings for an authentic and flavorful Mexican meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Tinga
- 1 lb (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14 oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
To Serve
- Fresh corn or flour tortillas
- Optional toppings: diced avocado, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, sliced radishes
Instructions
- Sauté Onions: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until softened and translucent.
- Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning and release aroma.
- Blend Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt. Blend until smooth and well incorporated.
- Simmer Chicken: Pour the blended tomato-chipotle sauce into the skillet with the sautéed onions. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add the chicken breasts or thighs along with the chicken broth or water.
- Cook Chicken: Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through and tender enough to shred.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the skillet and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the skillet and simmer in the sauce for an additional 5–10 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Warm Tortillas: Warm your corn or flour tortillas on a dry skillet or hold over an open flame until pliable and lightly toasted.
- Serve: Assemble the tacos by spooning the chicken tinga onto the warm tortillas. Garnish with your choice of diced avocado, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and sliced radishes.
Notes
- You can adjust the number of chipotle peppers depending on your preferred spice level.
- Chicken thighs provide juicier results, but breasts work well too.
- Make sure to warm tortillas properly to avoid breaking when assembling tacos.
- Leftover tinga can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken with jackfruit or mushrooms.
