Description
Make authentic Chicken Tinga, a smoky and slightly spicy shredded chicken dish cooked in a chipotle-tomato sauce, perfect for assembling easy tacos.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 12 corn or flour tortillas
- Toppings: queso fresco, sliced avocado, Mexican crema or sour cream, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts, quartered onion, 3 garlic cloves, bay leaf, and salt in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from the liquid and set aside to cool slightly. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
- Shred the cooled chicken using two forks. Set the shredded chicken aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, oregano, and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the reserved 1 cup of cooking liquid and the chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Add the shredded chicken to the skillet. Stir well to coat the chicken completely with the sauce.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and let the tinga simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld. Stir occasionally.
- Warm the tortillas according to package directions (skillet or microwave).
- Serve the chicken tinga filling in the warm tortillas and top with your preferred toppings like queso fresco, avocado, crema, and cilantro.
Notes
- For a deeper smoky flavor, use 5 or 6 chipotle peppers instead of 4.
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, blend the tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, and broth before adding them to the skillet.
- Shredded chicken tinga stores well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, making it good for meal prep.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 48
- Cholesterol: 130