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Chicken Tinga Tacos

Chicken Tinga Tacos

A flavorful and easy recipe for classic Chicken Tinga Tacos. Shredded chicken is simmered in a smoky, spicy chipotle tomato sauce and served in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Prep : 10 Total : 25 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken Tinga

  • 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 large yellow onion divided (half sliced, half roughly chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
  • 1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 ounce
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

For Serving

  • 12 corn tortillas or flour tortillas
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 0.25 cup red onion finely diced
  • 1 avocado sliced or diced
  • 0.25 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions
 

Making Chicken Tinga

  • Place chicken breasts in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pot, reserving 0.5 cup of cooking liquid. Shred chicken using two forks and set aside.
  • While chicken cooks, prepare the sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced half of the yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Remove from heat.
  • In a blender, combine the cooked onion and garlic, roughly chopped half of the yellow onion, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
  • Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the shredded chicken and stir to combine, ensuring all chicken is coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved chicken cooking liquid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

Serving Tacos

  • Warm the corn tortillas according to package directions (on a dry skillet, microwave, or wrapped in foil in the oven).
  • Fill each warm tortilla with a generous amount of chicken tinga. Top with chopped cilantro, diced red onion, sliced avocado, and a drizzle of Mexican crema. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Notes

This Chicken Tinga is also delicious served over rice, in burritos, or as a topping for nachos. Adjust the number of chipotle peppers to your preferred spice level.