Chicken tinga is a classic Mexican dish made with tender shredded chicken simmered in a smoky tomato-chipotle sauce with sweet caramelized onions. It’s bold, a little bit spicy, and deliciously smoky!
Why You’ll Love My Chicken Tinga
- Bold, smoky flavor with minimal effort. Instead of roasting tomatoes, I use a can of fire-roasted tomatoes (a wonderful time saver) and blend it with chipotle peppers for that spicy and smoky authentic Mexican flavor.
- You get those signature strands of onion. Instead of dicing, I thinly slice and sauté the onion until it’s lightly caramelized. That delivers the classic texture of chicken tinga with strands of sweet onion.
- It’s great for meal prep. You can make a batch ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week in tacos, burrito bowls, salads, tostadas, quesadillas, and more. I’ve got detailed ideas for you below!
Can you ever have too many ways to serve up flavor-packed shredded chicken? I sure don’t think so! Chicken tinga is one of my favorite ways to transform simple shredded chicken into something incredibly bold and flavorful. And you know I sure do love Mexican food!
This classic Mexican dish combines tender shredded chicken with a rich, smoky, and slightly spicy sauce that’s a blend of chipotle peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, dried herbs, and sweet caramelized onions. And while it tastes like it’s been simmered all day, it takes less than 30 minutes to make!
Similar to my salsa verde chicken (another favorite Mexican shredded chicken recipe), this chicken tinga is perfect for meal prep and it’s endlessly versatile. You can pile it into warm corn tortillas (chicken tinga tacos are amazing!!), spoon it over crispy tostadas, tuck it into burrito bowls, or even top it on a bed of Mexican rice.
Chicken Tinga Ingredients
For the chicken tinga meat you’ll need:
- Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are traditionally used and I love them as they stay nice and juicy. But you could always swap in boneless, skinless chicken breast as well.
- Chicken seasoning: The chicken is poached in a pot of water with salt, pepper, and a bay leaf for just enough flavor. It’s really easy and no fuss. And you don’t need a lot of seasoning, as the sauce is where the magic happens!
For the chicken tinga sauce you’ll need:
- Onion and garlic: White onion is traditionally used, though you could also use yellow onion. Together with the garlic, the onion adds wonderful flavor and texture to the sauce.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: I love using canned fire-roasted tomatoes for an easy shortcut that delivers the same smoky flavor without having to roast them myself.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: This is the star ingredient! You can add always add more or less peppers to adjust the recipe from a mild to medium heat. Just don’t throw away the sauce in the can, as you’ll need it as well.
- Dried oregano and cumin: These are common seasonings in Mexican cooking and they add a wonderful, warm, and earthy flavor.
- Chicken broth: You don’t need to buy any. You’ll just scoop up some of the broth from poaching the chicken.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Chicken Tinga
Cook and shred the chicken. Add the chicken to a pot with the salt, pepper, bay leaf, and enough water to cover. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
Sauté the onion. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it for 8 to 10 minutes, until it’s soft and lightly caramelized. Then add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
Make the tinga sauce. While the onions are sautéing, add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, and chicken broth to a high-powered blender. Blend it all together until it’s smooth. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the onions and garlic and then simmer for 5 to 7 minutes (you can turn down your heat to prevent any splatters).
Combine the chicken and sauce. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and toss well with the sauce. Simmer it for another 5 minutes, until the chicken absorbs the smoky tomato-chipotle flavor, then serve.
Lisa’s sauce tip: If you like a more saucy chicken tinga, you can always add a bit more chicken broth. If I’m making chicken tinga tacos, I prefer a thicker “stick to the chicken” kind of sauce, as I’ve found a thinner sauce is too “drippy” in tacos. But if I’m making a Mexican plate or bowl with rice, I say the saucier the better!
Ways I Love Enjoying This
- Wrap it into chicken tinga tacos with sliced avocado or guacamole, extra cilantro, fresh lime juice, and sprinkles of queso fresco (my favorite). You can also top it on a crispy tostada (just fry the tortilla in a pan with oil until perfectly crispy) or add it to a quesadilla before flipping.
- Top it on a burrito bowl or salad with all your favorite Mexican fixings. I love this with cilantro lime rice, fajita veggies, black beans, pico de gallo, diced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream. Yum, yum!
- Serve on a classic Mexican plate with Mexican rice and creamy beans or black beans. This is a great option for a dinner party, alongside other fresh toppings. Find more ideas in my list of taco sides.
Storage Tips
➜ To store: Chicken tinga stores beautifully, making it perfect for meal prep. Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
➜ To reheat: Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through, adding a splash of water or chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Just add the chicken, onions, garlic, and blended tinga sauce to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours. Shred the chicken, stir it back into the sauce, and let it cook for another 10 to 15 minutes so it can soak up all that smoky flavor.
I’d say it has a moderate level of heat from the chipotle peppers. But you can always adjust that heat level to your preference. For a milder version, use one chipotle pepper instead of 2 or 3.
Yes, you sure can! And it’s a great shortcut. Just prepare the sauce, stir in about 4 to 5 cups of shredded cooked chicken, and then simmer together until the chicken is heated through and well coated. Super easy!
More Mexican Meats
- Barbacoa: A fan favorite for Mexican shredded beef.
- Birria: The flavors in this are unreal.
- Carne Asada: The grilled steak everyone loves.
- Carnitas: Perfect for pulled pork lovers.
- Check out more ideas in my list of Mexican recipes!
If you try this chicken tinga recipe, let me know how they turn out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14-ounce ) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the can
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup chicken broth, reserved from cooking liquid
To serve (optional)
- corn tortillas
- avocado
- queso fresco or cotija cheese
- cilantro
- lime wedges
- sour cream or crema
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Add the chicken to a pot with the salt, pepper, bay leaf and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and shred with forks. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Sauté the onion. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Make the tinga sauce. While the onions are sautéing, add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, and chicken broth to a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the onions and garlic and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Combine the chicken and sauce. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and toss well to combine. Simmer for another 5 minutes, until the chicken absorbs the smoky tomato-chipotle flavor, then serve.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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What Inspired Me To Make This
In short, new meal prep chicken options! I’m always looking for ways I can prep chicken at the beginning of the week, then enjoy it throughout the week. Plus, I just love anything with Mexican flavor.
In the photo above, I made chicken tinga tacos. But as I mentioned in the post above you can serve it up SO many different ways! And because this chicken is juicy and has so much flavor, it’ll never taste old or tired when you reheat it. I’d say that makes it another another meal prep winner!
