Chicken Tinga

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Tinga (Tinga de Pollo) is a classic Mexican dish hailing from Puebla. It features shredded chicken simmered in a smoky, spicy tomato-chipotle sauce made with bold spices and aromatic veggies. It’s delicious, versatile, and easy to batch-prep for tacos, burritos, nachos, and more. If you’re planning your Cinco de Mayo celebration, hosting a taco night, or just looking for a comforting meal, Chicken Tinga is sure to be a hit.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Chicken Recipes, Favorites, Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Author: Matt Price

Equipment

Immersion Blender Kitchen Blender
Large Dutch Oven Deep Skillet
Mixing Bowl
Tongs or Slotted Spoon

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (I prefer a mix)
1 onion halved
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Hot All-Purpose Seasoning to taste

For the Tinga Sauce:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion finely diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
1 –2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
Hot All-Purpose Seasoning to taste
½ cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

To Serve:

Corn or flour tortillas
Fresh cilantro chopped
Lime wedges
Sliced avocado
Diced onions
Sliced radishes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Step 1: Boil the Chicken

Roughly chop your onion, cilantro, and garlic.
Add your chicken, halved onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, salt, and Hot All-Purpose Seasoning to a pot.
Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through (about 15–20 minutes).
Remove chicken and set aside. Discard the aromatics and reserve a splash of the broth if needed later.

Step 2: Sear for Flavor (Optional but recommended)

Sear the cooked chicken in a hot pan with a little oil to develop extra flavor. Be mindful to not overcrowd the pot.
Remove and set aside. Once you develop some great color on your chicken, go ahead and remove it.
Next, we are going to sear the chicken – being mindful to not overcrowd the pot.
Once you develop some great color on your chicken, go ahead and remove it.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics

In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat.
Add the Adobo Chipotle Peppers and diced onion to the pan and sauté for 3–4 minutes until translucent.
Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

Step 4: Build the Sauce

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, chicken bouillon powder, and Hot All-Purpose Seasoning.
Cook for 2–3 minutes to bring the flavors together.

Step 5: Simmer and Blend

Pour in chicken broth and apple cider vinegar.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10–15 minutes.
Blend the mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or traditional blender.
Taste and adjust the flavor and spice level as needed.
You want to ensure you get this right before adding the chicken and finishing the cooking process, as the chicken will take on the flavor of the sauce.

Step 6: Simmer the Chicken

Return the chicken to the sauce.
Simmer covered for 20 minutes or shreddable, allowing the flavors to infuse and the chicken to become fork-tender.
Once the sauce is perfect, add the chicken back to the party and bring to a simmer.
Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is fork-tender and shreddable.

Step 7: Shred and Finish

Remove chicken from sauce, shred using two forks, then return shredded chicken to the sauce.
Stir to coat evenly.
If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved broth to receive your desired consistency.
Simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through.

Notes

Pro Tips for the Perfect Chicken Tinga

Adjust the heat by adding more or fewer chipotle peppers.
Double the batch for meal prep or feeding a crowd.
Make it creamy by stirring in a spoonful of sour cream or crema Mexicana.

Nutrition