Chicken Tinga Tacos

These Chicken Tinga Tacos are perfect for busy weeknights—healthy, easy, and ready in under 30 minutes! Serve as tacos with sliced avocado and scallions or over rice with a side of black beans.

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This Chicken Tinga recipe is one of those easy weeknight dinners that I always forget how good it is until I make it. It is a recipe that definitely deserves “old standby” status—so easy and delicious it has more than earned a spot in the weekly rotation.

I’m considering making a Don’t Forget The Tinga sign and taping it to my kitchen cupboard so when I’m standing there stressing about what to make for dinner I will remember this lovely Tinga chicken and make it.

And yes, for the record, I stress out about what to make for dinner on a daily basis. As a person who has about 20 recipe ideas floating around in her head on any given day, I still struggle with what to actually cook for dinner. Because thinking about food and actually cooking food is two very different things…. but this quick tinga recipe is truly a lifesaver!

What Is Chicken Tinga?

Tinga chicken is a guisado or braised meat dish that is made all over Mexico but hails from Puebla, like many other iconic Mexican dishes such as, Chiles en Nogada, Cemitas, Mole Poblano, and Tacos Arabes. In Puebla chorizo is added to the sauce, so if you want to try a truly authentic version, grab some chorizo and add it when you are browning the chicken.

The chicken breast is simmered in a lightly spicy, smoky tomato sauce flavored with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Generally you shred the chicken (although I prefer to dice it) and then thinly sliced white onions are added to the frying pan along with garlic slices, one or two minced canned chipotles, and a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra smokiness.

It is traditionally served as tacos or tostadas but this stewy dish is also amazing served with rice and beans, sliced avocado, and a sprinkling of thinly sliced spring onions.

More To Explore

Instant Pot Pork Tinga Recipe

17 Canned Chipotle Pepper Recipes

The Best Brands of Chipotle in Adobo Peppers

Why You Must Make This Chicken Tinga

1. A fan favorite. Seriously everyone loves Tinga tacos (unless they don’t eat meat, that is. If this is the case see reason number 3). I mean what’s not to love? The smoky flavor, tender chicken, and just the right amount of spice. Pure taco perfection.
2. Uber healthy. Low-cal, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, high-protein. Chicken tinga checks all the boxes.
3. Easily adaptable. If you are looking for a plant-based version swap the chicken for cauliflower or shredded jackfruit.

Ingredients To Make Chicken Tinga Tacos

Don’t we all love a short ingredients list? If you want to make the sauce even saucier, you can also add a cup or so of chicken broth or chicken stock.

• Vegetable oil or avocado oil or olive oil.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Whichever one you like best is what you should use.
• Kosher salt. I always use Mortons kosher salt unless otherwise noted.
• Black pepper. Freshly ground please.
• White onion. Mexican cooking uses white onion 97.5% of the time. It’s a scientific fact.
• Garlic. Peeled and sliced.
• Ground cumin or cumin seed.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Recipe calls for 1-2 but use as many as you’d like to make it as spicy as you’d like. Afraid that it will be too spicy? Use a tablespoon of the sauce the chipotles come in and call it good.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes. This is my secret weapon when it comes to easily adding smoky flavor. That being said, if it is tomato season and you have juicy, fresh tomatoes to use—chop them up and use them here. You’ll need about 4 medium tomatoes.
• Warm corn tortillas, for serving.
• Ripe avocado, sliced, for serving.
• Spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced, for serving.

How To Make It

This is a very basic, one-pan, stove top Chicken Tinga recipe. Thinking about making it in the slow cooker? Simply combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2. Leave the chicken breast whole for the slow cooker and shred it right before serving, that way the chicken won’t dry out.

step one

Brown chicken. Heat oil in a large frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Let cook, stirring once or twice, until chicken pieces start to brown, about 5 minutes.

step two

Saute onions. Add sliced onions and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

step three

Simmer. Add cumin, chipotle, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

step four

Serve. Spoon into warm tortillas. Top with slices of ripe avocado and thinly sliced spring onions, some people also like a dollop of sour cream on top. enjoy! Make the exact same recipe again next week.

Tips On Storing and Other Things

Before I get into storage, let’s talk chicken. Like I said, I like to cube the chicken before cooking. It cooks faster and more evenly this way. If you’d prefer you can leave the chicken breasts whole, brown them, cook the rest of the recipe as directed, then shred the chicken once it is cooked all the way through. Or just make the sauce and use pre-cooked shredded chicken.

This Chicken Tinga recipe freezes beautifully and is awesome to bring to a friend in need of a comforting meal. Double or triple the recipe and let cool completely, then freeze in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months. Any leftovers in the fridge should be eaten within 3 days.

In that same vain, Chicken Tinga is a real crowd-pleaser. Have I mentioned that already? So if you are throwing a party, double this recipe and make it a tinga party! No one will complain, trust me. You can make it up to a day or so in advance then just reheat, covered on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through (add a generous splash of chicken broth if the sauce is too thick).

Going along with the Tinga Party theme, here are a few favorites to serve with your Chicken Tinga Tacos:

• Crock Pot Borracho Beans {Frijoles Borrachos}
• Charred Poblano Guacamole
• Cilantro-Lime Taco Slaw
• Spicy Raspberry Jalapeño Margaritas

More Taco Recipes To Try!

• Shredded Beef for Tacos {Carne Deshebrada}
• The Best Crispy Instant Pot Carnitas Recipe
• Oven-Roasted Cochinita Pibil Tacos
• Beer-Braised Beef Barbacoa Tacos
• Grilled Fish Tacos with Sweet Corn Salsa
• Chorizo and Eggs Breakfast Tacos
• Slow Cooker Carne Adobada Tacos

Ready To Try One Of The Best Ever Chicken Recipes?

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