Chicken Tinga
Shredded chicken in a smoky chipotle tomato sauce, perfect for tacos, tostadas, burritos and more.
MexicanChicken
Time1 hour
Servings4 people
DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
Chicken
- 700g boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ white onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt
- Water or low-sodium chicken stock
Salsa
- 4 Roma tomatoes (or 400g canned crushed tomatoes)
- 2–3 chipotle chiles in adobo
- Salt and black pepper
Cooking
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
- 1 white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Cook the chicken
- 1PoachPlace chicken in a pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and a generous pinch of salt. Cover with water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 12–15 min, skimming any foam, until cooked through. Remove chicken and reserve the broth.
Prepare the salsa
- 2BlendIf using fresh tomatoes, simmer them in a little water for 8–10 min until soft (skip if using canned). Transfer to a blender with 2–3 chipotle chiles in adobo, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Cook the sauce
- 3SautéHeat oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and garlic and cook for 5–6 min until softened and golden.
- 4SimmerPour in the blended salsa. Add oregano, marjoram and thyme. Stir and simmer partially covered for 7–8 min until the sauce darkens and thickens.
Shred & finish
- 5Shred and combineShred the chicken with two forks. Add it to the sauce, stir to coat, and simmer for 1 min. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Tips
- Don't skip the chipotle peppers — without them it's just chicken stew.
- Start with 2–3 chiles and add more to taste; easier to add heat than remove it.
- Save the chicken broth — it's perfect for Mexican rice or soup.
- Rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken works great and cuts the time significantly.