Chicken Tinga

This mouthwatering chicken tinga recipe starts with shredded chicken cooked in a flavorful fire roasted tomato-based sauce that’s spiced with smokey chipotle peppers.

Why this recipe works

Mexican chicken tinga is downright delicious. It’s smokey, spicy, and blasted with flavor. You can cradle it inside a taco, mix it into a salad, or add it to a bowl with beans and rice. I personally love it in a charred taco shell with a fat bowl of black bean soup on the side. Oh, and I forgot to mention that it’s really easy to make.

Starting with precooked, leftover, or rotisserie chicken – all you have to do is blitz the other ingredients in food processor or mini chopper. Combine it all in a skillet to mingle, heat through, and that’s it. This Mexican-inspired chicken tinga recipe is perfect for parties or as an everyday meal if you’re looking to use up some leftover chicken breast.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHICKEN – You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or you can poach a couple of raw chicken breasts for this recipe.

TOMATOES – A can of fire-roasted tomatoes adds another layer of spiciness to this dish. You can easily substitute with a can of regular diced tomatoes if preferred.

How to Make Chicken Tinga

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add garlic and onion and saute for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. To a mini food chopper add tomatoes, oregano, chipotle with adobo, cumin, chicken base, salt, pepper, and reserved onion mixture. Blend until smooth.
4. Empty the contents of the food chopper into the skillet and add the water. Whisk together.
5. Stir in the shredded chicken and heat through.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Store cooled leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Yes, of course. Prepare the chicken tinga as directed, allow to cool, then transfer to an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator a day in advance. Gently reheat in the microwave and serve. It’s perfect for meal prepping or to make ahead for a party.

Serving Suggestions

Mexican chicken tinga can be served so many different ways. It’s commonly served as chicken tinga tacos with avocado, cojita cheese, and a squeeze of lime juice. You can also use it as a burrito or enchilada stuffing, mix it into salads, or serve it up bowl-style with rice, beans, avocado, cojita cheese, peppers, onions, and tortilla chips for scooping.

For parties, I like to set it up as a make-your-own station including taco shells and plenty of options for toppings on the side. That way, your guests can make them into either tacos or bowls. Enjoy!

More Related Recipes

• Carnitas
• Beef Barbacoa
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Mexican Chicken Casserole
• Chile Lime Chicken

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