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Authentic Chipotle Chicken Tinga (Tinga de Pollo)

Close-up of flavorful, shredded chicken tinga coated in a rich, red adobo sauce served on a white plate.
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Make rich, smoky Chicken Tinga using chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This recipe provides instructions for stovetop cooking, with notes for slow cooker or Instant Pot use.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 large white onion, quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (adjust to your spice preference)
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup water or chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken, onion quarters, garlic, salt, and bay leaf in a large pot. Cover with water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool slightly. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
  3. Shred the cooled chicken using two forks.
  4. While the chicken cools, prepare the sauce: In a blender, combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, and 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth.
  5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the blended sauce into the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce. Stir well to coat the chicken completely.
  7. Simmer for another 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine. Add more reserved cooking liquid if the mixture seems too dry.
  8. Serve hot over tostadas, in tacos, or with rice.

Notes

  • For the Slow Cooker: Place chicken, onion, garlic, salt, and bay leaf in the slow cooker. Add 1 cup of broth. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken, discard solids. Blend sauce ingredients separately and pour over shredded chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 30 more minutes.
  • For the Instant Pot: Place chicken, onion, garlic, salt, and bay leaf in the pot with 1 cup of broth. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release pressure. Shred chicken. Use the Sauté function to cook the blended sauce for 5 minutes, then stir in the shredded chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with shredded lettuce, crumbled cotija cheese, and avocado slices.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://afripaket.com/chicken-tinga-recipe-smoky-chipotle-chicken/