Chicken tinga tacos are crispy, cheesy tacos made with saucy shredded chicken. They are quick and easy, and super delicious. Make it a taco night by serving the best chicken taco recipe!
For more delicious taco recipes, try Chicken Birria Quesatacos, Brisket Tacos, and these Quick and Easy Shrimp Tacos.
Jump to:
- Why We Love This Chicken Tacos Recipe:
- What are chicken tinga tacos?
- Ingredients you need:
- How to Make Chicken Tacos:
- Alternatives and Variations:
- Pro-Tips:
- Storing and Reheating:
- FAQ:
- More Mexican Inspired Recipes to Try
- 📖 Recipe
- Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this recipe! I would love to see your creation, and give you a shoutout!
Wondering how to season chicken for tacos? This chicken tinga tacos recipe is a delicious option for an easy weeknight dinner. Saucy, cheesy, and crispy with the perfect amount of spicy, these chicken tacos are bound to become a family favorite!
Why We Love This Chicken Tacos Recipe:
Quick & Easy Recipe! Make this Chicken Tinga recipe a day in advance and this recipe takes just 30 minutes to prepare.
Healthier Alternative! Swap ground beef tacos for chicken tacos and save some grease and calories.
Absolutely Delicious! Chicken tinga makes the best tacos. Most tacos are made with chili powder, garlic powder, and taco seasoning so this is a saucy twist made with fresh ingredients. Simmer shredded chicken breast in a bold, smoky sauce with chipotle peppers until tender.
So Versatile! Kick the heat up a notch, swap cheeses, and add as many taco toppings as you would like. It is so easy to customize individual taco servings.
What are chicken tinga tacos?
Chicken tinga tacos are Mexican shredded chicken tacos. The result is a savory and slightly spicy chicken taco with a balance of textures and flavor. It is often enjoyed as street food.
Ingredients you need:
Chicken Tinga:
- Chicken breast: Chicken breast works best for chicken tinga because it's easy to shred and leaner than dark meat.
- Chicken bouillon: This enhances the chicken flavor, for more mouthwatering, savory flavor.
- Onion: Roughly chopped.
- Whole garlic cloves: Cooking garlic unleashes a mild sweetness that rounds out the savory tastes in this recipe.
Chicken Tinga Sauce:
- Roma tomatoes: This adds a fresh pop of tangy flavor.
- Aromatics: Add the onion and whole garlic cloves that were simmered with the chicken into the sauce.
- Chipotle in adobo: Chipotle in adobo is a Mexican condiment consisting of smoked and dried jalapeño peppers in a tangy, spicy, and smoky adobo sauce.
- Chicken bouillon: Use this as a flavor enhancer.
- Seasoning: Use a blend of dried oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Olive oil: Use the oil to sauté the onions and chicken before adding them to the chicken tinga sauce.
Build your Chicken Tacos
- Vegetable oil: Use this to brown the tortillas.
- Flour Tortillas: Traditional chicken tinga tacos use corn tortillas but I prefer flour. However, you can use either type of taco shells.
- Chicken tinga and chicken tinga sauce: Combine the cooked, shredded chicken and sauce to assemble chicken tacos.
- Mozzarella cheese or Monterey Jack cheese: This cheese combo melts down well, becoming ultra gooey.
Favorite Toppings:
- Pico de Gallo: This is a fresh mix of tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, and cilantro, and lime.
- Salsa: Make these chicken tinga tacos even saucier by topping them with a homemade salsa recipe. Try Salsa Roja, Taqueria Style Creamy Jalapeno Salsa, Chipotle Salsa, and Mango Salsa.
- Sour cream: Add this to your chicken tacos for a cool, creamy, tangy topping.
How to Make Chicken Tacos:
Make the Chicken Tinga
Step 1
Begin by placing chicken breast, chicken bouillon, onion, and garlic cloves in a pot, covering them with water, and boiling over medium heat for about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking, simmer tomatoes, half of the onion, and garlic in a separate pot for approximately 10 minutes after bringing them to a boil.
Step 2
Thinly slice the remaining half of the onion and set it aside; once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot to cool while keeping the liquid, onion, and garlic in the pot.
Step 3
After 10 minutes, the softened tomatoes, onion, and garlic can be removed from the pot and placed in a blender using tongs.
Step 4
To the blender, add the onions and garlic from the chicken pot, along with ¼ cup of the cooking liquid, chipotle pepper in adobo, chicken bouillon, oregano, and cumin, blending until smooth.
Step 5
Finely shred the cooled chicken, sauté the sliced onion in olive oil, add the shredded chicken to the skillet, and pour the tinga sauce over it, mixing thoroughly and simmering for 5-7 minutes.
Build your Chicken Tinga Tacos:
Step 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 2
Then dip 1 flour tortilla in the chicken tinga sauce, and gently place it in the hot oil. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on one side of the tortilla.
Step 3
Then sprinkle about ¼ of the shredded cheese on top of the chicken. Fold the tortilla over to cover the chicken and cheese.
Step 4
Fry on each side for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown and crispy.
Remove the taco from the heat and set it on a cooling rack to drain any excess grease.
Step 5
Continue these steps until all of your tacos are made. Add your favorite toppings, and finally, ENJOY!
Alternatives and Variations:
- Vegan Chicken Tacos: Instead of shredded chicken, use shredded jackfruit. It has a similar texture and taste however you season it. It is a great meatless meal.
- Crockpot Chicken Tacos: Prepare the sauce then add it to a slow cooker or crockpot with raw chicken breasts. Cook it on low for about 4 hours. Then shred and assemble your tacos.
- Chicken: Instead of cooking chicken breasts, you can try precooked chicken like rotisserie chicken. If you prefer the taste of dark meat, opt for boneless chicken thighs to make chicken thigh tacos. Ground chicken is another option.
- More Toppings: Consider toppings like chopped onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and cotija cheese.
Pro-Tips:
- Allow the chicken tinga to simmer for an adequate amount of time to let the flavors meld together. Slow cooking helps develop a rich and savory taste.
- Use flour tortillas because they are less likely to fall apart. They contain the chicken, sauce, and toppings better than a corn tortilla.
- Enjoy chicken tacos fresh for the best results. Assemble only what you plan to immediately serve.
Storing and Reheating:
Store leftover chicken tinga in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Defrost frozen chicken in the microwave or allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop with fresh tortillas, repeating the same steps used to make the chicken tacos. If you have whole tacos, reheat them in an oven preheated to 300°F for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
FAQ:
What goes with chicken tacos?
Serve chicken tacos with a side of refried beans and Mexican rice.
What is a chicken taco made of?
Traditional chicken tacos are warm tortillas filled with seasoned and cooked chicken, with various toppings and garnishes. Common additions include shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, cheese, and a squeeze of lime.
Does Tinga mean spicy?
No. "Tinga" derives from the Nahuatl term "tingatl" which means "to tear." This references the shredded chicken used to make the recipe.
How much chicken per person for chicken tacos?
Most recipes use about ¼ cup of chicken per taco. For this recipe, I use smaller tortillas so I use about half that (about 2 tablespoons on 6-inch tortillas). However, you can always eyeball because it comes down to preference.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes to Try
- Carne Guisada Recipe
- Nacho fries
- Beef and Cheese Chimichangas
- Better Than Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
- Pozole Rojo
- Shrimp Enchiladas
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Tinga:
- 2 Chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon Chicken bouillon
- ½ Onion roughly chopped
- 2 whole Garlic cloves
Chicken tinga sauce:
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 1 whole Onion ½ for sauce, ½ for chicken
- 3 whole Garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons Chipotle in adobo
- 2 teaspoons Chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
Build your Chicken Tacos:
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
- 8 flour Tortillas 6 inch
- 4 cups Chicken tinga and sauce it cooked in
- 4 cups Mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
Favorite Toppings:
- Pico de Gallo
- Salsa
- Sour cream
Instructions
Make the Chicken Tinga
- Add your chicken breast, chicken bouillon, onion, and garlic cloves to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil over medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, add your tomatoes, ½ of the onion, and garlic to a separate pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Thinly slice the other half of the onion and set it aside. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pot and place it in a large bowl to let it cool. Keep the liquid and onion and garlic in the pot.
- After about 10 minutes, the tomatoes, onion, and garlic should be softened (the tomatoes will begin to split open). Use tongs to remove them from the pot and place them in a blender.
- Now add the onions and garlic from the pot the chicken cooked into the blender, as well as ¼ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Now add your chipotle pepper in adobo into the blender, along with the chicken bouillon, oregano, and cumin. Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth.
- Use your hands or two forks to finely shred the chicken. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat it up over medium heat.
- Gently place your ½ sliced onion into the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until it is softened. Now add your shredded chicken into the skillet.
- Gently pour your tinga sauce over the chicken and mix it until everything is fully combined. Simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Build your Chicken Tinga Tacos:
- Heat up the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Dip your flour tortilla in the chicken tinga sauce, the. Gently place it in the hot oil. Spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on one side of the tortilla.
- Now add about ¼ of the shredded cheese right on top of the chicken. Fold the tortilla over to cover the chicken and cheese.
- Fry on each side for about 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown and crispy. Remove the taco from the heat and set it on a cooling rack to drain any excess grease.
- Continue these steps until all of your tacos are made. Add your favorite toppings, and ENJOY!
Tim
Delish