Easy and Delicious Chicken Tinga

This easy chicken tinga recipe makes perfectly tender, shredded chicken smothered in a smoky chipotle pepper sauce. Tinga chicken is a Mexican dish that is perfect for tacos, burritos, tostadas, rice bowls, sandwiches, and more!

Once you learn how to make tinga chicken, check out my Chicken Tinga Tacos recipe for an easy meal. And if you love the flavor of chipotle peppers, try my Honey Chipotle Air Fry Chicken Tenders, Creamy Chipotle Sauce, and Smoky Chipotle Hummus next.

Jump to:

• Why You will Love This Chicken Tinga Recipe:
• What is Chicken Tinga?
• Ingredients you need for Chicken Tinga:
• How to Make Chicken Tinga:
• Alternatives and Variations:
• Pro-Tips:
• Storing and Reheating:
• FAQ:
• More Chicken Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this great recipe! I would love to see your Chicken Tinga, and give you a shoutout!

Chicken tinga is bold, savory, smoky, with just the right amount of spicy. Stewed tomatoes, onions, and garlic make up the base of the mouthwatering chicken tinga sauce. Chipotle in adobo adds perfect smoky depth.

Why You will Love This Chicken Tinga Recipe:

Easy! This pulled chicken tinga is ready in about 30 minutes.

Customizable! Customize this recipe to suit your taste buds. Switch up the chicken, tomatoes, or cooking method for convenience.

Versatile! This goes with just about anything. An obvious choice is tacos but you can add this to burrito bowls, stuffed peppers, burritos, or quesadillas too.

What is Chicken Tinga?

Chicken tinga, or tinga de Pollo, is authentic Mexican shredded chicken. It is a savory and spicy Mexican dish featuring shredded chicken simmered in a rich tomato-chipotle sauce.

Ingredients you need for Chicken Tinga:

• Chicken breast: I love using white meat for this recipe because it shreds well.
• Chicken bouillon: This deepens the chicken flavor and adds a savory taste.
• Aromatics: You will need roughly chopped onion and whole garlic cloves.

Tinga Chicken Sauce:

• Roma tomatoes: This tomato variety is sweet, tangy, with a touch of acidity.
• Aromatics: Onions and garlic cloves are the foundation of flavor. It adds sweet and savory notes.
• Chipotle in adobo: Chipotle chile is dried and smoked ripe red jalapeño peppers that are sweet, spicy, and smoky.
• Chicken bouillon: For chicken flavor.
• Seasoning: Season with dried oregano (or Mexican oregano if you have it), 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.

How to Make Chicken Tinga:

Step 1

Bring a pot full of chicken breast, chicken bouillon, onion, and garlic cloves submerged in water to a low boil over medium heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

Thinly slice the other half of the onion and set it aside. Once its cooked through, remove chicken from the pot and place it in a large bowl to cool. Keep the liquid, onion, and garlic in the pot.

Step 4

Within 10 minutes, the tomatoes, onion, and garlic should be soften enough for blending (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.

Step 5

Step 6

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. 

Serve immediately, and Enjoy!  

Alternatives and Variations:

• Chicken: Instead of chicken breasts, you can use chicken thighs or chicken legs. Just remove the bones when shredding. For a quicker chicken tinga recipe, use rotisserie chicken.
• Tomatoes: Use whatever variety of fresh tomatoes you prefer. You can even use canned tomatoes for convenience.
• Chorizo: Authentic chicken tinga includes Mexican chorizo.
• Slow Cooker: 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 serve.
• Instant Pot Chicken Tinga: Prepare the sauce, then add it to an instant pot with raw chicken breasts. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, with a 5-minute natural pressure release. Then shred and serve.

Pro-Tips:

• For tender chicken, boil, slow cook, or pressure cook.
• Cooking the aromatics before blending them into the sauce adds extra flavor.
• Adjust the heat level to your preference by controlling the amount of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can gradually add them and taste test before combining the sauce with the chicken.
• Serve this dish with Mexican rice, black beans, shredded lettuce, and corn tortillas.

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.

Thaw it overnight in the fridge. Reheat tinga chicken in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat. Add a splash of chicken stock or chicken broth if it seems too thick or dry.

FAQ:

More Chicken Recipes to Try

• Crispy and Flavorful Air Fryer Chicken Legs
• Baked Smothered Chicken with Gravy
• Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
• Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
• Best Grilled Chicken Wings

Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook when you make this great recipe! I would love to see your Chicken Tinga, and give you a shoutout!