Chicken Tinga Tacos
Chipotle peppers in adobo flavor these amazing tacos! Not just for Tuesday nights.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1 7-ounce can chipotle peppers, in adobo, seeded
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1 jalapeno, seeded, and chopped, optional
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- Juice of 1 lime, more if desired
Chicken:
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado, vegetable, canola, etc.)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly-cracked black pepper
- 2 1/2-3 pounds chicken thighs, fat trimmed if preferred
To serve:
- Pico de Gallo
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- White or red onion, small diced or thinly sliced
- Caramelized onions
- Avocado, wedges or diced
- Sour cream, or crema
- Lime wedges
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Add the sauce ingredients to the blender and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a braiser (or oven-proof Dutch oven) over medium-high heat until hot.
- Season both sides of the thighs with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken (in batches if necessary) in the hot oil on both sides until browned.
- Add the sauce to the pan, along with the bay leaf, and stir to coat the chicken with the sauce.
- Place the lid on the braiser and put into the oven for 40 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chicken. Once the thickest parts of the thighs reach 165 degrees, remove from the oven.
- Pull the thighs out of the sauce and shred with two forks. Add the meat back into the sauce and stir to coat.
- Serve the Chicken Tinga with tortillas and any desired toppings.
Notes
If you don’t want all the seeds in your Tinga, wear disposable gloves to remove the seeds from the peppers. It is fine to tear the peppers since they will be pureed. It’s a little extra work, but worth it.
Using the jalapeno? Use those disposable gloves to chop and seed this pepper, too.
You don’t have to braise this in the oven; you can use the stovetop. Oven-braising frees up your stove top burners for sides like black beans and rice or charring your tortillas (if you have a gas burner). It’s just a convenience, but not necessary.
Slow cooker - Puree the sauce. Add the chicken, bay leaf, and sauce to a slow cooker. (I like to use liners for easier cleanup.) Stir to coat all sides of the chicken. Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, shred, and return to the slow cooker. Stir. Serve.
Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze in an airtight container (or double-layered freezer zip-top bags) for up to 3 months.
The Nutrition Chart does not contain any toppings. Chart was calculated with 3 pounds of chicken thighs
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Tinga Tacos
Amount per Serving
Calories
272.67
% Daily Value*
Fat
17.93
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
4.58
g
29
%
Trans Fat
0.08
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
3.64
g
Monounsaturated Fat
7.96
g
Cholesterol
93.13
mg
31
%
Sodium
978.06
mg
43
%
Potassium
538.77
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
10.26
g
3
%
Fiber
2.6
g
11
%
Sugar
4.33
g
5
%
Protein
18.25
g
37
%
Vitamin C
9.52
mg
12
%
Calcium
60.1
mg
6
%
Iron
2.91
mg
16
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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