Mexican
Chicken Tinga Tacos
Chicken simmers in a smoky chipotle and tomato sauce until it shreds, then it is piled into warm corn tortillas. The tacos taste tangy, lightly spicy, and savory, with raw onion and cilantro on top.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Chipotles in adobo do the smoking and the heat in one ingredient.
- Simmering the chicken in the sauce seasons the shreds.
- Corn tortillas stay pliable if they are warmed, not fried hard.
- Onion and cilantro are added raw so the tacos stay bright.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool slightly before continuing. Cook the chopped onion for 4 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic, chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce and stir for 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the chicken, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, and salt. Bring to a simmer.
- 4
Cover and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F, about 18 minutes.
- 5
Shred the chicken into the sauce and simmer uncovered 5 minutes, until the sauce clings to the meat.
- 6
Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet. Fill them with the chicken, diced onion, and cilantro.
Pro tips
- Mince the chipotles finely so no one gets a whole chile in one bite.
- Simmer uncovered at the end if the sauce looks watery.
- Warm tortillas one at a time so they do not dry out in a stack.
Easy substitutions
- chicken thighs
- chicken breasts, still cooked to 165°F
- crushed tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- chipotle peppers
- 1 tablespoon chili powder for a milder sauce
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate the chicken in a sealed container for up to 3 days, and keep extra tortillas separate.
Reheating
Reheat the chicken in a covered skillet over medium heat until hot, and warm fresh tortillas.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 382
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Dairy-Free, High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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