If you’ve never made tinga, you’re missing one of the easiest and most flavorful dishes in Mexican cooking. Originating from Puebla, tinga is made by simmering shredded chicken in a smoky tomato sauce with onions and chipotle peppers in adobo. The result is tender, juicy chicken with just the right balance of heat, sweetness, and smokiness.

It’s one of those recipes that tastes like it simmered all day, but it comes together with simple ingredients and is incredibly versatile.

Whether you’re piling it onto crispy tostadas, stuffing tacos, filling burritos, or serving it over rice, tinga is a meal you’ll come back to again and again.

What will you need?

• chickien thighs
• salt
• avocado oil
• white onion
• garlic
• water
• bay leaves
• Knorr chicken bouillon
• black peppercorns
• oregano
• For the sauce
• roma tomatoes
• white onion
• avocado oil
• garlic
• guajillo chile
• water
• oregano
• salt
• chipotles in adobo
• chicken stock
• For the tortillas
• masa
• water
• avocado oil
• Monterey jack cheese
• For garnish
• guacamole
• shredded lettuce
• crema
• queso fresco

How to make it

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt. Heat a pot over medium-high and add in the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, sear the chicken in batches until golden on both sides and remove to a bowl. About 3 minutes per side. Once all the chicken has a good sear, turn the heat to medium-low, and add in half a onion and the garlic. Cook until the onion has a good char. About 3 minutes. Add back in the chicken and fill the pot with water. Mix in the peppercorns, Knorr chicken bouillon, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.

While the chicken is simmering, make the sauce. Add avocado oil to a pan over medium heat. Add in the tomatoes and onion. Sauté until they soften and get some good caramelization. About 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and guajillo and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the water and cover. Turn off the heat and let steam 20 minutes.

Add everything from the pan including the liquid to a blender along with the salt, chipotles in adobo, and chicken stock from the pot. Blend until smooth.

Once the chicken is tender, remove from the pot and add to a bowl and shred.

Heat a pan with deep sides over medium-high and add in 2 tbsp of avocado oil. Once hot, add in 1/2 a sliced white onion. Sauté for a few minutes until soft and starting to caramelize. Pour in the sauce and fry for 1 minute. Mix in the shredded chicken and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your liking.

Now lets make the crispy tortillas. Add the masa and water to a bowl and kneed for a few minutes. You want the consistency to be that of playdough. Add more water if too dry, add more masa if too wet. Grab a piece of the dough and roll into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Place between two sheets of plastic on a tortilla press and press to create a tortilla shape. Sprinkle cheese along the center and fold the sides over into thirds. Place the plastic over again and press with the tortilla press/ You should have a cheese filled tortilla that is more of an oval shape.

Add about an inch of avocado oil to a pan and bring to 350F. Carefully lay in your tortilla and fry for a few minutes per side until golden and crispy. Remove to a wire rack to drain any excess oil. Repeat until the rest of the dough has been used.

Add a crispy cheese filled tortilla to a plate and spread on a layer of guacamole. Spoon on some of the tinga and top with shredded lettuce, cream, and queso fresco. Hope you enjoy!

Tinga

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• For the chicken

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

• salt

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• 4-6 cups water

• 1/2 white onion

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2 tbsp black peppercorns

• 2 tbsp Knorr chicken bouillon

• 2 bay leaves

• For the sauce

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 3 roma tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 white onion

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 guajillo chili, stem and seeds removed

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 7.5 oz can chipotles in adobo

• 1/4 cup chicken stock (from the simmering chicken)

• For the tortillas

• 1 cup masa harina

• 1 cup warm water

• oil for frying

• Shredded Monterey jack cheese

• For serving

• guacamole

• crema

• shredded lettuce

• queso fresco

Directions

• Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt. Heat a pot over medium-high and add in the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, sear the chicken in batches until golden on both sides and remove to a bowl. About 3 minutes per side. Once all the chicken has a good sear, turn the heat to medium-low, and add in half a onion and the garlic. Cook until the onion has a good char. About 3 minutes. Add back in the chicken and fill the pot with water. Mix in the peppercorns, Knorr chicken bouillon, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender.
• While the chicken is simmering, make the sauce. Add avocado oil to a pan over medium heat. Add in the tomatoes and onion. Sauté until they soften and get some good caramelization. About 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and guajillo and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the water and cover. Turn off the heat and let steam 20 minutes.
• Add everything from the pan including the liquid to a blender along with the salt, chipotles in adobo, and chicken stock from the pot. Blend until smooth.
• Once the chicken is tender, remove from the pot and add to a bowl and shred.
• Heat a pan with deep sides over medium-high and add in 2 tbsp of avocado oil. Once hot, add in 1/2 a sliced white onion. Sauté for a few minutes until soft and starting to caramelize. Pour in the sauce and fry for 1 minute. Mix in the shredded chicken and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your liking.
• Now lets make the crispy tortillas. Add the masa and water to a bowl and kneed for a few minutes. You want the consistency to be that of playdough. Add more water if too dry, add more masa if too wet. Grab a piece of the dough and roll into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Place between two sheets of plastic on a tortilla press and press to create a tortilla shape. Sprinkle cheese along the center and fold the sides over into thirds. Place the plastic over again and press with the tortilla press/ You should have a cheese filled tortilla that is more of an oval shape.
• Add about an inch of avocado oil to a pan and bring to 350F. Carefully lay in your tortilla and fry for a few minutes per side until golden and crispy. Remove to a wire rack to drain any excess oil. Repeat until the rest of the dough has been used.
• Add a crispy cheese filled tortilla to a plate and spread on a layer of guacamole. Spoon on some of the tinga and top with shredded lettuce, cream, and queso fresco. Hope you enjoy!