My Chicken Tinga Tacos recipe is going to be your new favorite busy-weeknight meal! The shredded chicken filling is cooked in the most delicious tomato sauce on the planet, all stuffed in a taco. This smoky, spicy, and earthy tinga sauce takes less work to make than the flavor would lead you to believe.
The chipotles in adobo add most of the depth, while the spices, canned fire-roasted tomatoes, and onion add more layers of flavor to the sauce. The spicy, smoky chipotle chile sauce called tinga transforms plain chicken into something downright addictive. When it’s folded up in a taco and topped with some avocado to balance out the heat of the sauce, it’s absolute perfection.
Chicken Tinga Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, boneless skinless (or leftover cooked chicken)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 small chipotle chile, canned in adobo, seeds removed (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 cup chopped fire roasted tomato
- 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large pot of water. Bring the pot of water to a boil then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked. Shred the chicken with two forks then set aside. (If using already cooked chicken just shred the chicken and proceed to the next step.)
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic then saute for about 4 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, and chipotle chile and cook 1 minute. Add tomato, stock, adobo, and chipotle chili (optional). Bring to a simmer then cook for 7 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow the sauce to cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a blender and cover the top with a kitchen towel (to avoid splatters) then blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan over low heat. Add chicken and salt then cook for an additional minute. (If not serving immediately, place in an airtight container in the fridge, then reheat when ready to eat.)
- Heat each of the tortillas on the stove top, flipping constantly with a pair of tongs, until lightly toasted. Place a large spoonful of the chicken in the middle of each of the tortillas and top it with the chopped onion, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with some lime wedges.
