Tinga de Pollo-Mexican CC
Main Dish • Chicken, Herbs & Spices, Vegetable
Already have Recipe Keeper?
Ingredients
- For the chicken
- 2 lbs (900 g) chicken breasts or thighs (bone‑in or boneless)
- Water (enough to cover)
- 1 small white onion, halved
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt (to taste)
- For the tinga sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 3–4 ripe Roma tomatoes
- 2–3 chipotle chiles in adobo (adjust for heat)
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the can)
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt, to taste
- ½ cup chicken broth (from cooking the chicken, as needed)
- To serve (traditional)
- Warm corn tortillas or tostadas
- Refried black beans (optional but classic)
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Mexican crema
- Shredded lettuce or cabbage
- Avocado slices
Directions
- Cook and shred the chicken
- Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water. Add the onion halves, garlic, bay leaf, and a generous pinch of salt. Simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and tender (about 18–22 minutes). Remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, then shred by hand. Reserve at least 1 cup of the cooking broth.
- Make the tomato‑chipotle sauce
- Lightly boil the tomatoes until the skins loosen (about 5 minutes). Peel and place them in a blender with the chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Sauté the onions
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook slowly until soft, translucent, and lightly caramelized—this step is essential to authentic flavor (about 8–10 minutes).
- Build the tinga
- Pour the blended sauce into the skillet with the onions. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the sauce darkens slightly and the flavors deepen. Add a splash of reserved chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.
- Add the chicken
- Fold in the shredded chicken and simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, adding more broth only if needed. Taste and adjust salt. The finished tinga should be saucy, smoky, and well‑coated—not soupy.
Notes
- How Tinga Is Traditionally Served
- Chicken Tinga is most commonly served on tostadas spread with refried beans, topped with the chicken, crema, queso fresco, lettuce, and avocado. It’s also classic in soft corn‑tortilla tacos or stuffed into tortas (Mexican sandwiches).
- Authenticity Notes
- The smoky heat comes only from chipotle chiles in adobo—no fresh chiles are used traditionally.
- Onions are sliced and sautéed, not blended, which distinguishes tinga from other Mexican stews.
- Mexican oregano (not Mediterranean) gives the correct earthy aroma.
