Chicken tinga is a well-loved Mexican dish that can be found both throughout Mexico as well as in the United States and beyond.
This shredded chicken recipe has a signature sauce that is both tangy, spicy, and delicious. So, what exactly is chicken tinga?
Chicken tinga is a shredded chicken dish made special with its signature sauce combining tomatoes, onions, and chipotles in adobo. Garnish with sour cream or avocado slices. You can enjoy chicken tinga as a tostada topping, a type of stew, or a stuffing in a taco or burrito.
In the rest of this article, we will take a look at the origins and history of this tasty Mexican chicken dish.
We will also check out where you might find a chicken tinga, and share with you an easy recipe you can try out at home.
What Is Chicken Tinga?
Chicken tinga is a simple and distinctly tasty shredded chicken dish. What makes it so unique is its sauce: a combination of tomato, onion, and chipotles in adobo.
The sauce creates an unforgettable taste that leaves you wanting more.
Chipotles in adobo are widely available as a canned premade mixture. It can be made fresh at home as well.
The premade version is available throughout Mexico and in many shops selling Latin American ingredients in the United States.
Inside the can are dried jalapeño peppers that have been rehydrated in the signature adobo sauce, which needs tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, and a mix of spices to give it its sweet and spicy taste.
By blending the Mexican peppers in adobo with tomato sauce and onions, you have the foundation for the signature chicken tinga sauce.
Once it’s prepared, you can find chicken tinga on top of a tostada or served as a type of stew. It is also the perfect filling for a taco or burrito.
It will often be garnished with sour cream or avocado to enhance and balance the flavors.
History of Chicken Tinga
Chicken tinga started in the Mexican city of Puebla. This city is the home to many delicious Mexican classics, such as the world-famous mole poblano.
Since its origins, it has spread around Mexico and beyond the borders. It is commonly found in Mexican restaurants in the United States and even around the world.
How To Make Chicken Tinga
Here is a simple chicken tinga recipe you can make for yourself at home. The ingredient list and preparation time is short and can be followed by anyone, even someone new to cooking Mexican cuisine.
Make a large batch and enjoy chicken tinga with different meals all week!
For this recipe, you will need:
- 4 pieces chicken breast
- 1 7.5oz (220 ml) can chipotles in adobo
- 1 8oz (235 ml) can tomato sauce
- 1 white onion
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Take four pieces of chicken breast and trim off any of the fat. Rinse off the chicken and place them in a large pot. Add enough water to the pot in order to amply cover the chicken. You can add salt and pepper as you turn the heat on. Let the chicken cook while you begin the next steps.
- While your chicken is cooking, you can get started on your sauce. Take one can of tomato sauce (about 8 ounces or approximately 235 ml) and place it in a blender. Next, add a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 7.5 ounces or approximately 220 ml) to the blender as well. Make sure to get both the peppers and the sauce from the can. They are both important to the taste and spice of the tinga sauce.
- Add a cup of water to the blender (about 235 ml) and some ground black pepper. Gently blend the ingredients together to create the base for your sauce. Set this aside for now.
- When the chicken has been boiled and cooked, remove it from the water and allow it to cool a bit. You will then shred your chicken thoroughly. Next, take one small white onion and dice it into small pieces. In a pan, add some oil and begin to saute your onion. When these onion pieces begin to be translucent, add your shredded chicken to the pan.
- Stir your onions and chicken over medium heat. Add the sauce from your blender, stirring thoroughly. You can taste it at this point and salt it as needed. Raise the heat enough to allow the sauce to boil. Cover the pan and allow this to simmer for about 10 minutes. This time allows the flavors to settle and also lets any extra liquid cook off.
- To serve your chicken tinga, you can use it for tostadas de tinga, tacos, enchiladas, or anything else you like. Garnishing it with a dollop of sour cream or a few slices of avocado is a great way to enhance the flavors and make the taste even more memorable.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your tinga–if there is a dish you think it would go perfectly with, try it out! It is a versatile and tasty way to add a new twist to a favorite dish.
For a video tutorial guiding you through this process, check out this Youtube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emB2kBZkv4k
If you find your chicken tinga a bit too spicy, don’t worry. You can easily reduce the spice without sacrificing the signature flavor.
Simply take half an onion and blend it well with some water. Add this to your sauce, and allow it to cook down. This will help balance out the spice and make it more enjoyable for those sensitive to spicy foods.
Final Thoughts
Whether you can order up some chicken tinga at your favorite taco place or decide to make it for yourself at home, the unique flavors of this dish are unforgettable.
Be creative and try adding your delicious chicken tinga to other favorite meals. If it’s too spicy, you can always tone down the amount of spice in your version.
You can enjoy chicken tinga as a stand alone dish or as Tinga sopes, inside tacos, enchiladas, machetes or even as a stew.
Sources
- Serious Eats: Everything You Can Do With a Can of Chipotles in Adobo
- Spices Inc: Chicken Tinga
- The Chopping Block: Chicken Tinga
- Youtube: How to Make Tinga De Pollo
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.