This authentic Chicken Tinga Recipe, or Tinga de Pollo is made with tender, shredded chicken cooked in a delicious tomato sauce with a spicy kick from chipotle chiles in adobo. It is perfect for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas and more.
The dish is part of my collection of Mexican cuisine recipes, which also include Bistec Encebollado, Mexican Pork Tinga(Tinga Poblana), Chicken Fajitas, Ensalada de Nopales, Mexican Red Rice (Arroz A La Mexicana), or Capirotada, just to name a few.
Although I have always loved good food, it was in Mexico many years ago when I first savored food I still remember today. During my stay there, while living and working in Mexico City, I soon began to learn more about the flavors and essence of Mexican cuisine.
Friends and family were all open to sharing with me traditional, easy recipes they grew up with, and one of them was this tinga de pollo. My recipe stays true to the authentic flavors and method for making the best tinga de pollo you will ever have.
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What is Tinga?
Tinga, a Mexican delicacy, originated in Puebla's colonial era. It combines Spanish and Mexican influences to create a beloved main course.
This dish combines onions and garlic for a flavorful base, enriched by a tomato and stock-based sauce. Cooked meat such as chicken, beef, pork, or chorizo adds another layer of taste, while canned chipotle peppers provide a spicy kick, capturing the essence of Mexican cuisine.
Why You Will Love This Tinga Recipe
- Authentic Mexican Flavors: This Tinga de Pollo is a traditional recipe, part of the essence of Mexican cuisine with its rich tomato flavor and chipotle.
- Versatile: It's not just a meal on its own but also a fantastic filling for tostadas, tortas, burritos, and tacos. Thus, you will have multiple meal options from a single preparation.
- Easy Preparation: This easy tinga recipe cooks in an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. This recipe is incredibly easy to prepare, making it perfect for busy home cooks. In less than an hour, you have dinner on the table.
NOTE: Chicken tinga is a unique stew that is very different from moles. While mole recipes require you to grind all the ingredients together, tinga sauce blends only the tomatoes and chiles, while onions and garlic are sliced and sautéed separately.
Ingredients For Chicken Tinga
Before we get to the recipe, here are a few notes about our ingredients.
Ingredients for cooking the chicken.
Ingredients to make tinga sauce.
- Chicken: The traditional Mexican recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breast, but chicken thighs are also great. Rotisserie or leftover chicken works beautifully for shortcuts. If you happen to have pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken handy, feel free to use it to speed up the process.
- Onions: White onions are typically used in most Mexican recipes. They are milder and sweeter than regular yellow or red onions. Use what is available.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes and chipotles form the base of any tinga sauce. You can use fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes, like fire-roasted or crushed, work well, especially in the off-season.
- Vegetable Oil or Lard: Both types of fat are very popular.
- Seasoning: Salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, whole garlic cloves, marjoram, and bay leaf are the perfect chicken tinga seasoning. If possible, use traditional Mexican oregano; omit marjoram and thyme if they're not your preference.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo: A chipotle is essentially a ripe, red jalapeño pepper that has been sun-dried, smoked, rehydrated, and preserved in a tangy adobo sauce, which consists of vinegar and various spices. You can find them in any supermarket with a Mexican food section or buy them online. If cans are not available, use dried chipotle.
- Chicken Stock: Use low-sodium chicken stock instead of water.
For the entire list of ingredients, please consult the printable recipe card at the bottom of this article.
How to Make Tinga De Pollo
- Cook the chicken in salted water with onions, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano. Cook until the chicken is done, and remember to skim off any foam that forms during cooking.
- Simmer the tomatoes covered with water in a saucepan until softened but still holding their shape. After cooking, use a blender (affiliate link) or a food processor to combine the cooked tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 2-3 chipotle chiles from the can.
- Sauté the sliced onions and garlic in a skillet with oil for 5-6 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
- Add the blended tomatoes to the sautéed onions. Add the oregano, marjoram, and thyme. Simmer the mixture gently over low heat. Be cautious of steam and bubbling. Cook partially covered until the sauce deepens in color and thickens. Be sure to stir occasionally.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and pull it apart into shredded pieces.
- Another option is using two forks to shred it.
NOTE: Keep the broth that you cooked the chicken in. It's great for preparing flavorful Mexican rice to pair with this dish, or you can freeze it to use later in other recipes.
- Add the shredded chicken to the tinga sauce and mix together.
- Taste and adjust the salt or pepper as needed. Let it simmer briefly to allow the flavors to mingle and intensify.
Expert Tips
- Do not skip chipotle peppers. Chipotle peppers are essential for tinga; without them, it's just chicken stew.
- Adjust chipotle to taste. The original chicken tinga recipe uses a whole can of chipotle, which may be too spicy for some. It is easier to add spice than remove. If you want more heat, use the whole can, then taste and season the blended sauce. Set aside.
- Using canned tomatoes and rotisserie or cooked chicken are two easy ways to save time making tinga!
- Do not blend the tomatoes with the onions. The onions are cooked separately and then added to the sauce, giving it more texture.
- Don't waste the liquid from cooking the chicken. You can save it to use for cooking rice or soups.
How to Serve
The traditional way to eat this easy chicken tinga is with Mexican rice as a meal. However, this recipe is perfect for any gathering - think a picnic, a potluck, or even tailgating, as you can prepare it beforehand and serve it warm from a slow cooker.
Tinga de pollo is a versatile filling for various quick Mexican dishes and is perfect for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo.
- Tostadas: Make classic chicken tinga tostadas with refried beans and tinga de pollo, then add shredded lettuce, avocado, or radish, cheese, crema, and salsa on top.
- Tortas: Use it to make these Mexican sandwiches on bolillos, a French-style bread. Fill up the bread with beans, chicken tinga, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, and pickled jalapeños.
- Burritos: Stuff a large flour tortilla with rice, refried beans, tinga, pico de gallo, and your choice of cheese. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.
- Chicken Tinga Bowl: Use leftover tinga and add it to cooked rice and Mexican beans. Top with cilantro, scallions, crumbled cheese (queso fresco, cotija, feta, or goat cheese) and lime wedges.
- Chicken Tinga Tacos: Warm corn or flour tortillas in a skillet or over a gas flame. Fill with chicken tinga, sliced avocados, lettuce, and your favorite toppings.
- Tingadillas: Spread tinga and meltable cheese between flour tortillas to make elevated quesadillas. Cook until golden on each side. Slice it into triangles and serve with guacamole.
How to store tinga
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, reheat leftover tinga on the stovetop or in the microwave.
You can make the sauce ahead of time and freeze it for up to three months. Then, when you're ready to serve it, cook the chicken and the onions and add them to the sauce.
More Delicious Mexican Recipes to Love
- Sopa Seca De Fideos (Mexican Dry Soup)
- Pork In Chile Verde Recipe
- Authentic Pico De Gallo Recipe
- Mexican Picadillo
📖 Recipe
Authentic Chicken Tinga ( The Best Tinga De Pollo)
Equipment
Ingredients
To cook the chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds chicken , about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion cut in quarters
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water or low sodium chicken stock or more to cover the chicken
To cook the onions:
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil , like sunflower, canola, or olive oil
- 2 large onions , thinly sliced (use either sweet onion, white onion, yellow onion or red onion)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
For the Chipotle sauce:
- 4-5 Roma plum tomatoes , or 1 can (28 ounces) of crushed tomatoes
- 7 ounces can of Chipotle chiles in Adobo sauce (use less if you like it less spicy)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Cook the chicken:
- Bring a pot of salty water to a boil and add the chicken breast to cook. Add the onion cut in quarters, garlic cloves, bay leaves, oregano, and salt. If you use chicken stock, go easy on salt. Let the chicken simmer until it is cooked through. It could take between 12-15 minutes.
- Make sure you skim the foam that forms on top of the water as it starts boiling. When the chicken is cooked, set aside.
Prepare the salsa:
- While the chicken is cooking, place the tomatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and mushy but not falling apart. Note: If you use canned tomatoes, skip this step.
- In a blender, place the tomatoes (or the can of crushed tomatoes if you use one), salt, pepper, and 2-3 chiles from the can.
- After blending the ingredients, taste for salt and pepper and adjust if necessary.
Cook the tinga sauce:
- Slice the onions and garlic cloves thinly. Heat the oil in a large pan(skillet) and add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
- Pour the salsa over onions. Add oregano, marjoram, thyme, and pepper. (Be careful as the sauce will steam and bubble).
- Simmer the sauce, occasionally stirring, until the sauce deepens in color, becomes darker and less soupy, about 7-8 minutes.
Shred chicken and add it to the sauce:
- Take the chicken out of the broth, and with two forks, shred the meat.
- Add it to the sauce and mix well to incorporate the chicken.
- Let it simmer for only a minute and serve over rice or on warm tortillas.
Video
Notes
- Don't waste chicken stock: Save it for rice, soup, or other dishes.
- Freezing Sauce: Make the sauce, allow it to cool, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before use. Cook onions and chicken, and add thawed sauce. Avoid raw chicken in the salsa; cook first. Rotisserie chicken works, too.
Bonus:
Instant Pot Tinga De Pollo:- Add oil to the Instant Pot and select the Saute function. Cook onions until soft and translucent for 4-5 minutes. Cancel the Saute function.
- Prepare the spicy tomato sauce as directed and pour it over the onions.
- Add raw chicken, secure the lid, and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Manually release the pressure.
- Shred the cooked chicken, mix it with the sauce, and serve.
Ana says
My families secret ingredient to Tinga is cabbage! It adds a great taste, everyone raves about how my mom's tinga is the best but they don't notices the cabbage mixed in with the onion. We do it exactly likes this recepie just add the same amount of cabbage as the onion and sautee the cabbage by itself then mix in with the sauteed onions.
The Bossy Kitchen says
How Interesting! I never heard of tinga with cabbage, but there are so many recipes out there, that I am not surprised! I am glad you liked this recipe. It is a basic one, but really good.
Lynette Powell-Shockley says
Hi, I really like this recipe and find it to be very authentic. I'm not hispanic but
I love hispanic food. I have a hispanic friend from Durango, she shares recipes with me and this
is very close to how she makes it. She is also a excellent cook. This is good!!!!!
Silver says
Thank you for posting this! When I was youner my best friends mom(she was Hispanic so she use to cook this regularly) use to cook tinga and it was the best tinga I have ever tasted. So as I'm older I'm trying to find the recipe at least similar to hers. So thank you for reminding me that she use to cook it with cabbage!(it just adds to the tinga in a weird way) Thanks for also giving the suggestion on when to add the cabbage 🙂
Leonila says
@Ana,
Is how I make my Tinga with cabbage and everyone love it, but like you said they never notice the cabbage because is cook.
Sunny says
Hello! Do you think this could work in the crock pot if I cooked the onions and made the salsa to cook the chicken in? I know it wouldn't necessarily be traditional at that point but trying to cut down on cook time. Thanks!
The Bossy Kitchen says
Yes, you can definitely do that. Cook the onions first, then make the sauce. Place everything, including the uncooked chicken in the slow cooker. Set it on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours.
Donnamarie says
I’d like to use canned tomatoes to make this recipe even easier. I love Mexican food and we recently visited Sacramento CA and for the first time I tasted this dish at Cantina Alley served on a very thick tortilla or sope style??? Searching for the recipe I found your site. Delicious ?
April says
Can this be made with pork?
The Bossy Kitchen says
yes, you can try that.
Tina Ward says
Since tastes vary with the chipotle chili’s, you could blend the whole can in your blender before adding anything else. Pour the blended chipotle in a small bowl, then continue with the recipe. When time to add the chipotle you would add a little at a time, taste, add more if you like it spicier. You could freeze any remaining chipotle (in an ice cube tray) or like I do, dehydrate it then grind to a powder to use in other dishes.
The Bossy Kitchen says
Great ideas, Tina!
Lindsey says
I'm feeling pretty impressed with myself at the moment being that this came out AMAZING. But actually it was because of this wonderful recipe and your super easy-to-follow instructions. Thank you for this one, it's going in the book.
Johnny says
Made this recipe today it was simply delicious full with flavor thanks Highly recommended for all the chicken tinga lovers out there !!!
Don Kuper says
I haven't made Tinga for quite a few years but the recipe I used from (I think) Maria's Mexican Kitchen used equal amounts of Roma Tomatoes (Blanched and skinned) and tomatillos, all cooked and then pureed together with seasonings and chipotle, then poured back into the kettle to simmer, then the chicken and onions are added and simmered for about 15-minutes or until the sauce begins to darken. The main difference here is the addition of tomatillos. What are your thoughts...?
The Bossy Kitchen says
🙂 My thoughts are that Mexico is a great country with a vast cuisine, and every region has its own version of tinga. This dish is versatile, easy to make, delicious, and everyone loves it. Try my version too, you might like it as it is easier to make, great for dinners during the week.
Rachell says
"1 can of Chipotle chiles in Adobo", 1 can ?
What measurement is that?
You mean the 12oz can you show?
Please give a CUP amount?
The Bossy Kitchen says
Hi Rachel, buy a 7oz can of chipotle in adobe sauce, it should be enough. You do not need to use the entire can, if you cannot handle the heat. The recipe allows you to add as many chiles chipotles you like. They are quite spicy, anyway. I also edited the recipe and fixed the amount. Hopefully, you will be less mad at me, or at Roger. 🙂
Rachell says
@The Bossy Kitchen,
Thank you for replying.
I did see your notes on using less depending on one's own personal tolerance for heat. Thank you for that, & thank you for the measurement.
LOL
I'd explain about the "Rogers" thing, but the Internet World doesn't really need be all up in my business.
Nicole says
I just had my first chicken Tinga quesadilla in Mexico and had to have it again when I got home. I found this recipe and made it in a quesadilla last night. I’m so obsessed, I had it again for lunch today. To say this is delicious is an understatement. The recommendation of 3 Chipotle peppers was perfect. It gave a nice kick without too much spice. My husband was skeptical, but he loved it. I made it for my neighbor who is from Mexico and whose mom makes Tinga all the time, and he said it was amazing. This was such a flavor bomb!
Ange says
Can I swap out the chipotle (to spicy for me) can for Red Chile sauce?
The Bossy Kitchen says
Add just a little bit of Chipotle, only to add a little bit of the specific flavor that the pepper brings. It is smoky and delicious. The recipe tells you that if you cannot handle the heat, you can use less. I do not have experience using Red chile sauce, so I cannot advise you on that, but you can try and let me know how it was.
Sheila says
@Ange, just another idea: I find that smoked paprika can be a good substitute for chipotles when I do want the smokiness but not the heat of the chipotle. I'd probably start with 1/2 tsp. added to the tomatoes in the blender.
Glors says
Thank you. It came out so yummy!
Gigi says
One of my favorite recipes you have on the blog. It’s easy to make too. Perfect for meal prepping!
Gabriela says
Thanks, Gigi! I agree, it is indeed a perfect recipe for meal prepping!
Cheri Cowell says
Awesome dish!!! Thanks!!!
Shaheen says
Absolutely loved making and devouring this Mexican Tinga recipe!