This Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga is made with tender, shredded chicken cooked in a delicious tomato sauce with a spicy kick of chipotle chiles in adobo. It's an excellent choice for a Taco Tuesday and for anyone who loves authentic Mexican cuisine.
If you are not familiar with this sweet and smoky spicy chicken tinga recipe, you are in for a treat. Like the classic chicken tinga, this recipe is also easy to put together, and with the help of your crockpot, you can enjoy the most delicious chicken tinga tacos ever.
What Is Tinga
During the colonial period, cooks in the state of Puebla invented the tingas, a mixture of European and Mexican foods cooked using a European method. Onions and garlic are sauteed, tomatoes are added, and then stock, herbs, and spices are added. The mixture is simmered to make a sauce. Precooked meat and sometimes chorizo sausage are added together with canned chipotle chile.
An authentic tinga recipe is really a stew prepared in a special way. Chile, onions, garlic, and tomatoes are never ground and cooked in fat as they are in the moles.
Ingredients List
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breast is traditional, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onions: Most Mexican food is cooked with white onion, but you can also use yellow onion.
- Garlic cloves
- Dried oregano
- Bay leaves
- Can of tomato puree or fresh tomatoes
- Water or chicken broth
- Canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce minced
To serve these tacos, you can use all kinds of toppings. Here are some examples that are very popular: fresh corn tortillas or flour tortillas, avocado, fresh chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, Mexican crema or sour cream, refried beans, salsa, crumbly cheese like queso fresco, feta or cotija cheese, lime juice.
From The Kitchen (How To Make)
Step 1. Season the chicken and place it in the slow cooker.
Step 2. In a large skillet, saute the sliced onions until translucent, then add garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and salt.
Step 3. Add tomato purée, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and your choice of water or chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes so the tinga sauce comes together.
Step 4. Add the sauce over the chicken breast and cook.
Step 5. Remove the chicken breast from the crockpot and shred. Return it to the sauce and mix so the chicken gets covered.
How To Serve This Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
This dish is extremely versatile and gives you the opportunity to use it for a Taco Tuesday, a Cinco de Mayo celebration, or a potluck. I also saw it served for the holidays, like New Year's Eve. Here are some different ways to serve this tinga de pollo besides the tacos:
- Tostadas: Top refried beans and chicken tinga on tostadas with lettuce, avocado, cheese, crema, and salsa.
- Tortas: Fill bolillos with beans, chicken tinga, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, and pickled jalapeños for a hearty sandwich.
- Burritos: Wrap rice, refried beans, chicken tinga, pico de gallo, and cheese in a large flour tortilla. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.
- Chicken Tinga Bowl: Mix leftover tinga with rice and beans, topped with cilantro, scallions, cheese, and lime.
- Tingadillas: Sandwich chicken tinga and cheese between flour tortillas, cook until golden, and serve with guacamole.
Pin This Recipe
More Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
- Tinga Poblana (Mexican Pork Tinga) Recipe
- Mexican Pinto Beans Salad
- Capirotada
- Mexican Style Steak And Onion
- Authentic Mexican Pico De Gallo With Tuna
- Cinco De Mayo-Authentic Mexican Recipes
- Mexican Red Rice (Arroz A La Mexicana)
📖 Recipe
Best Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga (For Tacos)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½-2 pounds total)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 medium white onions thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato purée
- 1 cup water or chicken stock
- 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the chipotle can
For serving(Optional):
- fresh corn tortillas
- avocado
- cilantro fresh and chopped
- sliced radishes
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- refried beans
- salsa your favorite
- crumbly cheese like queso fresco, cotija, feta, or goat cheese
- limes
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the chicken. Arrange the pieces in a single layer at the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and salt.
- Add the tomato purée, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and your choice of water or chicken stock.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- Turn off the slow cooker and discard the bay leaves.
- Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir well to coat with the sauce, and serve in tortillas with your choice of toppings.
Comments
No Comments