Chicken Tinga Recipe
I've been keeping batches of this upgraded Tinga on standby for the last few weeks. It's designed to be not only hotter, but a bit more saucy as well -- kind of like a standalone version that you can throw on a tortilla for an instant meal.
But it still relies on the secret green ingredient:
Yes, those are tomatillos and their tartness makes Tinga come alive! I've tried Tinga versions that use all tomatoes as the base but I find most of them disappointing.
So keep an eye out for fresh tomatillos next time you're at the market. Pull back the husks and buy the ones that have taut, green skin -- if they're wrinkled they are past their prime. More info on working with tomatillos.
I should also mention that this Tinga version has some real heat!
But you can cut the chipotle amount in half for a milder batch. It's always easy to increase the heat, but a little tough to put it in reverse once it's too hot for your palate.
First things first, get those tomatoes and tomatillos roasting: 2 plum tomatoes and 5-6 tomatillos will do the job.
Yes, you can char them in a skillet, but I'm still in the habit of tossing them in the oven (400F).
Tomatillos typically don't need as long to roast as the tomatoes, but I usually just leave 'em in until I need them. I'm also in the habit of cutting out the stems before roasting, knowing that any juices leftover in the roasting pan will be added to the blender.
Next up is the chicken. You could easily use shredded Rotisserie chicken or poached chicken, but lately I prefer the brine-and-bake method.
Start by adding 1/4 cup Kosher or sea salt to a quart of water. Dissolve the salt and then add the chicken breasts, ensuring they are submerged. Cover and let your chicken brine in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
I like to give it a full hour when I can, but even a 30-minute swim will give you a massive bump in flavor. The brine penetrates the chicken and results in moist, properly seasoned chicken -- yum!!
Once brined, just pat dry the chicken breasts and bake them for 20 minutes in the oven (400F) until they are no longer pink inside or their internal temp reaches 160F.
As the chicken bakes, saute 1/2 onion and 4 whole garlic cloves in some oil over medium heat.
Cook until the onion is just starting to turn brown, approximately 5-8 minutes, and then add it to a blender along with the roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. We'll also add 5 chipotles in adobo. Yes, five!
I typically scrape out the seeds of the chipotles as they tend to harden over time. More info on working with chipotles in adobo.
Give it a whirl but I tend to keep this sauce a bit chunky, using pulse blend to combine it.
If you give it a taste at this point it's going to have some real zip, so consider yourself warned! I usually can't resist and I'm always amazed at how much flavor it already has despite using just five ingredients so far.
Heat a glug of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sauce from the blender.
We'll also add:
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano What is Mexican oregano?
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
dash of cumin (optional)
Let this simmer for a few minutes and then add the baked, shredded chicken.
Combine well and then congratulate yourself for whipping up a batch of authentic Tinga.
Easy right?!
Let this simmer until everything is at a uniform temperature. Definitely take another taste for salt level -- I added another generous pinch to this batch.
And if you are one of the lucky ones who sees five chipotles in a recipe and thinks "Only five?" then you can always add some more adobo sauce at this point to amp it up even more.
If all went according to plan you've got some lip-smacking Chicken Tinga on your hands -- good enough to eat straight from the pan.
As mentioned, I've been keeping some of this in the fridge for a week's worth of no-thinking-involved meals. I also usually keep some of this black bean puree in the fridge.
I think you can probably guess where this is going right?
Simply add a thin layer of beans and cheese to a corn tortilla in a dry skillet or comal.
Cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted and there are brown spots forming on the underside of the tortillas.
Add some piping hot Tinga and dinner is served!
These are warm, goopy tacos that don't need much else, but of course a final burst of acidity will make them pop even more. A squeeze of lime does the job quite well, but Pickled Onions are a good candidate too.
But the beauty of this Tinga is that it is wildy versatile! Here are some other serving styles I come back to on a regular basis:
Tinga Tostadas
Tinga Enchiladas
Traditional Tinga Tacos
With burritos and tortas being equally good options.
Okay enough chatting, time to start cooking! Give a shout if you've got Chicken Tinga questions on your mind. Keep a batch in the fridge and it will lead to all sorts of quick, satisfying meals.
Buen Provecho.
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Spicy Chicken Tinga
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 5-6 tomatillos
- 1/2 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5 chipotles in adobo
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- dash of cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 8-10 corn tortillas
- sliced Jack cheese (approx. 1 cup)
- lime slices
- olive oil
For the Black Bean Puree:
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup water (or stock)
Instructions
- Give the tomatoes and tomatillos a good rinse. Roast them in a 400F oven for 20-25 minutes.
- To brine the chicken, add 1/4 cup Kosher or sea salt to a quart of water in a mixing bowl. Dissolve the salt and add the chicken breasts, letting them brine covered in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. If the chicken breasts aren't fully submerged then add a bit more water. Once brined, pat dry the chicken breasts and add them to a baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until they are no longer pink inside (160F). Once cooked, set the chicken breasts aside to cool and then use two forks to shred them.
- If you're making the beans, start by cooking 1/2 onion and 2 garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat. Once the onion is starting to brown, approximately 5-8 minutes, add 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed), 2 chipotles in adobo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and 1/2 cup water (or stock). Let simmer for a few minutes until heated through and then add everything to a blender, combining well. Take a final taste for seasoning and heat.
- For the Tinga, start by cooking 1/2 onion and 4 whole, peeled garlic cloves in a glug of oil over medium heat. Cook until the onion is just starting to brown, approx. 5-8 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to a blender along with the roasted tomatoes and tomatillos, and 5 chipotles in adobo. Combine well. I typically scrape out the seeds of the chipotles but you can consider this optional. Note: for a milder version consider starting with only 1-2 chipotles and increasing from there.
- Heat a glug of oil over medium heat. Add the sauce from the blender along with 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, a dash of cumin (optional), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Let simmer for a few minutes and taste for seasoning.
- Add the baked, shredded chicken to the Tinga sauce, combining well. Let simmer until everything is at a uniform temperature. Take a final taste for seasoning -- I added another generous pinch of salt to this batch.
- Add a layer of the bean puree and cheese to some corn tortillas. Cook in a dry skillet or comal over medium heat until crispy. Top with Chicken Tinga and serve immediately. Final garnishes can include a squeeze of lime, hot sauce, or pickled onions. Alternatively, you can serve the Tinga on crispy corn tortillas (or tostadas) with avocado bits, raw onion, and Cotija cheese.
- Store leftover Tinga in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a few days.
Notes
We recently made some wicked Tinga Tostadas with this recipe! You could also make Chicken Tinga Enchiladas.
Our latest post is a traditional batch of Albondigas -- Mexican Meatballs!
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Erica
We are obsessed with this dish- smokey, spicy and delicious. I’ve already made it twice and can’t wait to eat it again!
Patrick
Hah me too 🙂
Glen Spencer
Hello Patrick when following this recipe I'm wondering could I cook dried cilantro leaves or coriander in it I also made up what I call a Mexican spice blend I don't know if they use anything like that in Mexico it's New Mexico chili powder Chipotle powder oregano cumin and I'm thinking it's missing something so when I use cilantro flakes or coriander I also mixed in some t a g i n lime chili seasoning so now I can just put that in my tuna fish and macaroni and cheese hamburgers ramen noodles whatever I choose to eat to give it a little South of the Border flavoring any helpful suggestions would help thank you Pat
Patrick
Hey Glen! Yeah you could add in some dried cilantro to your spice mixture but I don't think it's going to "complete" it for you. Most of the pre-made, store-bought spice mixtures are heavy on the salt and it's probably the main reason people like them so much (as opposed to the actual spices used). Salt is such a gamechanger so I would try adding a pinch of salt to your spice mixture to see how your palate reacts and then experiment with adding additional pinches of salt until it tastes right to you. Hope that helps a bit. Cheers.
Ellie Strosahl
I’ve made this recipe a few times for myself and my son. We’re obsessed! Super flavorful, easy to make and with a few additions like cotija and onions it tastes like something you could eat in Mexico.
Thanks for the amazing website.
Patrick
Ha awesome Ellie, so glad the fam is enjoying it! Cheers.
Anne
It's so unbelievably good, will definitely cook it again and again and again. My family loves it. Thanks so much for easy to follow instructions
Patrick
Thanks Anne! So glad it was a hit with the fam 🙂
Stephanie
Theeeeeee best puréed black beans ever, as was the spicy chicken Tinga. Even though I am a pretty good cook, it was satisfying to see my food come out just as pictured on the website, not to mention how delicious it is! Being on the East Coast I think I found the last of the fresh tomatillos available. Any suggestions how to make the Tinga without fresh tomatillos? Could I just use a tomatillo salsa in place of them? Thank you for all your great recipes and easy instructions!
Patrick
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie! I use that black bean mixture in all sorts of dishes and usually keep some on standby in the fridge.
Hmmm for the Tinga if you can't get fresh tomatillos then I think I would use canned tomatillos before using tomatillo salsa. You'll get a slight downgrade in flavor using canned tomatillos but I usually keep some on hand for emergencies and you could probably get away with using them in the Tinga sauce. Cheers.
Sue
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I made it tonight along with Tamarind water for a true authentic dinner. My husband declared it was beat best authentic Mexican dish we’ve ever made. I admit to dialing back on the chipotles for my sake but still fresh and delicious.
Patrick
Thanks for the feedback Sue -- so glad you guys liked the Tinga!
Ali
Great recipe, thanks. I think it's easier and probably more falvorful to roast the chicken in the same sheet pan as the tomatillos and tomatos. I just rub salt, pepper, olive oil, an a little homemade chili powder on it. It's also one less thing to clean. Just an idea 🙂
Patrick
Yes great tip Ali thanks for mentioning this! I used to roast chicken breasts on the bone in the oven all the time but I stopped for some reason, not even sure why, but could be time to add it back into the routine.
Jen
This was awesome! My hubby doesn't normally like chicken but no complaints in this recipe! I have to watch my salt so I didn't add any - never missed it with all the other favors. Thanks for a keeper recipe I will make again.
Patrick
Awesome thanks much for your feedback Jen, so glad you found a keeper recipe!
THudson
I made this and was surprised I needed to add more salt, as it was very flavorful. Other tinga recipes I’ve tried weren’t hot enough and this one is perfect; I poach my chicken in the Instant Pot while the veggies toast, this is a really hands off dish that yields a lot of food in a short amount of time. This is a great recipe and I can’t wait to try the black bean recipe!
Patrick
Awesome thanks much for your review, very helpful for other peeps. And thanks for mentioning the salt -- I'll make sure to note in the recipe box to take a final taste for seasoning as it is kinda dependent on what chicken is used and whether it's seasoned yet or not.
Yeah you nailed it -- it yields a big batch and it's so handy to have some in the fridge for quick meals. Cheers.
Lynette Wagner
Oh my gosh...yum! Making this for weekend!
Patrick
Enjoy Lynette!