Chicken Tinga (Spicy Chipotle Shredded Chicken)
Chicken Tinga is a recipe for juicy shredded chicken slowly simmered in a zesty tomato-chipotle sauce. Serve it as tacos, tostadas, burritos, or tortas. Very easy to prepare.
Let’s make some chicken tinga today, my friends. You’re going to LOVE this recipe.
Chicken Tinga is a classic Mexican dish of shredded chicken that cooks low and slow in a tomato-chipotle sauce that has been seasoned with just a bit of spiciness. The resulting chicken is smoky and spicy and everyone loves it.
It’s a versatile dish, too, as you can serve it up however you’d like. Use it to fill warmed corn or flour tortillas for tacos. Spoon it over crispy tortillas for easy chipotle tostadas.
Fancy a burrito? Or a Mexican torta? Chicken Tinga has you covered.
It also freezes wonderfully, so make extra and keep in the freezer for quick and easy lunch or dinner meals throughout the week.
Let’s talk about how we make it, shall we? It’s super easy, which I love.
How to Make Chicken Tinga – the Recipe Method
First, heat some oil in a large pan to medium heat and add chopped onions and jalapeno peppers. Cook them down about 5 minutes.
Season some chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan. Give them a nice sear on each side, a couple minute each. Chicken breasts work here as well, too.
Process the tomato sauce and chipotles in adobo sauce in a food processor, like so.
Next, pour the mixture into the pan, covering the chicken.
Stir in the seasonings.
Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and easily pulls apart.
Remove the chicken and shred it with a couple of forks.
Return the chicken to the pan and simmer in the sauce another 5 minutes.
Looks delicious, doesn’t it?
Serving Up Chicken Tinga
As mentioned, chicken tinga is super versatile. You can serve it up pretty much any way you’d like.
Consider it for tacos, burritos, topping tostadas, chicken tortas, even over rice with other fixings for a satisfying burrito bowl.
Try Some of My Other Popular Chicken Dishes
- Quick and Easy Chipotle Chicken
- Chicken Enchiladas Verdes with Cheese
- The Juiciest Shredded Chicken
- Grilled Harissa Chicken Legs
- Korean Chicken
- Chicken Vindaloo
- Juicy Jalapeno Chicken with Cheese
- Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki Chicken
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs chicken breast is good, too
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- 7 ounce can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat and add the onions and jalapeno peppers. Cook them down about 5 minutes.
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Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan. Give them a nice sear on each side, a couple minute each.
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Process the tomato sauce and chipotles in adobo sauce in a food processor, then pour the mixture into the pan, covering the chicken.
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Stir in the seasonings.
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Bring to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and easily pulls apart.
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Remove the chicken and shred it with a couple of forks.
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Return the chicken to the pan and simmer in the sauce another 5 minutes.
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Serve with tortillas or on torta buns and all your favorite fixings.
Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. Chipotles have a bit of spiciness. I add in extra jalapenos to up that heat factor, and finish with spicy chili flakes as well. Feel free to use hotter peppers and flakes, or a nice hot sauce to finish.
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Hi! I really want to make this tonight. Wondering how I could do it in the crock pot though. Any tips?
Andrea, this would absolutely work in the crock pot. I would still season and sear the chicken, but then toss them into the crock pot with the liquid and slow cook them low and slow until fork tender, probably a couple hours. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Any tips for freezing this? Expecting our first in a few weeks and looking for some tasty freezer recipes. Thanks
Conggrats, NC! Yes, this can freeze easily. I like to vacuum seal it in portions in plastic bags and just keep them in the freezer. You can use ziplock bags as well. If you want to keep it longer, you can double wrap it. It’s also easy to freeze in freezer ready plastic containers. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy.
Hi Mike
I cooked this the other day exactly as you have described here. My friends loved it 🙂
Thank you so much for the lovely recipe.
It was delicious and easy to cook
Happy new year to you and your family 😀
That’s GREAT, Corrie. Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Might want to check that sodium….I get about 490 per serving, less than 4000 for the whole recipe…
I will be cooking this, probably today…
Thank you, John. You are correct. My software miscalculated the chipotles in adobo sauce. I hope you enjoy it.