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Spicy shredded chicken cooked in a smoky chipotle chilli and tomato sauce. Pile into this tender spicy chicken tinga ontop soft corn tortillas (I’ve got a recipe for those too) and top with your favourite toppings.

“Made this last night. Really good thanks. Made some home made soft butter flour tortillas which were great with all the toppings. I had some chipotle chili in adobo from Mex Grocer so I had all the ingredients and it made enough for another meal again for two of us (freezing this) and for lunch today for one. Would definitely make this again.”

– Trevor

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A tall, overhead shot of chicken tinga in a large black bowl. The chicken is topped with sliced coriander and in the top left of the bowl, you can see a silver spoon sticking out of the dish. On the left of the background, there is a light blue napkin tucked underneath the dish, and above that on the top left, there is a small stack of homemade tortillas on a white napkin. In the top right corner of the image, there is a dark green dish filled with crumbled feta, and to the right of that, there is a light grey/brown dish with chopped white onion. In the bottom right corner of the image, you can slightly see two lime wedges on the surface. This is all set on a dark wooden surface.

Nicky’s Notes

A woman with long brown hair and a black top smiles at the camera, sitting indoors with a brick wall and some greenery in the background.

This Chicken Tinga has become one of my favourite ways to bring big, smoky flavour to the table without juggling loads of pans. The sauce does all the heavy lifting, it gently bubbles away, reducing down into something rich and glossy while the chicken turns beautifully tender.

The one ingredient that really gives it that proper depth is chipotle chillies in adobo sauce. They can be a bit tricky to find in UK supermarkets, so I’ve also tested it with chipotle paste to make sure you’ve got a realistic option that doesn’t involve ordering five specialist ingredients online. I know that’s not always what we want on a Tuesday.

Rich, tomatoey, tangy Chicken Tinga may be one of my new favourite summer dinners! My favourite way to serve this is as tacos, but it also goes amazingly on rice, nachos and even flatbreads! You name it!

This does require a few specific ingredients, but trust me it’s totally worth it to get that unique, spicy-tangy taste!

Table of Contents

📋 Ingredients for chicken tinga

***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***

A wide, overhead shot of the ingredients for chicken tinga. The ingredients are laid out on a wooden cutting board, which is on a white marble surface. They are as follows: oil, onion, garlic, oregano, chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, smoked paprika, bay leaves, light brown sugar, lime juice, and chicken thigh.

Oregano – Use Mexican oregano if you can get your hands on it, if not plain oregano works just fine.

Chicken Thigh – I prefer to use chicken thigh for recipes like this as it can hold up to high-heat cooking without drying out and it absorbs all the flavours perfectly!

Chipotle Chillies in Adobo

Peppers in Adobo Sauce – I recommend using whole chipotle chillies in adobo sauce if possible. However they can be hard to find in the UK.

A wide, overhead shot of a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. The can is placed, labelled-side-up on a wooden cutting board.

If you can’t find them, substitute with 3 tablespoons of chipotle paste – BUT! – make sure you use a chipotle paste that has tomato, onion and vinegar in. We like the Sainsburys inspired to cook spicy chipotle paste (pictured below). You may need to add some chilli flakes for extra heat too.

Chipotle Paste

A wide, overhead shot of the front of a jar of spicy chipotle paste. The har is placed with the front label facing up. This is set on a wooden cutting board.
A wide, overhead shot of the back of a jar of spicy chipotle paste. The har is placed with the back label (showing the ingredients) facing up. This is set on a wooden cutting board.

Chipotle Paste – If you’re using paste, make sure it’s got tomato, onion and vinegar in it. You may need to add some chilli flakes for extra heat.

🧑‍🍳 Abbreviated Recipe

***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***

Fry the onions in a little oil, then stir in the garlic, oregano and chipotle chillies. Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaves, sugar and lime juice, then bring to a bubble. Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce and simmer until cooked through and tender. Shred the chicken, return it to the sauce, give everything a good stir, then serve.

Recipe Tips

Why not try making your own corn tortillas to serve as a vessel for this chicken tinga!

Not only is this a fantastic Friday-night meal, but it’s also a show-stopper at any family get together!

A tall shot of chicken tinga served in homemade tortillas.

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Make ahead and Leftovers Guide

  • This actually reheats really well!
    Just cool, and store in an air tight container in either the fridge (for up to 3 days) or in the freezer.
  • Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
  • When you want to reheat, just heat in a skillet/pan, stirring often, until piping hot throughout – you may need to add in a splash of water or stock to loosen while reheating.

Bonus Tip: Scaling

You can double the recipe to serve a crowd or halve to serve a few, just make sure you are sticking to the same ingredient ratios. Bear in mind that if you want to double the recipe, you may need a larger pan.

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A square, overhead shot of chicken tinga in a large black bowl. The chicken is topped with sliced coriander and in the top left of the bowl, you can see a silver spoon sticking out of the dish. On the left of the background, there is a light blue napkin tucked underneath the dish, and in the bottom right corner of the image, you can slightly see two lime wedges on the surface.
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5 from 5 votes

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Chicken Tinga Recipe

By Nicky Corbishley
Spicy shredded chicken cooked in a smoky chipotle chilli and tomato sauce. Pile into corn tortillas and top with your favourite toppings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 – 6 People
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion peeled and finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 3 tsp dried oregano (use Mexican Oregano If you can get it)
  • 4 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce finely chopped (*see notes for substitutions)
  • 400 g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
  • 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice (approx. juice of 1 lime)
  • 750 g (1.5 lb) chicken thigh fillets (approx 6-8 boneless & skinless fillets)

Serving suggestions

  • soft corn tortillas
  • fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • finely diced onion
  • mild white crumbly cheese (I use crumbled feta in the UK, but use Cotija if you can get it)
  • lime wedges

Instructions 

  • Heat the oil in a large cast iron casserole dish or heavy based saucepan over a medium to high heat.
    2 tbsp oil
  • Add the diced onion and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft.
    1 onion
  • Now add the garlic, oregano and chopped chipotle chillies and cook for further minute, stirring continuously.
    4 cloves garlic, 3 tsp dried oregano, 4 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
  • Next in goes the tinned tomatoes, stock, smoked paprika, bay leaves, sugar and lime juice. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle bubble.
    400 g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes, 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 bay leaves, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 2 tbsp lime juice
  • Turn down the heat to medium/low, add the chicken thigh fillets and give everything a stir making sure the chicken is submerged in the sauce.
    750 g (1.5 lb) chicken thigh fillets
  • Allow to gently simmer uncovered for 50-60 minutes stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick on the bottom of the pan.
  • The chicken should now be fall apart tender and the sauce reduced by half. Now turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and chicken, placing the chicken on a chopping board and discarding the bay leaves.
  • Shred the chicken with 2 forks and add it back into the pan with the sauce.
  • Stir it all together and you're ready to serve. I like to serve it up piled on corn tortillas, sprinkled with coriander (cilantro), diced onion and white cheese. I also serve with extra lime wedges.
    soft corn tortillas, fresh coriander (cilantro), finely diced onion, mild white crumbly cheese, lime wedges

Notes

Alternative for chipotle chillies in adobo sauce

I recommend using whole chipotle chillies in adobo sauce if possible. However they can be hard to find in the UK. If you can’t find them, substitute with 3 tablespoons of chipotle paste – BUT! – make sure you use a chipotle paste that has tomato, onion and vinegar in. We like the Sainsburys inspired to cook spicy chipotle paste (pictured above).
If you’re using chipotle paste instead of the whole chillies it’s likely that it won’t have as much heat – as it won’t have the chilli seeds in. When you’ve removed the chicken towards the end of the cooking process you can taste to see if you’re happy with the heat level and add some chilli flakes for an extra kick if you want more heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 11.058mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This chicken tinga recipe was first posted in Sept 2024. Updated since with recipe improvements and for housekeeping reasons.

🍽️ What to serve it with

A tall, overhead shot of chicken tinga served on homemade tortillas. The tortillas are on a large blue plate in the bottom left of the image, they are topped with the chicken tinga, chopped coriander, crumbled feta, and chopped onions. Surrounding the tortillas are four lime wedges and some more chopped coriander. In the bottom right corner of the image, you can slightly see a blue dish filled with crumbled feta. In the top left corner of the image, you can see the remaining chicken tinga in a large black bowl, to the left of that, there is a light grey dish with diced onions in it and in the very top left-hand corner of the image, you can see a white napkin with a stack of homemade tortillas on it. This is all set on a dark wooden background.

In summer, serve Chicken Tinga as tacos with crunchy onion, coriander and plenty of lime. For colder evenings, spoon it over hot rice with cheese and maybe a little soured cream for a cosy bowl-style dinner.

🍲 More fantastic Mexican-inspired recipes

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Hi, Iโ€™m Nicky, bestselling author, award-winning recipe creator and food photographer. I love to cook comforting, delicious and easy recipes and share them with you.

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5 from 5 votes

Comments

  1. Kat says:

    5 stars
    My husband loved it!

  2. Trevor says:

    5 stars
    Made this last night. Really good thanks. Made some home made soft butter flour tortillas which were great with all the toppings. I had some chipotle chili in adobo from Mex Grocer so I had all the ingredients and it made enough for another meal again for two of us (freezing this) and for lunch today for one. Would definitely make this again.

  3. Mike Babiarz says:

    5 stars
    Fantastic!

  4. Katie says:

    5 stars
    I made this with chipotle paste and it was delicious and super easy to make.

  5. joh Robets says:

    5 stars
    Can this be frozen (next time I make it)?

  6. Sarah says:

    As a UK reader, I love how you understand what isn’t readily available to many of us, especially if we can’t afford to order online from specialist shops, and suggest supermarket alternatives. Thank you.