Chicken Tinga Recipe

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.

5 from 5 votes

Spicy shredded chicken cooked in a smoky chipotle chilli and tomato sauce. Pile into corn tortillas and top with your favourite toppings.

Prep Time5

Cook Time55

Total Time1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: - 6 People

Author Nicky Corbishley

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

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