Chicken Tinga

Pati Jinich Chicken Tinga
Chicken Tinga
Print Recipe
makes about 5 cups Tinga de pollo
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
  • 1/2 white onion slivered
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 8 roma tomatoes or 2 lbs, rinsed
  • 2 tomatillos or 1/4 lb, husked and rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sauce from chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1 whole chipotle chile in adobo sauce, optional
  • 5 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • To serve: quantities as desired
  • corn tostadas store bought or home made
  • refried beans
  • Shredded iceberg lettuce
  • queso fresco or cotija crumbled
  • Mexican avocado slices
To Prepare
  • Place tomatoes and tomatillos in a medium saucepan, cover with water. Bring it to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tomatoes and tomatillos are soft, thoroughly cooked and mushy but not falling apart.
  • Remove tomatoes and tomatillos with a slotted spoon, and place them in the jar of a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
  • Heat the oil in a large and deep pan over medium heat; once it is hot but not smoking, stir in the onion and cook until soft and translucent, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until the onion and garlic mixture becomes fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  • Pour the tomato/tomatillo sauce on top and add the oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt, black pepper and the chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (if you want more heat add an entire chipotle chile in adobo sauce). Let it simmer, stirring now and then, until it seasons and deepens to a deep red color, about 10 to 12 minutes. You may want to partially cover the pan as the sauce will want to jump out onto your burners.
  • Add the shredded chicken and combine it with the sauce. Let it cook, occasionally stirring, until the chicken has absorbed almost all of the juices and the mixture is moist but not juicy.
  • To assemble the Tostadas: Spread refried beans on a tostada, add the chicken tinga mixture, top with shredded lettuce, avocado slices, crumbled cheese and, if you want some, cream too. You may also serve with salsa verde on the side.
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil
  • 1/2 white onion slivered
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 8 roma tomatoes or 2 lbs, rinsed
  • 2 tomatillos or 1/4 lb, husked and rinsed
  • 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sauce from chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 1 whole chipotle chile in adobo sauce, optional
  • 5 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • To serve: quantities as desired
  • corn tostadas store bought or home made
  • refried beans
  • Shredded iceberg lettuce
  • queso fresco or cotija crumbled
  • Mexican avocado slices
To Prepare
  • Place tomatoes and tomatillos in a medium saucepan, cover with water. Bring it to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tomatoes and tomatillos are soft, thoroughly cooked and mushy but not falling apart.
  • Remove tomatoes and tomatillos with a slotted spoon, and place them in the jar of a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
  • Heat the oil in a large and deep pan over medium heat; once it is hot but not smoking, stir in the onion and cook until soft and translucent, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until the onion and garlic mixture becomes fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  • Pour the tomato/tomatillo sauce on top and add the oregano, marjoram, thyme, salt, black pepper and the chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (if you want more heat add an entire chipotle chile in adobo sauce). Let it simmer, stirring now and then, until it seasons and deepens to a deep red color, about 10 to 12 minutes. You may want to partially cover the pan as the sauce will want to jump out onto your burners.
  • Add the shredded chicken and combine it with the sauce. Let it cook, occasionally stirring, until the chicken has absorbed almost all of the juices and the mixture is moist but not juicy.
  • To assemble the Tostadas: Spread refried beans on a tostada, add the chicken tinga mixture, top with shredded lettuce, avocado slices, crumbled cheese and, if you want some, cream too. You may also serve with salsa verde on the side.

4 comments on “Chicken Tinga”

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    1. You have to cook the chicken first, shred it and then finish it in the sauce for a true tinga dish. But of course you can also make the sauce and cook the whole chicken pieces in it until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, but you just wouldn’t call it tinga …

      Reply

  2. I have made this recipe 3-4 times after I found it last fall. It is delicious.

    Thanks for making this great recipe available.

    Reply