Ingredients
For the Chicken Tinga:
- 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
To make the Chicken Tinga:
- 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.
Comments
82comments inChicken Tinga
Irene
Aug 02
Can you use rotisserie chicken in this recipe? Thank you for all the great recipes!
Pati Jinich
Aug 09
Absolutely Irene, go ahead and enjoy!
Mark
Jun 02
Chicken Tinga is such luscious recipe! I took Pati’s advice and used the shreded chicken from her Chicken Broth recipe; that is a wonderful combination. We’ve enjoyed it on numerous occasions. Thanks Pati!
Pati Jinich
Jun 10
My pleasure Mark, so very happy you like the Tinga!
dave
May 25
How many does this serve.
Pati Jinich
Jun 10
Hey Dave, this recipe yields 5 cups, so I would say that makes 4 good servings. Enjoy!
Craig Brumfield
May 16
Another delicious meal Pati, thanks for sharing. The best part, this one is really simple and fast, so no excuse not to have it regularly 🙂
Pati Jinich
May 17
My pleasure Craig, so glad you liked it!
Teresa Willis
May 11
Sounds so simple. Thanks for sharing.
Pati Jinich
May 15
My pleasure!
Judi Suttles
May 11
This looks delicious! I will try this recipe. Thanks Pati!
Pati Jinich
May 15
Let me know how you like it Judi 😉
Mary Thrash
May 10
Thank you Patti for the recipe for Tinga Chicken. I can’t wait to make it for my family. Your recipes are always a hit with my family.
Pati Jinich
May 15
I hope they like this one as well Mary! Un abrazo to all.
Rebecca Harvey
May 05
I have loved chicken tinga 4 years but couldn’t find a good recipe. You saved the day Pati. Delicioso!! Me encanta!! Gracias!!
Pati Jinich
May 13
Me da muchisima alegria que te guste mi receta Rebecca, gracias!
Sandy Holaday
May 05
We love your recipes! After living in Monterrey, Mexico for 3 1/2 years (in the 90’s) we were spoiled. Authentic Mexican food is what we now crave and the best way to fulfill that craving is with your delightful recipes. Thanks for your tv show and your recipe books we feel like we are back in Mexico.
Anything made with corn and poblano chilies are tops with us.
Keep up the good work!
Pati Jinich
May 13
Muchas gracias Sandy, so happy to know you have been tuning in and enjoying the show, un abrazo!
Maria B.
May 04
Hola Pati, my mom got this recipe years ago from a cousin in Mexico City, so we’ve been eating it for many years but our variation includes fried chorizo. Also the tomatillos are added raw but chopped small. Everything cooks down slow and moist. Anyway you cook it, it is a delicious recipe. Try it in fresh bolillos with cotija sprinkled on top, amazing. Love your show and my daughter got me your cookbook already !! Thank you for show casing Mexican food in such a positive way.
Pati Jinich
May 17
Thanks to you for the kind words and for sharing your recipe Maria!
Kim Walton
May 04
First, thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful recipes!!! Growing up in California i have an expectation for great flavor in Mexican food. Now living in Seattle that is very hard to find so I rely on your recipes . The one question i have is the type of oregano you use. You don’t specify if it is Mexican or Mediterranean. To me they have different flavors. Do you have a preference of are the two interchangeable in your recipes?
Thanks again!
Kim
Pati Jinich
May 17
Thanks for your kind words Kim! I try to use Mexican oregano whenever available, but if it is not, I have no problem using Mediterranean 🙂
Anonymous
May 04
Yum! Enjoy watching you cook for your family!
Pati Jinich
May 17
Gracias 😉
Judy Stotler
May 03
I’m going to try the chicken tinga very soon. Can’t wait!
It calls for oregano, but it doesn’t specify, is that Mexican oregano?
Pati Jinich
May 17
You can use Mexican oregano if you like it Judy!
normamiller23@icloud.com
May 03
Ola. Gracias Pati. I’m getting my kitchen ready for some cooking. I watch yr cooking show. To my delight Thank You. You are amazing.
Pati Jinich
May 17
Thanks so much for tuning in Norma!
Carol
May 03
I thank you for the recipes look flowers to making it
Pati Jinich
May 17
Enjoy the tinga Carol!
Luz
May 03
Gracias pati la hare mañana.
Pati Jinich
May 17
Cuentame que tal te quedo Luz 🙂
Kathy
May 03
Chicken Tings sounds delicious. It even sounds like I could make it. I usually struggle with chicken. I end up frying chicken breast with onions. Boring😉
Pati Jinich
May 17
Give this recipe a chance Kathy, is pretty easy and you are going to love it!
Anonymous
Apr 21
Todo muy rico 😋 con tus recetas , uno de siente en casa 🏠
Gracias .
Dios te bendiga .
Pati Jinich
May 01
Que amable, mil gracias y un abrazo!
Adela M. Pizano-Mathis
Apr 21
Pati :,thank you so much !! I’m going to make this as soon as can !!! Sounds delicious!
Bendiciones
Adela Pizano-Mathis
Pati Jinich
Apr 25
Thanks to you Adela, enjoy it!
Carol Champneys
May 09
This was delicious, also made the Fiesta Refried Beans and I’ll never use canned again! Thank you, Pati, for such wonderful and easy to follow recipes.
Pati Jinich
May 15
So very happy you are enjoying my recipes Carol, gracias!
Kam
Apr 19
I love this recipe! It’s a family favorite! I have a question. If we didn’t have cooked chicken and wanted to make it to go with this, how would you prepare the chicken ahead?
Pati Jinich
Apr 25
Hey Kam, so happy you guys like the tinga! You can follow this recipe to prepare your chicken and use the broth for other recipe, if it is too much you can half it and if you prefer white meat use just chicken breasts instead of the whole chicken. Good luck!
Shelley
Dec 10
Omg this is soooo so good!!!! I tried it in slow cooker with boneless chicken thighs – it turns out delicious!! I put the sauce straight into the slow cooker along with the raw chicken snd the raw onion-let it cook on low for 6 hrs and it’s done! ¡Amo tus recetas Pati!!!!
Pati Jinich
Dec 27
Great job, muchas gracias Shelley!
T Matula
Nov 16
This recipe is the bomb, hands down. My neighbor is originally from Mexico and I invited him and his wife over for chicken tinga tostadas. I put down a base of homemade refied beans, added the tinga, put slices of avocado on next, and then topped with Mexican crema and crumbled cojita cheese. He ate eight of them.
I’ve also bought the largest jalepenos I could find, gutted them out, and boiled them to about halfway cooked. I let them cool down, stuffed them with the tinga, dipped them in tempura, and fried them. For a dipping sauce I used avocados, garlic, jalepeno, cilantro, salt, and onion which I put in a blender and liquified. They were fabulous.
Pati Jinich
Jan 02
So glad your friends liked your Tinga and thanks so much for sharing your stuffed jalapenos recipe, sounds delicious 🙂
Michael Moore
Nov 06
Hi Pati!
I had the idea of trying this using left over Thanksgiving turkey, but figured I’d check what you think and also if you’d recommend any changes if using Turkey. I think this would be a leftover turkey dish people would actually WANT to eat.
I love the show! Thanks and all the best,
Mike
Pati Jinich
Jan 04
I think it is a fantastic idea Mike, let me know how did it come out!
Mark Hansen
Feb 25
SO good! Gracias Pati! Easy & delicious! We like it spicy, so added extra adobo/chipotle chiles. Absolutely adore you, your family, recipes, and television shows. Come back to Phoenix soon!
Pati Jinich
Mar 07
Thanks so much for the kind words Mark. So glad you enjoyed the Tinga! Looking forward to visiting Phoenix soon 😉
Blanca Salcido
Feb 22
Dearest Pati, I love all your recipes. I would luv to have one of your cook books. How can I order your newest?
Sincerely,
Pati Jinich
Mar 07
Thanks so much Blanca! The new cookbook come out on October 26 and you can go ahead and pre order it using this link https://patijinich.com/cookbook/upcoming-cookbook/ Un abrazo!
Gloria Gonzales
Feb 02
Dearest Pati , Gracias for the chicken
Tinga recipe. I will make it this week, yes
I agree, we have all been hunkered down
And something new and delicious, sounds
Good. I need to eat healthy, and this has
All natural ingredients 😷❤️😕🥑🍅🌶. Please stay safe, and don’t forget to get your COVID-19 vaccines, ok. 🥰😷Gloria
Gonzales .
Pati Jinich
Feb 10
Thanks so much Gloria, good luck with the Tinga!
Melanie Kayrell
Feb 01
This is absolutely delicious. The sauce is wonderful. Thank you for sharing.
Pati Jinich
Feb 10
Thanks to you for reaching out Melanie! SO happy you liked the Tinga 😉
Eva solano
Feb 01
Hola, a mi esposo le gusta mucho ver su programa, dise q aver cuando le cocino algo de lo que usted prepara.
Pati Jinich
Feb 01
Pues ojala que te animes Eva, jaja, a ti tambien te van a gustar. Un abrazo a los dos!
Wendy Wright
Jan 31
I made this recipe tonight and it was amazing. I love your show and so many of your recipes Pati. I’m having so much fun trying many of them. Thanks so much!
Pati Jinich
Feb 01
So glad to read this Wendy, keep cooking and having fun 😉
Vanessa Put
Jan 29
Thanks for gave me the Recipes Chickhen Tinga I love it
Pati Jinich
Jan 31
My pleasure Vanessa, enjoy!
Sarah Aaron
Jan 29
Hi Patient,
This is Sarah, your Latin friend from TX! Chicken Tinga are AWESOME and YOU ARE AWESOME !!! Thank you.
Pati Jinich
Jan 31
Thanks to you for following Sarah, un abrazo!
Anonymous
Jan 29
Love recipe @ your tv shows❤️
Pati Jinich
Jan 31
Thanks so much 😉
Kerri
Sep 27
Am I missing something? I don’t see in the instructions when the 1 1/2 C chicken broth is added.
Pati Jinich
Sep 29
You are absolutely correct Kerri, there should not be chicken broth in this recipe. Here is the right one for you, while we correct the other, thanks so much for noticing! https://patijinich.com/pati_2020/chicken-tinga-2/
Annette
Aug 28
I’ve made chicken like this before, but never with tomatillos. It was delicious! I haven’t used Mexican oregano before but it gave such a nice flavor to the chicken. The stock is so good to use in anything else. I did put a few dried anchos in the pot when I cooked the chicken. I will make this again!
Pati Jinich
Sep 05
Mmmm, great idea with the Anchos Annette, yummy!
Greg
May 02
This recipe is amazing. My whole family loved it. The only thing we love more than tinga is Pati, and the only thing we love more than Pati is JuJu.
Pati Jinich
May 11
Hahaha Greg, Juju is going to love reading this. Thanks so much!
Adam
Apr 05
So good. I love the tv show first time finally using your recipe. Thank you so much.
Pati Jinich
Apr 06
Thanks for tuning in Adam!
Sharon Mack
Apr 09
Hi. I noticed that in your cookbook, this recipe calls for 1 and a half cups of broth to be added with the chicken.
Which version is recommended?
Pati Jinich
May 24
Oh thank you for catching that, Sharon! Use the broth…and I’ve updated the recipe on the site.
Ty
Oct 05
I found the same thing in the ingredients listing, but couldn’t find anywhere to add the broth. To be honest, I’m glad I didn’t. IMHO, it didn’t need it. Took me 30-40 minutes to simmer off the liquid that was already there after adding the chicken. And it was still 100% delicious…. 🙂
Pati Jinich
Oct 14
I’m glad you found it 100% delicious, Ty.
Jessica
May 01
This looks delicious. Is there a reason why you don’t cook the chicken in the sauce?
Pati
May 04
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 …
Travis
Mar 05
I have made this recipe 3-4 times after I found it last fall. It is delicious.
Thanks for making this great recipe available.
Pati
Mar 06
Thank you for trying and loving it Travis!