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+ servings
Plated chicken tinga tacos with toppings.
4.86 from 7 votes

Chicken Tinga Tacos

Serve these chicken tinga tacos to serve a crowd of for an easy weeknight dinner. Prepare your favorite taco toppings and enjoy.
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour 15 minutes
Fat 15
Carbs 23
Protein 28
Yield 8

Ingredients

Chicken Tinga

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups chicken broth separated
  • ½ large yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 2 large tomatoes rinsed, de-stemmed and quartered
  • cup of canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
  • ½ cup water separated

Tacos

  • 2 lb. shredded chicken tinga from above
  • 8 mini flour street taco tortillas
  • ½ cup Mexican crema or Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup queso fresco crumbles
  • ½ cup red onion minced
  • 2 large limes sliced into wedges

Instructions

  • Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and set aside.
    seasoning chicken breast.
  • Heat a large pot over medium/high heat. Add olive oil. When the olive oil is fragrant and hot, add the chicken breasts and sear them on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside.
    pan frying chicken.
  • Deglaze the pot with 2 tablespoons of chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any brown bits.
  • Add the onion to the pot and saute for 2 minutes and then add the garlic and the quartered tomatoes. Sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes.
    tomatoes in pan.
  • Next add the chicken breasts back into the pot and pour the rest of the chicken broth into the pot. Stir the mixture and bring to a boil.
    tomatoes and chicken in pan.
  • Turn the heat to low and cover. Simmer all the ingredients together for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the pot and set them aside to cool.
  • Remove the tomatoes from the pot and then carefully remove the tomato skins from the tomatoes. You can use a fork so you don’t burn yourself. Discard the tomato skins and transfer the tomatoes into a high speed blender.
    ingredients in blender.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the pot and place them in the blender, too. Add 1⁄4 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, honey, and ¼ cup of water to the blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Taste the sauce, it will be spicy. If you would like it spicier, add ⅓ cup more of chipotle peppers. If you would like it less spicy add 1-2 tablespoons more of sweetener. Blend the sauce again and set aside.
  • Discard any excess liquid that is in the pot and place the chicken back into the pot. Shred the chicken with two forks.
  • Pour the sauce from the blender over the chicken and stir to combine. Add the last ¼ cup of water to the sauce and bring the mixture to a boil over medium/high heat.
    chicken and sauce in pot.
  • Turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer and cook down for 15 minutes.
  • Warm up the flour tortillas and then assemble the chicken tinga tacos by first placing about ¼ cup of chicken tinga on each tortilla.
    Chicken tinga tacos
  • Top the chicken with a drizzle of Greek yogurt or crema, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, queso fresco, minced onion, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
    Chicken Tinga Tacos on a plate with toppings.

Tips & Notes

  • These chicken tinga tacos are very spicy. If you would like them less spicy, use less meat and more Greek yogurt or crema.

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Nutrition Facts

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g