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Plated chicken tinga tacos with toppings.
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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 Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican American
Keyword: Chicken Tinga Tacos
Servings: 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.

Video

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="pHoJloU8" upload-date="2022-04-17T09:00:00.000Z" name="Chicken Tinga Tacos" description="Say hello to these saucy Chicken Tinga Tacos. These Chicken Tinga Tacos are our spin on the classic Mexican dish. Grab your favorite tortillas and taco toppings and make these tacos for dinner tonight. "]

Notes

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

Nutrition

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