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Chicken tinga tacos de pollo recipe with avocado, purple onion and fresh cilantro

Easy Tacos De Pollo Recipe (Shredded Chicken Tinga)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: alicia gonzalez tome
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6-8 serving 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This shredded chicken tinga tacos de pollo recipe is going to become your new chicken taco staple, is packed with flavor and perfect for any occasion. Easy and delicious, these tacos are always a crowd favorite. Gluten-free & Dairy-free.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 kg boneless chicken thighs
  • Mexican spices + salt & pepper (or substitute below)
  • 1 medium/large brown onion finely diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves finely diced
  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo diced + 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth
  • Small corn tortillas
  • Olive oil for cooking

Optional toppings

  • Finely diced purple onion
  • Diced avocado
  • Fresh coriander
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken Filling

  1. Season: Season chicken thighs with Mexican spices, salt, and pepper on both sides.
  2. Cook: Heat a little bit of oil in a large pot. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, then set it aside on a plate.
  3. Prepare the Sauce: Add diced onion and garlic to the pot with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until transparent, then add diced chipotle peppers and a tablespoon of the adobo sauce, tomato puree, and chicken broth. Combine and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Optional: you can blend the sauce using an immersion blender if you prefer a smooth sauce.
  4. Simmer: Add chicken thighs along with any juices from the plate back into the pot. Cover with a lid and simmer on low-medium heat for 30 minutes. 
  5. Shred: Transfer chicken to a plate and shred chicken into small pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot, combine with the sauce, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Assemble Tacos

  1. Warm the corn tortillas in a microwave, pan, or directly on the fire of the stove (check out this video).
  2. Add a generous amount of the shredded chicken tinga, a bit of diced purple onion, avocado, and fresh cilantro.
  3. Serve with lime wedges for a fresh squeeze of lime juice on top of the tacos. 

Notes

Adjust the spice level to suit your taste, in this recipe I include 4 chipotle peppers for a mild-medium sauce. Increase the number to 6-7 for medium-hot, or decrease to 2-3 for mild.

Get creative with the taco toppings: Try homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, or mango salsa. Some slices of these air fryer roast peppers would also be a great addition. If you can tolerate dairy, sour cream or queso fresco would also complement well these tacos.

If possible prepare the chicken filling the day before eating. Allowing the chicken tinga to sit overnight in the fridge will maximize the flavor. It allows the spices to meld, resulting in even tastier tacos the next day.

Be generous with the amount of shredded chicken you add to each tortilla, chicken should be the main ingredient of each taco, complimented by a small amount of toppings.

You can also make this recipe in a slow cooker for an extra-tender chicken filling! Follow the steps until step 4, and transfer all ingredients into the slow cooker. Let it simmer on high for 3 hours and then go back to step 5.

Tip! Warming up the tortillas on the pan or fire will give you a crispy tortilla which is my favorite!

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This recipe is also suitable for freezing, so you can make extra and enjoy it later.