B) Imagine how good they taste because juicy chicken, smoky chipotle, creamy avocado, zippy lime, and a charred tortilla just SING together, right? I promise you, they sing.
C) Do you have 20 minutes? Cool. You can make these because this is not fancy. This is just really, really delicious chicken tinga tacos.
This is one of those rare recipes that comes together so quickly and somehow still rivals a restaurant-quality meal. It is a recipe that, once you make it, you say: I will probably make these chicken tinga tacos every time I have friends over because it makes me look fancy with minimal effort. You also say: I need to memorize this recipe. You also say: How soon is too soon to make these again.
Pollo is chicken in Spanish. This is a popular choice in tacos as well. Chicken is marinated and then cut into small pieces, making it the perfect filling for your tacos. Some will also prepare it by shredding it before putting in the tortillas.
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The Best Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Author: Lindsay
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings (10-12 tacos) 1x
Chicken Tinga Tacos – the only chicken tinga tacos recipe you will ever need! Spicy, saucy, simple, and so fresh. Recipe is posted with permission from The Minimalist Kitchen (affiliate link) cookbook (although I’ve taken the liberty of adding “The Best” as a necessary recipe title prefix).
Chicken Tinga Tacos:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup roughly chopped sweet onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 cup canned crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works!)
For Serving:
- 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium. Once warm, add the oil and onion. Sauté for 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the chipotles, oregano, and cumin, and toast for 1 minute. Add in the tomatoes, stock, and salt. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 7 minutes.
- Blend: Place the tomato mixture in a high-powered or regular blender, and blend until smooth.
- Chicken: Return the blended sauce to the pan over low heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Serving: Prepare the garnishes. To assemble, top the tortillas with the chicken and garnish with the avocado slices, cilantro, red onion, and cotija. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing.
Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos: Blend all sauce ingredients (I did not saute them first). Add sauce to Instant Pot along with about a pound of chicken breasts. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Shred chicken in sauce and serve.
Spiciness: I like to use two chipotle peppers for optimal “medium” spiciness. If you want a mild version, just use one chipotle pepper. If you want it hot hot hot, go for three.
Avocado Mash: I found my avocados sliding out of the tacos because I am a taco monster and things got a little messy. To make sure I got every ounce of avocado goodness possible, I mashed up the avocado, squeezed in some lime juice, sprinkled in some salt and a super light dusting of garlic powder, and spread that on my tortillas before adding the chicken.
CHAR YOUR TORTILLAS PLEASE: Place directly over a gas flame to char the edges. Place on a plate, and cover with a towel to steam. (If working on an electric stovetop, heat the tortillas on a warmed pan, and cover to steam.)
Freezer Meal Version
- Blend Into a Sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil half of an onion 2 cloves garlic 2 individual chipotles in adobo sauce 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon cumin 1 14-ounce can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- Freeze sauce with:2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Instant Pot Instructions: High pressure 15 mins + 10 mins natural release
- Slow Cooker Instructions: High setting 4 hours (thaw first)
- Final Step: Serve as tacos, on a salad, in a rice bowl, or in enchiladas.
- Check out our full freezer meal posts with all recipes and instructions here!
Pickled Onions – I like to add pickled onions to add an extra umph to this recipe. Go all in with this guide to onions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: chicken taco recipe, chicken tinga, chicken tinga tacos, taco recipe
View the freezer meal version of this recipe here.
You might also like our full freezer meals post.
The BEST Tacos EVER | Chicken Taco Recipe #tacotuesday
FAQ
What are chicken tacos called?
What is Mexican taco meat called?
Do Mexicans eat chicken tacos?
What type of meat is used in tacos?
Taco vs Burrito: Which is healthier?
Taco and Burrito both are traditional Mexican dish consisting tortilla topped with different fillings. But the major difference is Tacos are small whereas Burritos are large meal. Both of these can be stated healthy if they are made without excess cheese and fats like cream. Better options are adding lots of greens and healthy fats like avocado.
What is a traditional taco in Mexico?
A traditional Mexican taco is made with a warm corn tortilla and filled with grilled or slow-roasted meat, onions, cilantro, and salsa. Additional toppings can include lime juice, avocado, and cheese. However, the ingredients can vary depending on the type of taco and the region of Mexico. What Is the Most Popular Taco in Mexico?
What kind of chicken do you use for tacos?
Another great component of amazing chicken tacos is using bone-in, skin-on chicken; for this recipe, you can use breasts or thighs. The bone-in and skin-on yield the juiciest and most tender chicken that’s easy to shred since it practically breaks apart on its own.