Easy Chicken Tinga (Tinga de Pollo)
By Loida Tamayo. Tex-Mex at Home — where traditional border-town cooking is shared simply, one recipe at a time.
Tia Adriana’s chicken tinga is a dish I love to prepare on busy days when I have leftover shredded chicken and some corn tortillas. The flavors make it seem like it simmered on the stove all afternoon, even though it comes together quickly. It features smoky, tender shredded chicken coated in a rich chipotle-tomato salsa, perfect for piling into warm tortillas.
Here's a fun fact!
Tinga was born in Puebla, Mexico, and the first written recipe shows up in an 1881 Pueblan cookbook called La cocinera poblana — so when you make this, you're cooking a dish with more than 140 years of history behind it. I love that.
Great news for your weeknight dinners: this chicken tinga recipe is incredibly easy to prepare. The key step is to char your tomatoes and onion until they blister. After that, just blend the ingredients and simmer them together. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have a flavorful meal that the family will enjoy.
Why you'll love this recipe
Big, smoky flavor from the adobo that the chipotle peppers are in and the char from the vegetables.
Ready in about 30 minutes — a real busy weeknight dinner.
Tastes even better the next day, making leftovers ideal for quesadillas, tacos, and more.
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6.
1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded
5 ripe tomatoes, whole
1 onion, cut into at least four pieces
3 garlic cloves, whole
5 chipotle peppers in adobo
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons of salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
How to make it
Cook and season the chicken. Boil the chicken until it's tender and pulls apart easily, then shred it. While it's still warm, mix in 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper — warm chicken absorbs seasoning far better than cold. Set it aside.
Tatemar the tomatoes and onion. On a dry comal or skillet over medium-high heat — no oil — lay down your whole tomatoes and the quartered onion. Let them char for about 10 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the skins are blistered and blackened in spots. Those dark, smoky edges are the whole backbone of a good tinga, so don't be shy with the char.
Blend the salsa. Add the charred tomatoes and onion to the blender along with the garlic, the chipotle peppers in adobo, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of oil. Blend until it's smooth and a deep brick red.
Simmer it all together. Heat a pan over medium heat and pour in the blended salsa — carefully, it likes to splatter. Add the shredded chicken and stir until every strand is coated in that red sauce. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, letting the chicken soak up all that smoky flavor. Serve warm.
Tips for success
Season the chicken while it's warm so it actually absorbs the salt and pepper.
Control the heat with the chipotles: start with 2 or 3 for mild, work up to 5 for a bold kick.
Peel off some of the blackened tomato skin before blending if you want a smoother, less bitter salsa.
Make it ahead — the flavor deepens overnight, so tinga is perfect for meal prep
Frequently Asked Questions about Easy Chicken Tinga
Q: What is chicken tinga?
A: Chicken tinga, or tinga de pollo, is shredded chicken simmered in a smoky sauce of tomatoes, onion, and chipotle peppers in adobo. It's a classic dish from Puebla, Mexico, and it's traditionally served on tacos and tostadas.
Q: What does 'tatemar' mean?
A: Tatemar means to char or roast vegetables directly on a dry comal or skillet until the skins blister and blacken. For tinga, you tatemar the tomatoes and onion — those charred spots are where all that smoky flavor comes from.
Q: How do I make chicken tinga less spicy?
A: The heat comes entirely from the chipotles, so simply use fewer. Start with 2 or 3 peppers instead of 5 and taste before adding more.
Q: Can I make chicken tinga ahead of time?
A: Yes, and you should. Tinga keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and the flavor deepens overnight, which makes it ideal for meal prep. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Q: What do you serve with chicken tinga?
A: Warm corn tortillas, crunchy tostadas, rice bowls, or quesadillas all work beautifully. Top with onion, cilantro, lime, avocado, or crema, and add beans and rice to round out the plate.
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