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Creamy Spicy Chicken Tinga Recipe

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4.1 from 10 reviews

Chicken Tinga is a flavorful Mexican dish featuring tender shredded chicken simmered in a smoky and spicy chipotle tomato sauce. This recipe combines seared chicken breasts with sautéed onions, garlic, and tomatoes, blended with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and honey for a perfect balance of heat and sweetness. Perfect for tacos, nachos, or burrito bowls, it makes a delicious, hearty meal in under an hour.

  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Chicken and Seasoning

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Broth and Vegetables

  • 3 cups chicken broth (separated)
  • ½ large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 large tomatoes, rinsed, de-stemmed, and quartered

Sauce

  • ⅓ cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 3 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
  • ½ cup water (separated)

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken: Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and black pepper evenly over the chicken breasts and set aside to let the flavors meld.
  2. Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. When hot and fragrant, add chicken breasts and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
  3. Deglaze the pot: Pour 2 tablespoons chicken broth into the pot to loosen browned bits on the bottom using a wooden spoon, enhancing the sauce’s flavor.
  4. Sauté vegetables: Add chopped onions to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Then add minced garlic and quartered tomatoes and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes to soften and develop flavor.
  5. Simmer chicken: Return the seared chicken breasts to the pot, pour in the remaining chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes to cook through.
  6. Cool and prepare chicken: Remove chicken breasts and set aside to cool after simmering. This step makes shredding easier.
  7. Prepare sauce base: Remove tomatoes from the pot. Carefully peel off tomato skins using a fork, discard skins, and transfer peeled tomatoes to a high-speed blender.
  8. Add onions and liquids to blender: Use a slotted spoon to scoop onions from the pot into the blender with tomatoes. Add ¼ cup of the cooking liquid from the pot, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, honey, and ¼ cup of water.
  9. Blend sauce: Blend the mixture on high until smooth. Adjust spice by adding more chipotle peppers if desired or sweetness by adding 1-2 tablespoons more honey or agave. Blend again and set aside.
  10. Shred chicken: Discard excess liquid from the pot. Place cooled chicken back in the pot and shred it thoroughly with two forks.
  11. Combine chicken and sauce: Pour blended sauce over shredded chicken and stir well to combine. Add remaining ¼ cup water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
  12. Simmer to finish: Reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken and sauce mixture for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken.
  13. Serve: Remove from heat and serve the Chicken Tinga in tacos, over nachos, or in burrito bowls for a delicious meal.

Notes

  • You can adjust the heat level by adding more or less chipotle peppers to the sauce.
  • For a sweeter flavor, increase the honey or agave syrup slightly.
  • Peeling the tomatoes carefully prevents tough skins in the sauce and improves texture.
  • Use a high-speed blender for the smoothest sauce consistency.
  • Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freeze beautifully.
  • Serve with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and warm tortillas for an authentic touch.
  • Author: Daisy
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Diet: Halal

Find it online: https://dishiary.com/creamy-spicy-chicken-tinga-recipe/