Put a more flavorful spin on chicken tacos any day of the week with this Chicken Tinga Taco recipe.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
What makes the chicken so delicious is that it’s browned before it’s soaked in a slightly spicy, smoky sauce. Once shredded, the sauce seeps into the chicken even more to create moist, flavor-infused bites.
Add a variety of toppings to the table so that everyone can make their own creation and expect your family to ask for this dish over and over again.
Chicken tinga tacos are an easy weeknight meal that can actually be meal prepped in advance to make busy nights a bit easier but no less flavor-packed.
These Chicken Tinga Tacos are:
Tasty: Thanks to the chipotle sauce and easy seasonings, these chicken tinga tacos have a unique and delicious flavor.
Meal-prep friendly: The chicken and sauce can be made a day in advance of when you need them and simply reheated to save you time in the kitchen.
Versatile: You can easily add more or less spice to the sauce, but the tacos are also easy to customize based on the toppings you place on the table.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Most of the ingredients are easy-to-grab ones right from your pantry.
- Chicken: Chicken breasts work best for the recipe as they’ll shred easier than thighs will; however, thighs can work in a pinch. They will add more liquid to the dish though so cooking times may need to be adapted.
- Chipotle sauce: Any you grab from the grocery store is fine and you can adjust the spice level if you want to add more later.
- Onion and garlic: Dice the onion and grate the garlic to get the most flavor from them.
- Worcestershire sauce: A little goes a long way to add a savory pop to the mix.
- Seasonings: From the pantry, grab garlic powder (or paste), salt, and pepper.
- Oil: Use olive oil to sauté the vegetables.
- Broth: Homemade or store-bought chicken broth works best but vegetable broth can work in its place.
- Tomatoes: You’ll need both a can of crushed tomatoes as well as tomato paste for the sauce to come together and have the best texture.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
This recipe comes together easily, in just a few steps. Here's a look.
- Cook chicken.
- Sauté onions.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, chipotle sauce, tomatoes, and broth to form sauce.
- Combine chicken and sauce.
- Simmer.
- Shred chicken then return to sauce.
- Assemble tacos with toppings.
Easy as the normal taco nights you know and love, just with more flavor!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes! You can. Just shred and skip the step of cooking the chicken.
What are some more toppings I could use on these chicken tinga tacos?
Anything can be used as a topping, but some favorites are chopped cilantro, lime wedges, queso fresco, avocado, sliced red onion, and grated cheese.
How can I adjust the flavor?
You can make the chicken spicier by adding in some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or sliced jalapeños while cooking.
How do I make these tacos in advance?
Both the sauce and the chicken can be made ahead of time. Cook the chicken according to the directions but before adding in the remaining bit of sauce let it all cool. Store the chicken and the blended sauce in separate containers in the fridge.
When you are ready to eat, reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium heat with a splash more of the sauce until warmed through.
What tortillas work best for chicken tacos?
Typically, corn tortillas are served with chicken tacos. Flour tortillas work, too. Take the time to warm them up a bit first so that they’re soft and pliable as you fill them.
Can I use beef instead of chicken?
Sure. Using a cooked, shredded roast and simmering it in the sauce is a great variation of the recipe.
Ground meats work well too. Try ground chicken, beef, or chorizo.
How do I store leftovers?
Let the chicken tinga cool fully and store leftover chicken, sauce, and toppings all in separate containers in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat the chicken tinga on the stove with a bit of leftover sauce or broth until warmed through. It will thicken up a bit once stored.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
Love tacos?
Browse all my easy taco recipes and be sure to Pin your favorites for later.
Chicken Tinga Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoon olive oil reserve 1 tablespoon for sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper each
Sauce
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce
- 2 teaspoon tomato paste
- 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Serve with
- 12 flour or corn tortillas
- 6 oz queso fresca or cotija cheese crumbles
- fresh cilantro to taste
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- ½ red onion sliced
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Cook chicken. In a deep skillet or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Add chicken and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cook each side for 6 minutes then move to a plate. (Chicken will finish cooking in sauce in next steps)
- Make sauce. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to skillet. Heat then add onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add garlic paste, chipotle sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and 1 cup of broth. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Combine chicken and sauce. Add chicken to the skillet with the sauce then add remaining broth, stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes.When chicken is cooked, move it to a bowl and allow to cool enough to be handled then shred by hand or with forks. Return chicken to sauce.
- Assemble tacos. Warm tortillas for 5-10 seconds in the microwave or on the stovetop in a clean pan. Layer each tortilla with chicken then sliced red onions, crumbled cheese, cilantro, and lime wedges as desired.
Notes
- Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- To quick pickle your sliced red onions, add them to a bowl with vinegar and let sit for about 10 minutes or until softened.
Leave a Reply