30-Minute Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos
Boneless chicken thighs simmered right in a smoky chipotle and fire-roasted tomato sauce, shredded and tossed back in, with avocado, Cotija and scallions on top. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
Tinga is a saucy, smoky shredded filling of tomato and chipotle. America's Test Kitchen notes that tinga de pollo is usually made by poaching chicken breasts separately and combining them with the sauce only at the end; its test cook Steve Dunn instead simmered boneless thighs directly in the sauce for deeper flavor and used fire-roasted tomatoes for extra smokiness. This weeknight version keeps that idea and trims the clock: the chicken skips the browning step and goes straight into the simmering sauce.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Boneless chicken thighs simmered right in a smoky chipotle and fire-roasted tomato sauce, shredded and tossed back in, with avocado, Cotija and scallions on top. Dinner in about 30 minutes.
🇲🇽 The original
In Mexico, a taco is a warm, soft corn tortilla with a little meat, salsa, onion and cilantro, eaten standing up at a stand. Cheddar and a crunchy shell aren't part of it. See the Tacos al Pastor (Mexico City Spit-Roasted Pork, Made in a Loaf Pan) recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Thighs cook in the sauce
Dark meat stays juicy through a simmer and flavors the sauce as it cooks, so there is no separate poaching pot (ATK).
Fire-roasted tomatoes and chipotle
Both bring smoke, so a 25-minute sauce tastes long-cooked (ATK).
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Cook the onion about 5 minutes, until browned at the edges, then stir in the garlic, cumin and cinnamon for 1 minute.
- Step 2
Add the tomatoes, broth, chipotle and adobo and brown sugar and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits.
- Step 3
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and nestle it into the sauce. Cover, lower to medium-low and simmer 15 to 18 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes, until the thickest piece reads at least 165°F (ATK takes thighs to 195°F for the most tender shreds).
- Step 4
Move the chicken to a board. Purée the sauce with an immersion blender in the pan, about 30 seconds, or in a blender and pour it back.
- Step 5
Shred the chicken with two forks, return it to the sauce and simmer over medium, stirring, about 5 minutes, until the sauce clings. Stir in the lime zest and juice and season.
- Step 6
While the chicken simmers, stack the tortillas on a plate under a damp towel and microwave about 1 minute, until warm. Fill with tinga and top with avocado, Cotija, scallions and cilantro.
30-Minute Weeknight Chicken Tinga Tacos
Serves 4 (2 tacos each) · 8 tacos · 30 min total
Tinga
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 4 tsp minced canned chipotle in adobo plus 1 1/2 tsp adobo sauce
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp grated lime zest plus 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
Tacos
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 1/2 oz Cotija cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- Cilantro and lime wedges
Method
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Cook the onion about 5 minutes, until browned at the edges, then stir in the garlic, cumin and cinnamon for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, chipotle and adobo and brown sugar and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and nestle it into the sauce. Cover, lower to medium-low and simmer 15 to 18 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes, until the thickest piece reads at least 165°F (ATK takes thighs to 195°F for the most tender shreds).
- Move the chicken to a board. Purée the sauce with an immersion blender in the pan, about 30 seconds, or in a blender and pour it back.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, return it to the sauce and simmer over medium, stirring, about 5 minutes, until the sauce clings. Stir in the lime zest and juice and season.
- While the chicken simmers, stack the tortillas on a plate under a damp towel and microwave about 1 minute, until warm. Fill with tinga and top with avocado, Cotija, scallions and cilantro.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen, "Shredded Chicken Tacos (Tinga de Pollo)" by Steve Dunn (2016), scaled from 6 servings to 4. To reach 30 minutes we skip ATK's browning of the chicken, cut the thighs in half and shorten the final simmer from 10 minutes to 5; those changes are ours. We keep the whole can of tomatoes. The microwave tortilla method is from ATK's "Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos". America's Test Kitchen. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- No Cotija? ATK says crumbled feta works.
- Tinga keeps 3 days in the fridge and reheats well for tostadas or burritos.
- For less heat, start with 2 tsp chipotle and add more at the end.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Breast or thigh. Disputed: ATK says tinga is usually made with poached breast meat; it uses thighs for flavor.
- Chicken is done at 165°F. Documented (USDA FSIS). ATK cooks thighs on to 195°F for texture, which is safe and more tender.
- Tinga has to simmer a long time. Folklore: the sauce needs about 25 minutes here.
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