Chicken Tinga Tacos

A much faster cousin to birria — shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce, piled onto tortillas. I haven’t made this one yet, but it comes together fast enough that it’s next on my list for an actual weeknight.

What you need

• 1.5 lbs halal boneless chicken breast or thighs
• 1 onion, sliced, divided
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tomatoes
• 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste
• Corn tortillas, avocado, cotija cheese, and cilantro to serve

How to make it

Poach the chicken with half the sliced onion, garlic, and broth — bring to a boil, then simmer 15–20 minutes until it’s cooked through and shreds easily.

While that’s going, blend the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, cumin, and oregano into a smooth sauce.

Shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Sauté the remaining onion in a separate pan until soft, pour in the blended sauce, and simmer 5 minutes. Fold in the shredded chicken and let it simmer another 5–10 minutes until it thickens and coats everything well.

Pile it onto warm tortillas and top with avocado, cotija, and fresh cilantro.

Poaching the chicken first instead of cooking it directly in the sauce is what keeps it moist and easy to shred — dropping raw chicken straight into the thicker tinga sauce risks drying it out before it’s actually tender.

Sauce too spicy? Start with fewer chipotles next time — easy to blend in more, impossible to take heat back out. Chicken came out dry? You likely overcooked it during the poach; check around the 15-minute mark instead of the full 20. No chipotles in adobo? Smoked paprika with a touch of hot sauce gets you in the neighborhood, though the smokiness won’t run quite as deep.

Keeps 4 days refrigerated, and it’s honestly a great meal-prep component — reheat covered with a splash of the reserved broth to keep it from drying out.

Chicken Tinga Tacos

A much faster cousin to birria — shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce, piled onto tortillas. I found this one through a Mexican food creator’s TikTok while looking for a faster alternative to birria, and I haven’t made it yet, but it comes together fast enough that it’s next on my list for an actual weeknight.

• Pot
• Blender
• Skillet

• 1.5 lbs Halal boneless chicken breast or thighs
• 1 onion (sliced, divided)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 Chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• Salt to taste
• 3 Corn tortillas
• Avocado
• Cotija cheese
• Cilantro

1. Poach the chicken with half the sliced onion, garlic, and broth — bring to a boil, then simmer 15–20 minutes until it’s cooked through and shreds easily.
2. While that’s going, blend the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, cumin, and oregano into a smooth sauce.
3. Shred the cooked chicken with two forks. Sauté the remaining onion in a separate pan until soft, pour in the blended sauce, and simmer 5 minutes. Fold in the shredded chicken and let it simmer another 5–10 minutes until it thickens and coats everything well.
4. Pile it onto warm tortillas and top with avocado, cotija, and fresh cilantro.
5. Poaching the chicken first instead of cooking it directly in the sauce is what keeps it moist and easy to shred — dropping raw chicken straight into the thicker tinga sauce risks drying it out before it’s actually tender.
6. Sauce too spicy? Start with fewer chipotles next time — easy to blend in more, impossible to take heat back out. Chicken came out dry? You likely overcooked it during the poach; check around the 15-minute mark instead of the full 20.

No chipotles in adobo? Smoked paprika with a touch of hot sauce gets you in the neighborhood, though the smokiness won’t run quite as deep.

Keeps 4 days refrigerated, and it’s honestly a great meal-prep component — reheat covered with a splash of the reserved broth to keep it from drying out.

Main Course

Mexican

chicken tinga tacos