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5 from 3 votes

Chicken Tinga Tacos

Shredded chicken cooked in the most crazy delicious spiced sauce on the planet and then stuffed in a taco is absolute perfection.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time55 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 -8 people
Author: Gaby

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 yellow onion small dice
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 large tomatillo husk removed, rinsed, and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • One 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped chipotles plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt

Toppings

  • Corn or flour tortillas
  • Avocado diced
  • 1 white onion diced
  • Cilantro roughly chopped
  • Scallions sliced
  • Cotija crumbled
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs and cook until well browned, about 6 minutes. Flip thighs and continue to cook until other side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving fat in pan, and set aside.
  • Add onions and garlic to the same Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add tomatillo and cook until browned around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add oregano and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
  • Transfer sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour sauce back into pan, stir in chicken stock and bay leaf, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Nestle chicken thighs in sauce, reduce to a simmer, and cook until chicken is fully cooked and easily shredded, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove sauce from heat and discard bay leaf.
  • Pull chicken meat into strips. Stir chicken into sauce and cook over medium heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt to taste.
  • Warm the tortillas over an open flame to char, prep the white onion, avocado chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, crumbled cotija cheese, and lime wedges for serving
  • Spoon chicken into warm tortillas and top with avocado, onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.