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Chicken Tinga is one of those recipes that makes weeknight cooking feel effortless – in less than an hour, you’ll have juicy, tender chicken in a rich, smoky sauce, all made in one pot on your stovetop. I love how versatile this classic Mexican dish is: serve it as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, or pile it onto salads or nachos.
Boneless chicken breasts simmer in a sauce of fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotles, and aromatic spices until they’re tender enough to shred. When the sauce reduces, it coats every piece of chicken with its rich, smoky flavor. The hardest part is deciding how you want to serve it first.
“Absolutely love this recipe and super easy. thank you!
danielle b
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Chicken Tinga
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Look for breasts that are around 6-8 ounces each. Note that you’ll need to adjust cooking time if they are much larger or smaller.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: Ideally fire roasted – you can make Homemade Fire Roasted Tomatoes easily (using your oven broiler).
- White Onion: I prefer white onion for this, but a yellow or even a sweet onion will do in a pinch.
- Garlic: Look for heads with plump cloves and smooth skins intact.
- Cumin: I use ground cumin, but you could certainly grind your own cumin seeds in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.
- Chipotle Chile Powder: Instead of a mixture of spices, chipotle chile powder is made of only ground up chipotle chiles.
- Smoked Paprika: You can find smoked Spanish paprika or pimenton in mild, medium, and hot varieties.
- Chipotle Hot Sauce: Most major brands make one, my favorite is Cholula. (not sponsored, just my honest opinion 🙂 )
About the Heat Level
I use chipotle hot sauce instead of canned chipotles in adobo sauce – it gives you better control over the spiciness and you won’t have half a can of chipotles left over. Start with the amount in the recipe for moderate heat, then adjust to taste. And remember, you can always add more sauce at the end if you want to kick up the spice.
More Chicken Options
If you prefer dark meat, use chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds for this recipe) as I often do. They have more flavor than chicken breasts and better retain their moisture. But don’t worry, though boneless skinless breasts may be a bit dryer, there is ample sauce to add moisture.
Shredded grocery store rotisserie chicken or my Shredded Chicken (made in the slow cooker) are other options. Follow this Chicken Tinga recipe as is until you’ve reduced the sauce, subtracting 10 minutes or so off of the cooking time. Add the shredded chicken and let it simmer with the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes to heat and soak up plenty of flavor.
3 Recipe Tips
- Watch the Heat: The chicken should gently simmer, not boil – this keeps it tender and prevents it from drying out.
- Check for Doneness: Cut into the thickest part of a breast – when it’s no longer pink in the center, it’s ready to shred.
- Sauce Consistency: When reducing the sauce, cook until it’s thick like salsa but not dry or pasty.
How to Serve
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Chicken Tinga Tostadas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga (same delicious flavors made in your slow cooker!)
Storage and Reheating
Store Chicken Tinga in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm gently in a covered pan on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to keep it from drying out.
This Chicken Tinga transforms chicken breasts into such a versatile dish. The smoky sauce comes together quickly but tastes like it simmered for hours, and having a batch in the refrigerator means you’re just minutes away from tacos, tostadas, or any Mexican-inspired meal you’re craving. Make extra – you’ll want leftovers.
More Must-Try Mexican Recipes
How to Make Chicken Tinga
Cook onions in olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften, then add garlic until fragrant. Add your fire-roasted tomatoes, broth, and all the seasonings – the chipotle gives it that signature smoky heat. Bring to a boil, then add the chicken breasts. Lower to a gentle simmer and cover the pan. Let the chicken cook until it’s tender and no longer pink in the center, about 20-25 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board for shredding. Meanwhile, increase the heat and let the sauce reduce until it thickens to a salsa-like consistency. Stir the shredded chicken back into the reduced sauce. Let it simmer briefly to soak up all those rich flavors.
Chicken Tinga
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 14 1/2 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano ideally Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or more (recipe note #2)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes, then stir in garlic just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, tomatoes with their juices, and all seasonings – cumin, oregano, chipotle hot sauce and chili powder. Bring this mixture to a boil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then add them to the pan, making sure they're coated in sauce and arranged in a single layer. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through, until it's tender and cooked through.
- Transfer the tender chicken to a cutting board. Keep the pan on the heat, increase it to medium-high, and let the sauce boil uncovered. Cook, stirring now and then, until it reduces to a thick salsa consistency, about 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken with two forks, then stir it back into the reduced sauce. Heat through over medium heat, stirring to coat every piece with sauce. Serve as desired.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 4 cups of shredded Chicken Tinga.
- Note that chipotle chile powder is made from only smoked and dried jalapeño peppers, not standard chili powder which is a blend of spices. As written, this chicken is fairly mild. For medium spiciness add another 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder; for extra spice, add an additional 1 teaspoon or more.
- Be sure to note the weight of the chicken breasts you buy as they vary a lot. As you would guess, the larger the chicken breasts, the longer they will take to be tender and shreddable.
- To use shredded rotisserie chicken or Shredded Chicken for this recipe, follow the instructions for the sauce, but reduce the covered cooking time to 20 minutes. Then reduce the sauce uncovered until thickened to the consistency of a thick salsa. Stir in shredded chicken; reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes to reheat the chicken and allow it to soak up plenty of flavor.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months
- To reheat: Warm gently in a covered pan on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth if needed to maintain moisture
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
absolutely love this recipe and super easy. thank you!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Danielle! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
This masterpiece in less than an hour? Wow. The flavors alone have me wanting to make this for Naomi and the boys soon. Thanks!
Yay! I hope you will, Matt. Thank you!
Hi Marissa, the Chicken Tinga recipe looks delicious and I plan on making it. What would you suggest as other ingredients in a taco, or a burrito? For example chopped cabbage or salad greens? Anything else? Thanks so much, Janette
Hi there, Janette! We use this for tacos, burritos and nachos. For topping options I’d suggest jack or cheddar cheese, shredded cabbage or crunchy lettuce, diced tomato, white onion, and cilantro or pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, and sour cream. haha…you can tell we like ours loaded. Choose your favorites – you won’t be disappointed. 🙂
This is really wonderful! I love all of the ingredients. I’m a little sad about our non-existent cinqo de mayo, but like you said, we still need to cook and eat!
I Love this recipe. I included an additional tomato, 1 spoon of lime juice and a pinch of local garam masala powder for additional spice and flavor. This was a great hit with my family.
So great to hear, Sreeraj! Love that you made it your own!
I love the flavours in this gorgeous dish!
And can think of so many ways to use it – yum!
Thank you so much, Alex!
Marissa, your chicken tinga is perfection! I can’t get enough of it!
Thank you, Kelly!
Interesting! I’ve never heard this name-Chicken Tinga, but I practice often this method. The chicken is nice, tender, and flavorful, and I clearly see this Chicken Tinga on my savoury crèpe with some cheese on top 🙂
Great idea to have it on savory crepes, Ben! And cheese is a must! 🙂
I’m pretty excited that I have all of the ingredients to make this one. I’d love some of this chicken on top of a loaded salad, or wrapped in some soft taco shells. Looks delicious!
That’s great, Leanne. Thank you! I hope you love it!
Hands down, one of my favorites Marissa! So much flavor and so easy to make. Can’t wait to give your recipe a try. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo!
Thank you, Mary Ann! I hope you love it!
I love recipes with big, bold flavors, and this one definitely counts! Chicken tinga tacos are totally showing up on our menu here soon. That chicken looks so juicy and delicious!! Plus, I love the smoky flavors of chipotles. Yum!
Love to hear that, David. Thank you!
Wish I could join you for the dinner! This looks so flavourful with all the wonderful spices and I love the easy preparation too. Would be love some to fill my pita pockets :-))
I wish you could too! Yes, this would be great in pitas!
Chipotle is one of my favorite flavors in the world, and the whole recipe sounds dreamy. I’m in for burritos 🙂 ~Valentina
Hooray for burritos, right!? Thank you, Valentina.
One pot, less than one hour and chipotle? Girrrrl, you made this for me!! All over this, my friend! I know one would normally put this *in* stuff, but I could legit eat straight outta the saucepan. #nojoke Another delicious recipe that I can’t wait to try!
haha, you crack me up, Dawn! Thank you.
Your writing and photos always make me drool, Marissa! I love chicken tinga and this easy version is everything!!!! I’ve got to agree with Dawn, I will surely be eating this straight from the pot with a shovel!! Guess I better make a double batch so i have some leftover for some tostadas and burritos! Pinned!!
aww…thank you so much, Chey!