Home > Dinner > Chicken Tinga Tacos Chicken Tinga Tacos July 21, 2020 | 4 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Indulge in the ultimate Chicken Tinga Tacos, featuring charred tortillas loaded with seasoned shredded chicken, creamy guacamole, and tangy pickled onions, all combining for a spicy, saucy, and irresistibly flavorful experience. Pair Chicken Tinga Tacos with some fresh corn! We love this easy corn salad or elote. Chicken Tinga Tacos My family adores these Rotisserie Chicken Tacos; seriously, my boys request them at least once a week! I love them too, not just for their taste but also for how effortlessly they come together, thanks to the convenience of rotisserie chicken. In an effort to cater to my boys’ taco cravings while experimenting with different sauces and seasonings, I created Chicken Tinga Tacos. These tacos have become a weeknight staple over the past few months, frequently alternating with our beloved Rotisserie Chicken Tacos. I often prepare a double batch, enjoying the leftovers for lunch throughout the week. They’re not only filling and nutritious but their flavor also improves with time, becoming increasingly delicious! Ingredients In Chicken Tinga Tacos Olive oil: Used for sautéing onions and garlic, providing a base for the sauce. Sweet onion & garlic: Add depth and sweetness to the sauce. Tomato paste: Thickens and enriches the sauce, adding a concentrated tomato flavor to the Chicken Tinga Tacos. Seasonings (cumin, oregano, chicken bouillon, paprika, coriander, salt, pepper): These spices and seasonings blend to give the sauce its distinctive, complex flavor profile. Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes: Contribute a smoky, rich tomato base to the sauce. Chipotle peppers in adobo: Add a smoky, spicy kick to the sauce. You can scale these up or down based on spice preference. Rotisserie chicken: The main protein, its shredded texture absorbs the sauce well. Lime juice: Adds a fresh, zesty note to the chicken, enhancing its flavor. Corn tortillas: Serve as the base of the taco, providing texture and a mild, corn flavor. Toppings (cilantro, cheese, avocado, extra lime juice): These optional additions bring freshness, creaminess, and extra flavor to the tacos. How To Make Chicken Tinga Tacos Pickled Onion: Mix red onion with red wine vinegar, salt, and sugar. Set aside, stirring occasionally. Sauce: Sauté sweet onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomato paste, spices, and fire-roasted tomatoes. Simmer with chipotle peppers for 6-8 minutes. Chicken: Blend sauce until smooth, return to skillet, add shredded chicken, and mix well. Add lime juice if desired. Guacamole: Mash avocado with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Char Tortillas: Spray tortillas with cooking spray, char on both sides, then fold. Assemble: Spread guacamole on Chicken Tinga Tacos, top with chicken, pickled onions, and other toppings like cheese and cilantro. QUICK TIPWhen blending hot sauces, avoid overfilling the blender to prevent the lid from popping off due to steam. Instead, use a folded kitchen towel in place of the lid, holding it down during blending. The towel allows steam to escape while absorbing splatters. VARIATIONS Switch Things Up Chicken Tinga Tostadas: On a tostada shell, layer mashed avocado, tinga chicken, red onions (pickled or raw), crema or sour cream, cotija cheese, and cilantro. Baked Chicken Tinga Tacos: Use this beef taco recipe as a reference guide. Fill crispy taco shells with chicken tinga and cheddar cheese, bake, then top with red onions, crema, avocado, and cilantro. Nachos: Layer chicken tinga and Mexican cheese on tortilla chips, adding preferred toppings. Chicken Tinga Burrito Bowls: Start with cauliflower rice, add chicken tinga, beans (black or pinto), avocado, red onions, crema, and cilantro for a low-carb option. More Taco Recipes Healthy Tacos Taco Pasta Salad Loaded Taco Fries Chicken Tacos Asian Chicken Tacos FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chicken Tinga Tacos 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe Indulge in the ultimate Chicken Tinga Tacos, featuring charred tortillas loaded with seasoned shredded chicken, creamy guacamole, and tangy pickled onions, all combining for a spicy, saucy, and irresistibly flavorful experience. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chicken Tinga Tacos 5 from 2 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Indulge in the ultimate Chicken Tinga Tacos, featuring charred tortillas loaded with seasoned shredded chicken, creamy guacamole, and tangy pickled onions, all combining for a spicy, saucy, and irresistibly flavorful experience. Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine Mexican Keyword chicken tinga Prep Time 25 minutes minutes Cook Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 35 minutes minutes Servings 4 -6 servings (~12-14 tacos) Chelsea Lords Calories 225kcal Author Chelsea Lords IngredientsQuick "Pickled" Onion▢ 1 large red onion, thinly sliced▢ 1/4 cup red wine vinegar▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt▢ 1 tablespoon white, granulated sugarChicken▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil▢ 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced▢ 1 tablespoon coarsely minced garlic (~4 cloves)▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste▢ 1 and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, chicken bouillon powder▢ 1/2 teaspoon EACH: paprika, dried coriander▢ Fine sea salt and cracked pepper▢ 1 can (14 oz.) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes▢ 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo (we won't use all of it!) (I love La Costena brand)▢ 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, optional▢ corn tortillas and cooking spray▢ Optional toppings: cilantro, cotija cheese (or queso fresco), large avocado, additional lime juiceUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsQUICK "PICKLED" RED ONION: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the thinly sliced red onion, red wine vinegar, salt and sugar. Toss to coat. Leave at room temperature and toss every 5 minutes or so, while preparing the rest of the meal.SAUCE: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Once oil is warm, add in the thinly sliced sweet onion and garlic. Sauté for 4-6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally (nothing should be burning/browning; lower the heat if it is). Add in the tomato paste and all the seasonings: the ground cumin, dried oregano, chicken bouillon powder, paprika, dried coriander, and salt and pepper to taste. (I add 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper.) Toast seasonings for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Again, lower the heat if anything is burning. Add in the crushed tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Lastly, add in chipotle peppers and sauce (See Note 1). Stir and heat for 30 more seconds. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 6-8 minutes.CHICKEN: Transfer the sauce mixture to a large blender and process until completely smooth (See Note 2). Pour the mixture back into the skillet. Add in the 4 cups rotisserie chicken and gently stir to coat the chicken and warm it through. If desired, stir in the fresh lime juice.QUICK "GUAC": While sauce is simmering, I like to whip this up: Place a large, ripe avocado in a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper and a few squeezes of lime juice. Mash together and set aside.CHAR TORTILLAS: Spray both sides of the tortillas with olive oil cooking spray and char the tortillas directly over the gas flames for a few seconds. Use tongs to flip until tortillas are lightly charred and soft. Immediately fold the tortilla in half (so it will fold into a taco nicely later) and set aside.ASSEMBLE: Spread the guac in the center of the charred tortillas. Top with a scoop of the chicken, and some pickled red onions. Add your other favorite taco toppings such as some queso or cotija cheese, some fresh cilantro, and another squeeze of fresh lime juice. Recipe NotesNote 1: Here's a general guideline for how much of the chipotles to add: Little to no spice: Use 1 tablespoon sauce surrounding the chipotle peppers. Light spice: Use 1 tablespoon sauce surrounding the chipotle peppers and 1 tablespoon peppers. Medium spicy: Use 1 tablespoon sauce surrounding the chipotle peppers and 2 tablespoon peppers. Spicy: Use 1 tablespoon sauce surrounding the chipotle peppers and 3 tablespoons peppers. (If all the peppers are large (or larger than a tablespoon measuring spoon), chop the peppers to fill the measuring spoon). See blogpost for how to store leftover chipotle peppers so the rest of the can doesn't go to waste. Note 2: When blending hot sauces, keep in mind that the escaping steam could pop the top off the blender if it's filled too full. If you're concerned about this, replace the plastic blender lid with a folded kitchen towel. Because it's not airtight, the towel will absorb the steam--and the splatters! Nutrition FactsServing: 6servings | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.5g | Protein: 24.7g | Fat: 8.7g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 150.7mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 6.6g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? 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I made this for dinner tonight, and it tasted like I made an Italian taco. The amount of tomatoes was too heavy for my family’s liking. Reply
These are SOOO yummy!!!! I think the cotija cheese is a must, providing a sharp creaminess that balances the flavors of the chicken. They are great with the avocado, but honestly they are perfect with just the onion and the cheese. Thanks for another fantastic recipe! Reply
