Chicken Tostadas de Tinga is an easy authentic recipe that whisks me back to my grandmother’s kitchen in Mexico.
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This dish packs a lot of flavor, balancing smoky, spicy shredded chicken with creamy refried beans and tangy queso fresco on a crispy tostada, crowned with sour cream and fresh lettuce.
I like to serve it on top of homemade tostadas with all my favorite toppings.. So good!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
To Cook the Chicken:
- Boneless chicken breast
- Water
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Bay leaf
- Salt
- Black Pepper
To Make the Tinga Sauce:
- Fresh tomatoes diced
- Chipotle in adobo sauce peppers use less chiles chipotle if you don’t like it spicy
- Chicken broth reserved from the cooked chicken
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Thinly sliced onions
The ingredients above are just for reference. Please see recipe for exact measurements.
Chicken breasts or thighs work best. You’ll need roughly 6 lbs of chicken for this recipe.
Instructions
- Add the chopped tomatoes, chile chipotle, and chicken broth in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
The sauce is very simple and easily adjustable.
Some like it hot. If that’s you, add 4 chipotle peppers in adobo or the entire can. For a milder version, use only 2 chipotles.
Or, add 1 chipotle pepper in the blender at a time until you reach your desired heat level.
Time to shred up the cooked chicken. Just get your fork and pull the meat apart.
What a yummy way to use up leftover chicken! Makes for an easy weeknight meal, and it’s high in protein.
Pro Tip:
Use frozen chicken. The flavorful chipotle sauce will mask any freezer burn.
Or better yet, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken! Remove the skin and skip to the part where you make the sauce.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onion and caramelize. About 5 minutes, stirring often.
- To the pot, add the shredded chicken and chipotle tomato sauce.
- Stir to combine the chicken mixture.
It all comes together in minutes, even be made in an Instant Pot. (See recipe below for Instant Pot Chicken Tinga).
With a mild yet rich sauce, this dish offers the perfect balance of heat and taste!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Tinga is the name of a dish that is traditionally made with either shredded chicken, beef, or pork. Chicken is the most common though. The recipe calls for tomatoes, chipotle in adobo sauce, and onions.
Chicken Tinga originated from Puebla and is very popular in the central states of Mexico. There are variations from state to state.
Tinga can be served either cold or warm, depending on your personal taste.
3-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Tostada Toppings
- Refried Beans
- Lettuce
- Chopped Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Cotija Cheese
- Sour Cream (or Mexican crema)
Traditionally served as tostadas, but you can also make tacos or burritos. There is no wrong way to enjoy the delicious flavors of this chicken tinga recipe.
Tostadas de Tinga (Chicken Tinga Tostadas) is an easy mouthwatering recipe is my favorite way to transform leftover chicken into a flavorful Mexican meal. Serve with Air Fryer Asparagus and enjoy!
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Chicken Tostadas de Tinga
Ingredients
To Cook the Chicken:
To Make the Tinga:
- 4 tomatoes diced
- 4 chipotle in adobo sauce peppers use less chipotle if you don’t like it spicy
- 1 cup chicken broth reserved from the cooked chicken
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 ½ onions thinly sliced
For the Tostadas:
- 1 package tostadas
- Refried Beans
- Lettuce
- Cilantro
- Green Onions
- Queso Cotija
- Sour Cream
Instructions
To Cook the Chicken:
- In a large stockpot, add the chicken, water, ½ onion, garlic clove, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
- Remove chicken from the pot.
- Reserve the liquid, and discard the other items from the pot.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with a fork and set aside.
To Make the Tinga:
- Add tomatoes, chipotle, salt, and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Slice 2 ½ onions.
- In a stock pot, heat the oil.
- Add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add the shredded chicken and the chipotle sauce to the pan.
- Let simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat.
- If needed, add 1 cup chicken broth.
To Assemble Tostada:
- Smear refried beans (about 2 tablespoons) to a tostada.
- Add about 2 tablespoon tinga, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and cotija.
Video
Notes
- Press Saute button and heat oil. Cook the onions until golden. About 5 minutes. Add the chicken and chipotle sauce. Cover with lid. Move valve to Sealing. High Pressure 8 minutes. Move valve to Venting for quick release. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to the IP. Add 1 cup chicken broth. Stir. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Tried out this recipe today and it was super tasty! It’s going to work out great for an upcoming potluck especially as it doesn’t have to be kept warm. Quick question-my chicken didn’t look as red as the photo included. Is there anything I can do to make the next batch have that deep red color?
It probably needs more chipotle or you used too much broth. As long as it tastes good, that’s what my grandmother used to say. 🙂 Hope everyone likes it.
We are obsessed with this chicken. So much so, that I actually now have the recipe memorized. We make it just about every other week now with the rice recipe from your cookbook and add salad greens and taco toppings to make “burrito bowls” for lunch. SO GOOD.
So glad you enjoy this recipe. It’s one of my family’s favorites too.
We enjoyed every bit of the tostada’s tonight. I shredded the chicken and it was a bit dry so I just stuck it back in the water it boiled in and had it sit there until I added it to the tomato mixture – was perfect! Thank you!
Yes! Love it when people try my recipes. So glad you enjoyed it!
This Tinga recipe was delicious. My husband even said this was such a treat to eat. This recipe is a keeper. ♥️
So happy your hubby liked it. Yes, definitely a keeper!
Wow! Your recipe was so easy to make and OMG delicious!
Easy and delicious! Glad you liked it.
Handy tip on slicing the onion rather than chopping – looked great on the tostada!
Thank you! Hope you try it!
I am so into tinga right – love the heat from these dishes!
Hope you try this recipe. Is delicious!
This was fantastic! Thanks for the recipe. Although I am partial to anything with chipotle!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Oh I nearly posted these also. Yours look delicious
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed this.
I’ve been looking for a good recipe for chicken tinga, I’m so glad I found your recipe. Yum!
Hope you try it. It’s delicious!
So good – the sauce is so simple and delicious!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed this!
I am drooling reading this recipe. A lovely change from regular tacos and tortillas. Thanks for the idea
Hope you try it! It’s amazing!
I LOVE tinga and am excited to try a new recipe. My friend’s mom wrote her recipe on an index card and it is hard to read!
Glad I could help. Hope you enjoy!
I love Mexican food and this is a must try! We always make tacos, enchiladas and quasedillas but it looks like we need to go a step further and try these tostadas!
You soooo should! I can almost guarantee that you’ll like this recipe.
This looks so simple! My husband is such a chipotle fanatic, he’d love it.
I’m a big chipotle fan too. Hope you make this for him. 🙂
I am always looking for ways to mix up chicken recipes (am I the only one that gets bored with chicken!?) and this looks PERFECT. Can’t wait to try it!
Yes! Hope you like it.
I would love to make more Mexican meals at home. These tostadas loo lovely. Definitely trying them.
Awesome! Hope you enjoy these tostadas.
Yum! This will add some variety to my chicken menu list.
Definitely! Hope you like it. 🙂