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    Chicken Tinga

    Updated October 14, 2025 / By Holly Erickson

    A few canned ingredients, like smoky chipotles in adobo and fire-roasted tomatoes, and a rotisserie chicken make this easy chicken tinga recipe a weeknight go-to. 

    2 chicken tinga tacos served on corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, radishes, cotija and sliced avocado
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    My super quick and easy homemade chicken tinga recipe is inspired by the smoky, peppery flavors that I love about chicken tinga tacos, but built for busy weeknights. This flavorful recipe takes every shortcut in the book, because when the tinga tacos craving hits, it hits hard. If you need a yummy Mexican-inspired dinner in 30 minutes, make these chicken tinga tacos! 

    A pot filled with smoky chicken tinga, featuring shredded chicken simmered in a rich tomato and chipotle sauce

    What readers say about this recipe

    I made these tonight and WHOA - what a return on investment! Flavor power punch in every bite and SO easy to throw together. Love love love! - Hayley

    Use a rotisserie chicken to make it ultra speedy, or use our easy shredded chicken recipe. Check out our round up of shredded chicken recipes, for even more easy chicken dinner ideas. You might also love our easy Tostada recipe. 

    ingredients laid out to make chicken tinga that will be used to serve chicken tinga tacos

    What is Chicken Tinga?

    Chicken tinga is a richly savory Mexican chicken stew made of shredded chicken with smoky chipotle peppers, tomatoes and onions. Beyond that, chicken tinga recipes vary. Often, chorizo is added for more spicy, smoky flavor. My one-pot chicken tinga recipe is focused on ease, so I skip the chorizo. With deeply flavorful ingredients like chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and taco seasoning, you’ll end up with chicken tinga that’s bursting with boldness, despite the short cook time! 

    tomatoes, chipotle peppers, onions, garlic and spices in a blender to make smoky tinga sauce
    tinga sauce in a blender made with tomatoes, chipotle peppers, onions, garlic and spices

    Easy & Quick Chicken Tinga Ingredients

    • Shredded chicken. Use leftover shredded chicken, or use the meat from a grocery store rotisserie chicken. You can use thigh meat or breast meat, or a mixture of both. 
    • Chipotles in adobo sauce. You can decide how spicy it is based on how much of the adobo sauce you add to your chicken tinga. More adobo sauce = more spicy. Store any leftover chipotle peppers in adobo in a small sealed jar or container. They'll keep in the refrigerator for months.
    • Fire-roasted canned tomatoes. They really need to be fire-roasted, so that you get even more smokey flavor into your tinga! 
    • Onion & garlic. Of course! 
    • Taco Seasoning. We make huge batches of our taco seasoning and use it year round, but it’s totally fine to use store-bought if you need to. 
    • Chicken bouillon. Even more savory richness. Using a cubed bouillon is fine, or you can use a jarred version, I like Better Than Bouillon.
    shredded chicken being tossed with homemake smoky tinga sauce to make flavorful chicken tinga tacos
    A pot filled with smoky chicken tinga, featuring shredded chicken simmered in a rich tomato and chipotle sauce

    How To Make Chicken Tinga

    1. Sauté the onions and garlic. 
    2. Make tinga sauce! Blend the onions, garlic, chipotles in adobo, taco seasoning, tomatoes and bouillon. 
    3. Combine the tinga sauce with the shredded chicken. 
    4. Simmer the chicken in the tinga sauce. 
    5. Dinner is served! 
    A pot filled with smoky chicken tinga surrounded by fixing to make tacos: corn tortillas, avocado, and shredded cabbage

    How To Use Chicken Tinga 

    • Make chicken tinga tacos: Lay out some little tortillas, avocado, and shredded cabbage, and dig in. 
    • Chicken tinga tostadas are maybe my favorite way to enjoy chicken tinga! Just grab some store-bought tostada shells, load them up with your chicken tinga and garnish as you please!
    • Make chicken tinga quesadillas with tortillas and your favorite cheese (Jack cheese works well). 
    • Use the tinga on nachos
    • Make tinga bowls with rice (try cilantro-lime rice), chicken tinga and other toppings like beans, guacamole, and salsa. 
    • However you want! Chicken tinga is so juicy and flavorful, it’s great on just about anything. Top a salad with tinga, or mound it into a chicken tinga burrito with beans and rice for an ultra-filling dinner.
    chicken tinga served on corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, radishes, cotija and sliced avocado

    How To Store + Freeze

    You can store any leftover chicken tinga in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze in a freezer safe container that’s well-labeled for up to 3 months. Store sauce and chicken separately if making ahead. Warm the chicken tinga gently in a skillet over medium-low heat for the best results. 

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    2 chicken tinga tacos served on corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, radishes, cotija and sliced avocado

    Chicken Tinga Recipe

    Updated October 14, 2025

    By Holly Erickson

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  20 min
    • Calories:  176

    Description

    This Chicken Tinga is smoky, spicy Mexican comfort food! Shredded chicken in a rich chipotle-tomato sauce. Serve on tostadas, tacos, or over rice. Easy weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes. So flavorful!

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      Ingredients

      • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
      • 4 garlic cloves, minced
      • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
      • 1 to 3 teaspoons adobo sauce, (see Note)
      • 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning, plus more to taste
      • 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
      • 1 teaspoon chicken flavored “better than bouillon” or 1 chicken bouillon cube
      • 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
      • Sea salt, to taste

      For Serving (optional)

      • 8 tostada shells or 16 corn tortillas, warmed
      • 3 cups Mexican rice
      • 3 cups Refried beans
      • 3 cups shredded green cabbage
      • ½ cup thinly sliced radishes
      • ½ cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco
      • 1 avocado, sliced

      Method

      1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 more minute.

        onion and garlic being cooked in olive oil in a skillet

      2. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender. Add the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce (see Note), taco seasoning, tomatoes and bouillon. Blend the sauce on high until smooth, about 1 minute.

        tinga sauce in a blender made with tomatoes, chipotle peppers, onions, garlic and spices

      3. Transfer the sauce back to the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken and stir until warmed through. Season with salt, more taco seasoning or adobo sauce, if desired.

        shredded chicken being tossed with homemake smoky tinga sauce to make flavorful chicken tinga tacos

      4. Serve the chicken tinga warm with tostada shells, tortillas or over rice. Garnish with cabbage, radishes, cotija and avocado as desired.

        chicken tinga served on corn tortillas topped with shredded cabbage, radishes, cotija and sliced avocado

      Notes

      Adobo sauce is the purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and other spices found in the can with chipotle peppers. Use 1 to 3 teaspoons depending on desired spice level. 

      Instant Pot Method:

      1. Set the Instant Pot on the sauté mode. Add the oil and heat until glistening. Add the onions and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook stirring, until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
      2. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender. Add the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce (see Note), taco seasoning, tomatoes and bouillon. Blend the sauce on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
      3. Place the (raw) chicken breasts in the instapot. Pour the tinga sauce over the chicken.
      4. Secure and lock the lid in place making sure the vent is in the sealed position. Set on ‘manual’ or ‘pressure cook’ mode for 10 minutes. Let naturally release for 10 minutes, before manually releasing the remaining pressure.
      5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it using two forks. Transfer the chicken back to the sauce, stir to combine. Season with salt, more taco seasoning or adobo sauce, if desired.
      6. Serve the chicken tinga warm, alongside tostada shells, tortillas or over rice. Garnish with cabbage, radishes, cotija and avocado.
      Related Recipes

      Nutrition Info

      • Per Serving
      • Amount
      • Calories 176
      • Protein 18 g
      • Carbohydrates 6 g
      • Total Fat 8 g
      • Dietary Fiber 2 g
      • Cholesterol 51 mg
      • Sodium 397 mg
      • Total Sugars 3 g

      Chicken Tinga

      Questions & Reviews

      Rated 5 stars by 6 readers

      or
      • Stephanie

        Do you have an instapot adaptation for this recipe?

        We don't currently, we will add it to our list this week to test and get that method added! Thanks for the request Stephanie!

      • Ellie

        5-star rating

        Could you do this in the crockpot with chicken thighs?

        Hi Ellie! You definitely probably could, we have not tested this recipe in the crockpot to give you fail proof instructions though.

      • Glenn

        5-star rating

        1 chipotle and 3 tsp adobo? No thanks. Nothing less than the whole can for me. Otherwise pretty good.

        haha! by all means add as many as you prefer!

      • Mel

        5-star rating

        I made this for my partner and I and we both absolutely loved it. I made it as written, using three teaspoons of the adobo sauce. Served on heated corn tortillas with sour cream. I anticipate revisiting this recipe a lot. Thank you!

        This is so great to hear, so happy you loved it. Thanks Mel!

      • Baylee

        5-star rating

        LOVE this recipe. I've made it several times for my family and my husband requests it frequently. So fast and delicious and healthy, as pretty much all your recipes are!

        Thanks Baylee, we are so happy your family loves our recipes!

      • Jessica

        5-star rating

        So flavorful and easy!

        Thanks Jessica, we are so happy you loved it!

      • Hayley

        5-star rating

        I made these tonight and WHOA - what a return on investment! Flavor power punch in every bite and SO easy to throw together. Love love love!

        Thanks for the great feedback! We are so happy you enjoyed it!

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