Chef notes
Chicken tinga is a shredded chicken and chipotle dish that originated in Puebla, Mexico, and is popular during Fiestas Patrias, the celebrations around Mexican Independence Day in September.
This recipe makes a lot of tinga, around 2 quarts — and my family will make it disappear in a day!
Ingredients
- 6 whole Roma tomatoes, boiled in salted water for 20 minutes
- 1/4 medium white onion
- 1/4 cup canned chipotles in adobo (use the chiles and the adobo sauce they came with; add only half of the chiles if you don’t want much heat)
- 1 cup chicken broth, store-bought or homemade
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups shredded chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
- flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12-14 tostadas, store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups refried beans, store-bought or homemade, warmed
- 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
- hot sauce (optional)
- crema Mexicana (optional)
- lime wedges
Preparation
For the sauce:
Combine the boiled tomatoes, onion, canned chipotles, chicken broth, halved garlic cloves and salt in a blender. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
For the tinga:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add the onion and minced garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
Strain the tomato sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer to reduce slightly, about 20 minutes. Season the tinga with salt and black pepper to taste.
To serve:
Place a tostada on a plate. Spread with about 3 tablespoons of refried beans, then top with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the tinga. Top with shredded lettuce, then avocado slices, crumbled cheese, hot sauce and crema, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.
