Chicken tinga is shredded chicken cooked in a chipotle sauce with lots of onions and garlic. I usually make my shredded chicken "salsa chicken" style, which I'm sure everyone has heard of... a jar of salsa with chicken in a crockpot. BUT this BLOWS that out of the water! The flavor absolutely explodes and ends with a slight kick of spice. The spice comes from the chipotle peppers in adobo. You can find these at most grocery stores in the international foods section. I add three to the chicken, but you can add less if you don't want it quite as spicy.
Vacation is coming, so I served these as lettuce wraps garnished with cilantro! Today I will be making a salad with the meat with some feta, cilantro, and making a dressing out of the leftover sauce mixed with sour cream... I'm already salivating!
The chicken completely shredded on its own, I didn't have to do anything except toss it with some tongs. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts and they were AMAZING. Thighs are just so succulent and juicy. They can really hold up well and give such great texture. You can use breasts or tenders, but I really believe thighs are where it's at.
I seasoned the chicken and then seared them in batches in my dutch oven, added the onions, garlic, chipotles and tomatoes. Then, I covered it and let it cook for 3-4 hours. You could also do this in the slow cooker or instant pot!
Ingredients:
6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 chipotle in adobo (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes in garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1 clementine, juiced
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp high heat oil (avocado, canola, etc.)
Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl and add in all dry seasonings besides the bay leaf. Using your hands, massage the seasonings into the meat. Heat a large dutch oven with the oil on medium high heat. Sear the chicken in batches to get a good caramelization on each side. Once all the meat is browned, add it all back into the pot with all remaining ingredients. Toss with tongs to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until meat falls apart. Remove meat from pot and pour remaining juices into a seperate medium size bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend the juices to create a sauce. (A blender can be used in place of the immersion blender.) Garnish with cilantro and scallions. Enjoy as tacos, salads, lettuce wraps, quesadillas or burritos! Freezes well!
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