What Is Chicken Tinga, and What Does It Mean?
Tinga De Pollo: Chicken simmered in a mild chipotle-tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and a pinch of piloncillo, or raw cane sugar, is a favourite tinga taco, or stew taco, in Puebla. The meat is shredded and topped with chopped onion, cilantro, and lime in a tortilla. Chicken tinga can also be served on top of tostadas or within burritos or enchiladas.
How to Make Chicken Tinga De Pollo
Homemade chicken tinga is flavorful but only mildly spicy, making it ideal for a midweek dinner.
1. Begin by preparing the tomato-chipotle sauce. A shortcut that allows you to have chicken tacos on a weeknight is to use canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes. Roughly chop the chipotle chilies and puree them with diced tomatoes and chicken stock in a blender or food processor. Spices such as Mexican oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper, and garlic cloves can be added. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté a sliced white or yellow onion in olive oil. Add the sauce to the skillet once the sliced onions have softened. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat and continue to cook until the flavours have merged, about 20 minutes.
2. Toss in the chicken. Simmer until the whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cooked through and soft. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside to cool. Use leftover cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken, as an alternative.
3. Remove the chicken from the bone and shred it. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat with a fork or your hands. Meanwhile, raise the heat to medium-high and gently reduce the sauce in the skillet.
4. Toss the shredded chicken into the sauce once more. Reduce the heat to low and coat the chicken in the sauce. Heat until the chicken is heated and the tinga sauce flavours have absorbed.
5. Serve. Warm corn or flour tortillas and put a small amount of chicken tinga into each tortilla for chicken tinga tacos. Avocado, fresh cilantro, cotija cheese, and pickled red onions go on top. Make your own tostadas with chicken tinga by baking or frying corn tortillas until crispy. Refried or mashed black beans, chicken tinga, and crema, sour cream, or queso fresco are served on top.
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