Tinga de Pollo
Shredded chicken in chipotle-tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken
- 4 Tomato
- ½ tin Chipotles in adobo
- 1 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 12 Corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Poach the chicken in simmering salted water until cooked through, then shred it with two forks.
- Slice the onion and blend the tomato, garlic, and chipotle in adobo into a smooth sauce.
- Soften the onion in the oil over medium heat, then add the tomato-chipotle sauce, Mexican oregano, and salt and simmer until slightly reduced.
- Fold the shredded chicken into the sauce and warm through.
- Warm the corn tortillas on a dry pan until pliable.
- Pile the tinga into the warm tortillas to serve.
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About Tinga de Pollo
Tinga de pollo is a Mexican dish of shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce, with roots in Puebla and a reputation as one of the most useful taco fillings there is. The chicken is poached and pulled so it stays moist and drinks up the sauce, while the sauce itself, built from tomatoes, garlic, and chipotles in adobo blended smooth, carries the deep smoke and gentle heat that define tinga. Mexican oregano gives it a floral, slightly citrusy note distinct from the Mediterranean kind, and a little softened onion rounds out the base.
It's endlessly practical: piled into warm corn tortillas for tacos here, but equally at home on tostadas, in tortas, or over rice. The chipotle heat is present but not aggressive, more warming than punishing, which is part of why tinga travels so well from party platter to weeknight dinner. This version stays lean and comes together in about thirty-five minutes, and the one step worth doing carefully is warming the tortillas on a dry pan until pliable, so they fold around the filling instead of cracking.
Tinga de Pollo: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Tinga de Pollo?
A serving has about 575 calories — 30g protein, 50.1g carbs, 29g fat, 8.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 30g of protein, roughly 21% of its calories.
Is Tinga de Pollo gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Tinga de Pollo has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How many servings does Tinga de Pollo make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.