If you think you’ve had Chicken Tinga before, think again. This Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken takes the classic dish to the next level by adding bold Mexican chorizo and tender potatoes, all simmered low and slow in a smoky chipotle tomato sauce. It’s hands-off cooking with maximum payoff. Layers of rich, spicy warm flavor that make for unforgettable tacos (or burrito bowls, tostadas, you name it).
Serve this with Gulf Coast Style Oven Baked Rice for a balanced meal.
What Is Chicken Tinga?
To be more authentic with it’s name, this is Mexican Tinga de Pollo and hails from the city of Puebla. Chicken Tinga is a traditional Mexican dish made with shredded chicken cooked in a spicy, smoky tomato-based sauce. The sauce typically includes:
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Garlic
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (for heat and smokiness)
- Spices like oregano and cumin
The chicken is simmered in the sauce until tender and flavorful and can be served in tacos, tostadas, burritos, or even over rice. Garnishes like sour cream, avocado, lettuce, cheese, and a wedge of lime are common.
Why Use A Slow Cooker For Tinga Chicken?
Stewing chicken works beautifully in the slow cooker. A slow cooker is much more than just a “set it and forget it” appliance. It works well to build layers of flavors. And with the ingredients involved to make Tinga de Pollo tacos, the slow cooker just makes sense.
In a nutshell, using a slow cooker offers hands-off cooking, with a deeper infusion of flavors.
The end flavor result is truly delicious. There’s Mexican chorizo involved, which adds texture and an even more smoky edge. And my recipe includes potatoes for a creamy smooth treat. Simply stated, these Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Tacos offer a blast of rich flavor.
Tip: How to avoid dry chicken or diluted sauce: Don’t try to cook this recipe on high. Keeping the temperature low and slow will cook the chicken evenly. And setting that slow cooker on “high” may cause the sauce to separate and become runny.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Mexican Chorizo: In bulk form, packaged like ground beef. The chorizo product that you find in a tube contains a lot of grease/fat. Stick with the bulk form for a heartier texture.
- Sherry Vinegar: For this tinga chicken recipe, I’m using Sherry Vinegar. The flavor of Sherry Vinegar is a complex combination of sweet and sour. I have to admit, it’s my favorite vinegar to use in my kitchen.
- Achiote Paste: A very special ingredient that you should take the time seek out and purchase. It’s huge on flavor and perhaps unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. A combination of ground annatto seeds, garlic, bitter orange juice and spices. Stored properly it will keep well and you can use it in other Mexican Recipes like these Achiote Shredded Pork Tacos, or Cochinita Pibil. It comes packaged in a 3.5 ounce block and we’ll use most of it for this recipe. You can order it from Amazon.
- Chicken: I like using boneless skinless chicken thighs, but boneless skinless chicken breast also works well here.
- Potatoes: Choose small Yukon Gold potatoes. They’ll be easy to chop and the skin is tender to eat = no peeling.
- Chipotle in Adobo: Are canned smoked dried jalapeno peppers packed in a luscious red chipotle sauce. They’re readily available on the Mexican aisle of your local super market.
- Mexican Oregano as opposed to Mediterranean oregano.
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It’s peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don’t have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
Make The Tinga Chicken Sauce
- Step 1: In a food processor, place the canned tomatoes, Chipotle peppers, achiote paste and garlic.
- Step 2: Blend until smooth.
Prep The Chicken
- Step 3: Add the chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle with flour. Use your hands to mix well and coat. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and red chile powder. Add it to the floured chicken and use hands to distribute the seasoning.
- Step 4: Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. When hot, add crumbled Chorizo Sausage. Let it cook a couple of minutes to release some fat. Move the sausage to the edges of the pan and add half the chicken. Let the chicken sear for about 5 minutes, then turn. Sear the other side for a couple of minutes. Move the seared chicken to a plate, as you’ll need to do this in two batches. And you may need to drizzle in some oil as you fry, depending on how much grease the chorizo creates.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 5: Add the chopped poblano and onion to the chorizo and let cook for about 2 minutes.
- Step 6: Place the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Step 7: Top with the chorizo vegetable mix.
- Step 8: Pour in the tinga chicken sauce.
- Step 9: Sprinkle in the Mexican Oregano, Sherry Vinegar, and Worcestershire, then add the chopped potatoes. Cover and cook tinga chicken on low 6 hours.
Tips For Success:
- Deglaze the pan once the chorizo and vegetables are done cooking and removed from the pan and while the pan is still hot, add a splash of wine, or chicken stock. Use a sturdy spatula to stir and scrape up the bits of meat that remains on the bottom of the pan. Then pour it into the slow cooker. There’s a lot of flavor that results from deglazing.
- Char Your Tortillas: You simply can’t take a corn tortilla out of the package and make a taco, you need to make it pliable. Place corn tortillas directly on the open flame of a gas stove-top. Don’t walk away, in a few seconds you’ll see some charred spots on and around the edges. Flip it and let it cook another few seconds. The corn tortilla is pliable and the charred spots add smoky flavor. Remove the tortillas to a plate and cover while you toast the remaining shells.
- Double Up: Since these tacos use a saucy style meat filling, you can use two corn tortillas per taco for a sturdier taco. I like to use yellow corn tortillas as they are sturdier than white corn.
How To Serve It
Once the chicken is fall apart tender, use two forks to shred it while it’s still in the pan. Stir well to coat the chicken with the sauce.
- I like to make Tinga Chicken Tacos. Heat the canned refried beans or homemade refried beans on a warmed corn tortilla. Top with Tinga Chicken, then add garnishes.
- Serve it over rice to make a Tinga Chicken Bowl. Again, top with garnishes.
- Use a flour tortilla to make Tinga Chicken Burritos. Add the tinga mix to the tortilla, add some shredded cheddar cheese, then roll burrito style. Heat in a 300 degree oven until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
- Purchase tostada shells or make your own homemade tostada shells and make a Tinga Tostada.
- Make Tinga Chicken Tacos a meal by adding a side of Mexican Green Rice, or Scalloped Potatoes with Green Chiles. Keep things lighter with this Southwest Salad Recipe.
Garnishes For Tinga de Pollo Tacos
Once the refried beans have been placed on the corn tortillas, and the shredded chicken added, simply pass a plate of garnishes. Suggestions:
- Chopped avocado or avocado mash. I like to take a fork and simply mash the avocado to a chunky stage.
- Chopped raw sweet onion
- Sliced Pickled Jalapenos
- Mexican crumbling cheese: Cotija cheese works very well here.
- Chopped Cilantro
- Friends don’t let friends eat Mexican food without Mexican Pickled Onions. Try them, they’re incredible with flavor and easy to make.
Storing Tinga Chicken
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer:
Cool tinga chicken completely, then place in a freezer safe container. I like to use freezer safe zip-lock bags. Squeeze the air out, then lay flat to optimize freezer space. Let the chicken thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat stove top or microwave.
Variations
- Potatoes: Taking a cue from a local Mexican restaurant, I have prepared my Chicken Tinga with potatoes. To make tinga chicken more authentic Mexican style, omit the potatoes.
- Gluten Free: This recipe will be gluten free if you substitute a gluten free flour, or omit the flouring process all together.
FAQ
No! It’s simply not recommended to put frozen chicken into a slow cooker. Doing so can create unsafe food practices and cause illness. The USDA reports that the chicken spends too much time in the “danger zone”, which is a temperature between 40 degrees and 140 degrees before it comes to a safe temperature of 165 degrees. That time in the danger zone can cause bacteria like salmonella.
This recipe calls for two Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. Chipotle peppers are very spicy. Cut them open and scrape out the seeds and veins, this is where the heat lies. Then continue with the recipe. Use only one pepper for a milder sauce.
Absolutely yes. Like soups, this is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day. Make ahead, then store in single serving containers in the refrigerator until ready to reheat. Use a sauce pan stovetop or a large microwave safe container.
Recipe for Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken
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Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 14 ½ ounce can chopped tomatoes not drained
- 2 – 3 canned Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce seeds and veins scraped away, plus 1 Tablespoon of the adobo sauce.
- 1 tablespoon Achiote Paste
- 4-5 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon New Mexico Red Chile Powder
- ½ pound Chorizo sausage ground
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 poblano pepper diced
- 2 cups potatoes 1 inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon Sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 16 ounce Refried beans canned. And warmed.
- 10 Corn Tortillas Toasted. Or double this amount if using 2 tortillas per taco.
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend together the canned tomatoes, the Chipotle peppers, achiote paste and garlic.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle with flour. Use your hands to mix well and coat.
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and red chile powder. Add it to the floured chicken and use hands to distribute the seasoning.
- In a fry pan, (or your stove top friendly Slow Cooker insert) heat the pan over medium high heat. When hot, add crumbled Chorizo Sausage. Let it cook a couple of minutes to release some fat.
- Move the sausage to the edges of the pan and add half the chicken. Move the pan so the chorizo is somewhat off heat. Let the chicken sear for about 5 minutes, then turn. Sear the other side for a couple of minutes. Move the seared chicken to a plate, as you'll need to do this in two batches. And you may need to drizzle in some oil as you fry, depending on how much grease the chorizo creates.
- Once the chicken is seared and moved to a plate. I like to add a big splash of white wine, red wine or chicken stock to deglaze the pan. There's lots of flavor on the bottom of that pan. Use a sturdy spatula to stir all that flavor from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chopped poblano and onion to the chorizo and let cook for about 2 minutes.
- Place the chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the chorizo vegetable mix. Pour in the tinga chicken sauce, then sprinkle the potatoes on top.
- Sprinkle in the Mexican Oregano, Sherry Vinegar, and Worcestershire. Cover and cook on low 6 hours.
- Taking two forks, shred the chicken meat while still inside the pan. Stir well
- To serve, toast the corn tortillas directly over a gas stove grate, or in a hot comal stovetop. Spread the tortillas with a thin layer of warmed refried beans. Top with Chicken Tinga mixture.
- Garnishes: chopped avocado, sliced pickled jalapenos, diced yellow onion, and Mexican crumbling cheese such as Cotija.
Video
Notes
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- Deglaze the pan once the chorizo and vegetables are done cooking and removed from the pan and while the pan is still hot, add a splash of wine, or chicken stock. Use a sturdy spatula to stir and scrape up the bits of meat that remains on the bottom of the pan. Then pour it into the slow cooker. There’s a lot of flavor that results from deglazing.
-
- Char Your Tortillas: You simply can’t take a corn tortilla out of the package and make a taco, you need to make it pliable. Place corn tortillas directly on the open flame of a gas stove-top. Don’t walk away, in a few seconds you’ll see some charred spots on and around the edges. Flip it and let it cook another few seconds. The corn tortilla is pliable and the charred spots add smoky flavor. Remove the tortillas to a plate and cover while you toast the remaining shells.
- Double Up: Since these tacos use a saucy style meat filling, you can use two corn tortillas per taco for a sturdier taco. I like to use yellow corn tortillas as they are sturdier than white corn.
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken … It’s What’s For Dinner.
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Looks nice! I’m making it as instructed right now. I am a little worried that the meat/chicken might dry out (there wasn’t a whole lot of liquid in the pot. Do you think adding 1/2 cup of stock might be overkill?
i meant to give this a 5 star rating 😮
You made my mouth water and brought back memories of growing up in New Mexico!
Thank you! I hope you give the recipe a try.
I’ve made this a couple of times and it is absolutely delicious. It is quite spicy. Are the chipotle peppers the main source of the heat? I’d like to adjust to try to make it less spicy.
Hi Lori, so glad you like the recipe and thanks for your note. Yes, the chipotle peppers are your source of heat. They can deliver a big kick of heat. They’re jalapeno peppers that are dried and then added to a lively adobo sauce. Make sure you’re scraping the seeds and veins before use in this recipe, that’s where the majority of the heat lies. Or to keep that smoky flavor that makes these tacos special, substitute sweet smoky paprika. Start with a healthy teaspoon and then add more if you want, after a taste test. Let me know if you have any other questions.
These look and sound delicious!
Thank you Caroline!
Killer dish — SO full of flavor. And easy — my favorite kind. Definitely a winner — thanks.
Yuuup. You could say I’m now straight up pumped for Taco Tuesday. These look absolutely incredible!
Thank you so much Karly. Let me know what you think about the recipe.
I was introduced to tinga just a couple of weeks ago with some cabbage and carrot tinga tacos. The flavor of the tinga was great and we were talking about how good it would be with chicken. And here you are! These tacos look amazing and I love the addition of the chorizo.
Thanks so much for the comment about these tacos. After studying several recipes, I came up with a combo of flavors that I thought would work. The Chorizo is a Rick Bayless idea.
The cabbage and carrot tacos sound very interesting.
I have to tell you, I used New Mexico Chile Powder, a package I bought a Rancho de Chimayo, and following your recipe for Red Sauce, made some Pork Adovada this past weekend. My gosh was it good. Thanks again for your post using the powder.
I have a beautiful supply of fresh dried chile from Taos Spice Shop. I’ll use those for the next batch.
I cannot wait to try these! They look so amazing! We love chorizo and potatoes! Love them in this chicken recipe!
Thank you so much Nikki. Let me know what you think about the recipe.
This looks delicious! I have to admit I am a lazy crock pot cooker and very rarely sear my meats before I add them to the slow cooker.
I have had my “no sear” moments, but try to do it every time. Even though it messes up my stove top. 🙂
I will definitely be making this for supper soon. The chipotle pepper sauce for this dish sounds amazing!
Thank you Marcelle – let me know what you think.
These tacos look amazing! And such a great bonus that they can be made in a slow cooker!
Thank you Liz.
It looks and sounds delicious Lea Ann but no way can I deal with a splash as an amount (non-culinary school engineer you know) – would you make a guess as to the amount.
At least a tablespoon of the vinegar and a good glug of wine. 🙂