Chicken Tinga

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Chicken Tinga

A batch of chicken tinga makes meal prep for the week a cinch. Simply reheat for tacos, nachos, rice bowls, even pizza! It's also an ideal option for feeding a crowd or hosting a game day party.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken breast
  • 2 Tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil, divided
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup red onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 can (14.5-oz) diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Optional for serving: tortillas, lettuce, queso fresco, cilantro, tomatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Rub chicken with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake, covered, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool, reserving any chicken juice from the baking pan. Once the chicken is cooled, pull apart to shred.

While the chicken cools, heat the remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the can of tomato and its juices, the reserved chicken juice, chipotles in sauce, water, chicken base, cumin, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Use an immersion blender (or let the sauce cool, then use a blender) and blend the sauce smooth, adding more water if needed. Return to stove to simmer, add the shredded chicken, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve in tacos, burritos, or rice bowls.