Chicken Tinga – An authentic Mexican recipe with spicy, smoky chicken cooked in onions, tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Served on warm tacos or tostadas, topped with crunchy purple cabbage, radishes or red onions, creamy avocado and crumbly cheese makes a perfect meal.
Note: The original recipe posted in May 2017 has been updated with detailed step by step photos. These Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos are our family favorite. Best part is that the shredded chicken can be made ahead of time as the flavors only get deeper and earthier over time.
Chicken Tinga Tacos can be served with crunchy, colorful toppings such as shredded purple/green cabbage, corn, red onions and cilantro, generous sprinkle of favorite mexican cheeses: pepper jack, cotija or queso fresco and then adding a dollop of creamy guacomole or this incredibly delicious Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce AKA “Crack Sauce” from my favorite blogger – Palak Patel. This addicting & versatile sauce needs a few basic ingredients and is ready in under 5-mins. Check out more recipes using this sauce on The Chutney Life.
What is Tinga?
Tinga is a traditional dish originating from the state of Puebla, home of the battle that Cinco de Mayo commemorates. It is made with shredded chicken in a sauce made from tomatoes, chipotle chilis in adobo sauce sliced onions and garlic. It is often served on a tostada and accompanied by a layer of refried beans. It can be topped with avocado slices, shredded lettuce, crumbled cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
Our favorite Mexican Cheeses to sprinkle over Tinga:
- Cotija – Aged cheese made with cow milk, is mild, salty and crumbly
- Queso Fresco – Fresh cheese made with cow milk is similar to feta and has a salty-sour kick
- Pepper Jack – Semi soft cheese with peppers and chilies with creamy, delicate taste
- Check out more on different Mexican Cheeses at Bon Appetit
Expert Advise – Although, I LOVE making this Chicken Tinga recipe in the Instant Pot, it will also work great in a slow cooker or stovetop. Just adjust the timings so that the chicken is cooked soft and can be easily shredded!
Why we love this incredibly delicious Chicken Tinga:
- EASY to make and can be made-ahead
- Crowd pleaser, no-fail recipe
- Gluten free with corn tortillas
- Can be made low carb by serving over chopped romaine
Instant Pot Chicken Tinga recipe step by step:
- Puree quartered tomato, garlic and half a can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce and set aside. My advice: Double up all the ingredients here, so you can use the full 7 ounce can of Chipotle peppers in adobo, 2 tomatoes and 8 garlic cloves. This will make little over a cup of sauce. Use half and freeze half for later or add more sauce for extra heat in the end!
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat oil. Add sliced onions and cook for a minute with glass lid on. Add diced tomatoes, chicken breasts, broth and salt. Pour the pepper puree over the chicken breasts. Select the Manual/Pressure Cook (HI) option and adjust the cook time to 8 minutes.
- Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot, take the chicken out and shred it using two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the pot and turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Cook for 5 mins or until the sauce thickens to desired consistency. Adjust salt and add cayenne pepper to taste.
- To serve: Cook the corn tortilla directly over medium flame until it gets a few charr marks. Serve with cabbage, red onions, cilantro, guacamole, mexican cheese and squeeze of fresh lime!
If you love Mexican food like us, please check out our other favorite:
Here is the quick video on making Chicken Tinga in Instant Pot:
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Chicken Tinga - An authentic Mexican recipe with spicy, smoky chicken cooked in onions, tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- 3.5 oz chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 large tomato quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2 tomatoes diced
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper optional to taste
- To Serve:
- 12 corn tortillas
- Optional toppings to serve:
- 1/2 cup Cilantro chopped
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- 1 cup cabbage shredded (purple or green)
- 1 avocado mashed
- cheese pepper jack. cotijo or queso fresco
- 1 lime cut in wedges
Puree quartered tomato, garlic and half a can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce and set aside. My advice: Double up all the ingredients here, so you can use the full 7 ounce can of Chipotle peppers in adobo, 2 tomatoes and 8 garlic cloves. This will make little over a cup of sauce. Use half and freeze half for later or add more sauce for extra heat in the end!
Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat oil. Add sliced onions and cook for a minute with glass lid on. Add diced tomatoes, chicken breasts, broth and salt. Pour the pepper puree over the chicken breasts. Select the Manual/Pressure Cook (HI) option and adjust the cook time to 8 minutes.
Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot, take the chicken out and shred it using two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the pot and turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Cook for 5 mins or until the sauce thickens to desired consistency. Adjust salt and add cayenne pepper to taste.
To serve: Cook the corn tortilla directly over medium flame until it gets a few charred marks. Serve with cabbage, red onions, cilantro, guacamole, mexican cheese and squeeze of fresh lime!
Recipe Video
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Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
Looks amazing!
Thank you!
Your dishes always look so good dear!
Thank you Annika!
Yummy! I diced the onion instad of slicing just so the kids wouldn’t notice them :P. Wonderful flavor and will make again and again 🙂
Thank you for teh feedback. My children love this recipe too.
Hello! Do you think this would work with paneer or tofu?!
Absolutely! I would lessen the spice paste and just cook everything on sauté or on stove top. No need to pressure cook
Thank you!!
You are welcome
I am still pretty new at this instant pot thing and I don’t own a glass lid “yet”. Can I make it without a lid?
Yes you absolutely can. Just sauté for a minute and follow the rest of the recipe as is. BTW, that glass lid is from my existing stovetop pot that happens to fit the Instant Pot.
Tried this out for dinner tonight, and although it was too spicy for my young kids i thought it was delicious!! Ill definitely try making this again and maybe only add a little less chipotle in adobo.
Yes reduce the chipotle chili. You can reserve some of that sauce and then add more later
Does the carb content include the corn tortilla? I am keto and want to use a cabbage leaf as a wrap to keep it low carb. Would this change the carb count you have listed here?
Thanks!
Yes! The carb content is from the tortillas used for serving. You can substitute that with leafy greans for low carb option.