Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga

This versatile Mexican dinner idea is a great option for a busy weeknight meal or for a gathering. I mean, who doesn’t LOVE tacos?

I could probably eat Mexican food DAILY! You too? A couple of my favorite Mexican inspired dishes:

• Steak Fajitas
• White Chicken Chili
• Taco Soup

You can also use Chicken Tinga in tostadas, burritos, or nachos.

One of the things I love about this dish is it uses mostly staple ingredients and things that are not hard to find.

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs– dark meat here is tender and juicy.
• Onion– one of the main flavor components of the dish, slice it about 1/4 inch thick, doesn’t need to be exact, you just want it thin.
• Garlic, cumin, oregano– adds key flavors for this dish.
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes– the base of the sauce.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce– This is what gives you the smoky spice. Find it in the “ethnic” aisle at your grocery store.
• Red onion, cotija cheese, cilantro- toppings for the tacos.

How to Make Chicken Tinga

STEP ONE: Prepare the chicken

• Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in the Crockpot and set aside

STEP TWO: Saute’ onions

• Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
• Add the sliced onions. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and transfer the onions to the slow cooker on top of the chicken.

STEP THREE: Make the sauce

• Place the tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano, and chipotle peppers, adobo sauce in the pitcher of a blender. Puree the ingredients until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Pour over the top of the onions and the chicken.

STEP FOUR: Cook and enjoy!

• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for two to three hours or low for four to six hours.
• When it’s finished cooking, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken.

AFMT PRO-TIP~ A great shortcut to shredding chicken is to use a stand mixer. Place the chicken in the bowl of the mixer. Use the paddle attachment and turn the mixer to ‘stir’ or 1 or 2 (too high will throw the chicken out of the bowl!). After a minute or so, you’ll have shredded chicken! Check out this video to see it in action.

• Return the chicken back to the slow cooker, and allow it to simmer, on low, in the sauce for 20 to 30 minutes.
• To make tacos with your chicken tinga, serve on tortillas topped with red onion, cilantro, and Cotija cheese. Squeeze the juice of a lime wedge over the top if desired.

This is truly so flavorful and so easy to make, I think this Chicken Tinga recipe going to become your new favorite for all things taco related.

Enjoy!

For pro-tips, notes and variations of this recipe, be sure to visit the blog! Thanks for reading!!