Description
Chicken tinga tacos are chicken tacos coated in a smokey, slightly spicy, tomato sauce and served taco style with pickled red onions, avocado, and cotija cheese. Only takes 30 minutes to make, the perfect weeknight meal or fancy enough for a party!
Ingredients
- Quick pickled red onion
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 filtered water cup water
- 2 teaspoons agave nectar (or white sugar)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- Chicken tinga taco filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 to 2 peppers in adobo sauce
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 chicken breasts
- For the tacos
- corn tortilla taco shells
- Optional toppings
- crumbled cotija cheese
- cilantro leaves
- avocado, cubed or sliced
- lime wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
- Make the pickled onions: To a large mason jar (or other container with a tight fitting lid) add the hot water, agave nectar or sugar, and salt – shake or stir until everything is well mixed and the salt is dissolved. Add the vinegar and mix to combine. Add the onions and use a spoon to push them under the liquid so that they are submerged. If you need a little more liquid add a little more vinegar to cover. Place the onions in the fridge to pickle while you make the tacos.
- Saute onions: Turn on your instant pot and hit the saute setting. Wait for the instant pot to heat up, heat the oil and add the onions. Saute the onions until tender and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Turn off the instant pot and transfer the onions to a blender.
- Blend the sauce: To the blender that has the onions add the cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, fire roasted tomatoes, peppers in adobo sauce, and lime juice. Blend on high until everything is well incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
- Cook the chicken: Transfer the blended sauce back to the instant pot along with the chicken breasts. use a spoon to cover the chicken with the sauce. Secure the instant pot lid and push the nozzle to sealing. Set the instant pot to pressure cook on high and set the timer for 8 minutes. Keep in mind that it will take about 6 minutes for the instant pot to come up to pressure (I timed it). Once the timer goes off move the nozzle to release and force release the steam, remove the lid. The chicken should be an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the toppings: While the chicken is cooking you can prepare all your taco toppings. Heat up the corn tortilla shells by following package instructions – I like to either heat them in a dry frying pan or directly on a low flame of my gas stove top. Place all the toppings in small separate bowls.
- Shred the chicken: Once the chicken is done cooking remove the chicken and shred it either by using two forks or by placing it in a bowl and using a stand mixer or hand mixer (a fast trick). Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.The sauce should be rather thick and cling to the chicken (see notes if it’s looking a little watery).
- To serve: Transfer the chicken tinga into a serving bowl and have all the other toppings in separate bowls for assembling. To assemble your taco add some chicken tinga followed by crumbled cotija cheese, cilantro leaves, pickled red onion, and a few chunks of avocado – give it a little squeeze of lime, if you would like, and enjoy.
Notes
Spice level: These tacos are a mild spicy with 1 adobo pepper. The pepper adds essential flavor to the sauce, I wouldn’t recommend omitting it but you could slice the pepper in half and remove the seeds to reduce the heat even more.
If you chicken tinga filling is watery: The chicken tinga filling should be saucy, yet not too watery. Watery isn’t good, it equals a soggy taco. Depending on how much juice your chicken releases while they’re cooked is why this could vary. To reduce the wateriness transfer the chicken tinga taco filling to a baking sheet that has been heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the chicken to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. You can skip this step if your taco filling isn’t too liquidey.
Toppings: I recommend all the toppings mentioned in the recipe, but especially the pickled onions and avocado!!
Slow cooker method: Saute the onion and garlic in a skillet, transfer to a blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients (except for the chicken, of course). Transfer the sauce to a slow cooker along with the chicken breasts. Cook on low for 5 or 6 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Follow the directions the remaining instructions as before. This is a rough estimation for time for the slow cooker. You also may need to add a l little chicken broth to the sauce as the sauce will boil off more with the slow cooker than the instant pot.
