Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 mediumyellow onion
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)olive oil
• 3 cloves, mincedgarlic
• 2chipotles in adobo
• 397 g (1 14-ounce can)fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoondried oregano
• 1½ teaspoonssalt
• 907 g (2 pounds)boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 packagetostadas
• 60 ml (¼ cup), choppedcoriander
• 80 ml (⅓ cup)cotija cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the onion

   Halve the onion. Slice one half and finely dice the other; keep the diced onion aside for serving.

2. 2

   Heat the oil

   Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

3. 3

   Soften the onion

   Add the sliced onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until soft.

4. 4

   Cook the garlic

   Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Add sauce ingredients

   Transfer the onion and garlic to a blender. Add the chipotles in adobo, fire-roasted tomatoes, oregano and salt.

6. 6

   Blend the sauce

   Blend on high until smooth.

7. 7

   Fill the cooker

   Put the tomato mixture and chicken thighs in the slow cooker.

8. 8

   Cook until tender

   Cook on high for 3–4 hours or on low for 6–7 hours.

9. 9

   Shred the chicken

   Use a fork to shred the chicken.

10. 10

    Build the tostadas

    To serve, put ⅓ cup chicken on each tostada. Add a sprinkle of chopped coriander, diced onion and cotija cheese.

11. 11

    Serve straight away

    Repeat with more tostadas and serve immediately.

What is chicken tinga?

Tinga is a Mexican preparation of shredded meat in a tomato-based sauce, often flavoured with chipotle. This version uses chicken thighs and the slow cooker to make the meat tender while the smoky, spicy sauce cooks alongside it.

Crisp tostadas give the saucy chicken a sturdy base, while diced onion, coriander and cotija add fresh, savoury contrasts at serving time.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 290 calories, 34g protein, 11g carbs, 12g fat.

The chicken thighs provide most of the protein, while the tostadas and tomatoes contribute carbohydrates. Olive oil and cotija contribute fat; the supplied per-serving figures are 290 kcal, 34 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates and 12 g fat. Add a salad or other fresh vegetables alongside to balance the plate.

Build the smoky tomato sauce

Onion first: soften the sliced half in oil before blending. This gives the sauce a mellower onion flavour than adding it raw.

Chipotles and tomatoes: chipotles in adobo bring smoke and heat, while fire-roasted tomatoes form the saucy base. Blend them with the cooked onion, garlic, oregano and salt until smooth.

Choose and cook the chicken

Chicken thighs: boneless, skinless thighs suit the long cooking time and are easy to shred once tender.

Timing: cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 6–7 hours, following the recipe’s timings. The chicken is ready to shred with a fork when it is tender.

Shred and coat the meat

Fork test: lift or check a piece of chicken and pull it apart with a fork. If it does not shred easily, continue cooking until tender.

Sauce coverage: shred the chicken in the cooker so the pieces can be mixed through the tomato and chipotle sauce.

Keep the tostadas crisp

Assemble just before eating: spoon the chicken onto each tostada and add the toppings immediately before serving. The crisp base softens as it sits beneath the sauce.

Portions: use ⅓ cup chicken per tostada, then finish with coriander, the reserved diced onion and cotija.

What to serve alongside

Fresh sides: a simple green salad or sliced avocado can sit alongside the tostadas without competing with the smoky sauce.

For a fuller meal, serve with rice or beans, keeping them on the side so the tostadas stay crisp.

Recipe notes & tips

• Reserve the finely diced onion for serving so it stays fresh and crisp.
• Taste a chipotle before blending if you want a sense of the sauce’s heat.
• Blend the sauce until smooth so it coats the chicken evenly.
• Shred the chicken with two forks while it is still in the slow cooker.
• Put the chicken on the tostadas just before serving to help keep them crisp.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: use one chipotle for a milder sauce.
• Add lime: squeeze lime over the assembled tostadas just before serving.
• Include avocado: add sliced or diced avocado as a fresh topping.
• Swap the base: serve the tinga in warm tortillas instead of on tostadas.
• Add beans: spoon black beans onto the tostadas with the chicken.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the onion sauté: soften it in the pan first, as directed, before blending.
• Leaving the sauce chunky: blend on high until smooth so it spreads through the chicken.
• Shredding too early: wait until the chicken is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
• Assembling ahead: add the saucy chicken to tostadas just before serving to limit softening.
• Forgetting the reserved onion: keep the diced half aside and use it as a topping.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover chicken and sauce in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat until hot, then assemble on fresh tostadas; store the tostadas and toppings separately.

Frequently asked questions