In our house, we are OBSESSED with Mexican food! Every Tuesday is a taco Tuesday, and we make these chicken tinga very often. The chicken turns out so tender, saucy, and the smoky flavor coming from the chipotles in adobo is incredible! You will love this recipe because it’s SO easy, takes just a few minutes of prep, and the Instant Pot will do most of the work for you. This recipe is also very versatile and can be changed up to your preference. Want more heat? Add chipotles! Feeding your little ones? Skip the chilis! Following a low-carb diet? Serve over chopped lettuce!
What Does Tinga Mean?
Tinga is an authentic Mexican dish that originated in Puebla, Mexico. Made with shredded chicken, tomatoes, smokey chipotles in adobo, and onions making it a saucy shredded chicken recipe. The most popular way to serve tinga is over tostadas, but it can also be served in tacos or burritos. Tinga can also be made with beef similar to barbacoa and Mexican shredded beef, or pork similar to carnitas.
The Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make chicken tinga:
Chicken breasts: tinga is traditionally made with chicken breasts that are perfect for shredding.Sauce ingredients: onion, garlic, chipotles in adobo, diced tomatoes (I use canned), plus the ingredients below.Chicken stock: use chicken or vegetable stock to make the sauce. This will also help the Instant Pot to pressurize.Spices: ground cinnamon, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.Olive oil: you can use any oil to caramelize the onions, I like the flavor that olive oil adds and use it for Mexican cooking in general.Bay leaves: these are added with the sauce for extra flavor.Lime: like with most Mexican recipes, a squeeze of fresh lime juices brings out the awesome flavors!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
How to Shred Chicken Breast?
You can either shred the chicken using 2 forks, with your hands, or using a stand mixer which is great if you’re making a large batch of chicken. To learn more, check out my Crockpot shredded chicken recipe as I go into detail and share my tips on shredding cooked chicken.
Top Tips
While this recipe calls for chicken breasts, you can use chicken thighs if you prefer.Frozen chicken can also be used, but you’ll have to add 5 minutes to the cooking time. Set the timer at 15 minutes, and cook on high pressure then naturally release the steam for 5 minutes.The chipotle in adobo sauce is what gives the sauce a smoky flavor, so do not skip it!Make chicken broth or vegetable stock/broth in your Instant Pot instead of buying it at the grocery store. It’s SO easy to make, healthier, and cheaper!I use just regular canned diced tomatoes, you can substitute with fresh tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra smokiness!If you don’t have a food processor or a blender, you can just finely chop everything and add it to the Instant Pot. The result won’t be exactly the same, but it will still be delicious.The recipe is dairy-free, and gluten-free if you serve in gluten-free corn tortillas or in a salad or burrito bowl. Also, Whole30 compliant, low-carb, and Paleo.If you double the recipe, keep the cooking time the same.If you have leftover plain shredded chicken, you can easily make it in a pan or in the Instant Pot without pressure cooking (using the SAUTE setting).For a simplified Instant Pot chicken taco recipe, try my shredded salsa chicken! I also have a creamy 3-ingredient version of salsa chicken that’s perfect for sliders.
Storing Tips
Fridge: Store the leftover tinga in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.Freezer: You can freeze chicken tinga in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge completely before reheating and serving.
Topping Ideas
Sliced avocado and diced red onion, or creamy guacamoleLime crema (much better than plain sour cream!)Fresh pineapple salsaHomemade refried beansInstant Pot pinto beansInstant Pot cilantro lime rice
© Little Sunny Kitchen
