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Chicken tinga tacos topped with avocado, onion and cilantro in a white bowl on a yellow background.
Dinner · Mexican

Chicken Tinga Tacos

The chicken cooks right in the smoky tomato sauce, so it soaks up flavor the whole time instead of getting sauced at the end. Chipotle powder brings the smoke without opening a whole can of chipotles in adobo. Shred it in the pan and dinner is basically done.

Quick facts

30 min(4 prep, 26 cook)

2 servings

  • Gluten-free
  • Dairy-free
Step 0

Get it all out

Tick things off as they hit the counter.

  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 4
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil, like canola
  • 1 white onion, half thinly sliced, half finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½–1 tsp chipotle chili powder, labeled gluten-free
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz, with their juice
  • ¼ cup chicken broth, labeled gluten-free
  • ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

To serve

  • 6 corn tortillas, 6-inch, 100% corn, labeled gluten-free
  • 1 ripe avocadooptional
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, choppedoptional
  • 1 lime, cut into wedgesoptional
Then

Let 'em cook

Tap Done as you go. Each step lists what goes in.

  1. 1

    On a cutting board with a sharp knife, cut the onion in half through the root. Thinly slice one half into strips for the sauce and set the other half aside for topping. Mince the garlic.

    • 1 white onion
    • 2 cloves garlic
  2. 2

    Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and golden at the edges, about 4 minutes.

    • 1 tbsp neutral oil
    • 1 white onion
  3. 3

    Add the garlic, the chipotle chili powder (½ tsp for mild heat, 1 tsp for spicier), the smoked paprika, cumin and oregano. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ½–1 tsp chipotle chili powder
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp ground cumin
    • ½ tsp dried oregano
  4. 4

    Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, the broth and ½ tsp salt, and stir, scraping up anything stuck to the pan. Lay the chicken thighs in the sauce in a single layer and spoon some sauce over them. Wash your hands and anything that touched the raw chicken with hot, soapy water. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a steady bubble, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the biggest thigh reads at least 165°F and the meat pulls apart easily when you press it with a fork, about 15 minutes.

    • 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
    • ¼ cup chicken broth
    • ½ tsp kosher salt
    • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  5. 5

    While the chicken simmers, finely dice the other onion half on the cutting board. If using, chop the cilantro and cut the lime into wedges.

    • 1 white onion
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
    • 1 lime
  6. 6

    Turn off the heat and shred the chicken right in the pan with two forks into bite-size strands. Turn the heat to medium and cook uncovered, stirring, until the sauce clings to the chicken and nothing watery pools in the pan, about 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if it needs it.

    • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • ½ tsp kosher salt
  7. 7

    Stack the tortillas, wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave on high until hot and soft, about 45 seconds. Keep them wrapped until you fill them.

    • 6 corn tortillas
  8. 8

    If using the avocado, halve it, remove the pit and slice the flesh. Spoon the chicken into the tortillas and top with the diced onion, plus the avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime if using. Put any leftover chicken in the fridge within 2 hours.

    • 1 ripe avocado
    • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • 6 corn tortillas
    • 1 white onion
    • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
    • 1 lime