Chicken Tinga
Tender shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce with plenty of soft onion. Pile it into lettuce cups or low-carb tortillas or over cauliflower rice — it is a meal-prep star.
Nutrition per serving
about ¾ cup- Net carbs
- 4.2g
- Calories
- 234kcal
- Protein
- 31g
- Fat
- 9g
- Total carbs
- 6.4 g
- Fiber
- 2.2 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Tinga cauliflower rice bowls: Spooned over garlicky cauliflower rice with your toppings, the tinga becomes a burrito-bowl-style lunch that packs well.
- Cook the riced cauliflower in the oil over medium-high heat 5–6 minutes, until tender, and season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lime. Divide among bowls and top with the tinga and toppings.
Pork & chorizo tinga: Tinga poblana-style: slow-simmered pork shoulder and crumbled chorizo in the same smoky sauce. Richer and even better the next day.
- Brown the chorizo in the oil 5 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains (160°F/71°C), then cook the onion in its fat.
- Add the sauce and pork, cover and simmer gently 1½–2 hours, adding a splash of water if it gets dry, until the pork is fork-tender. Shred and reduce as written.
Vegetarian (mushroom tinga): Tinga de hongos: torn oyster mushrooms browned until meaty and simmered in the chipotle sauce with vegetable broth.
- Brown the mushrooms in the extra oil in two batches, 5–6 minutes each, until golden, and set aside. Cook the onion, add the sauce and simmer 10 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms for 5 minutes more.
- Chipotle-tomato sauce
- Tinga
- Nice to have (optional)
- Chipotle-tomato sauce
- Tinga
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Chipotle-tomato sauce
- Tinga
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Chipotle-tomato sauce
- Tinga
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $11.05 for 6 servings ($1.84 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Blend the tomatoes, broth, garlic, chipotle powder, oregano, cumin and salt until smooth.
-
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden at the edges.
-
Pour in the sauce, add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Nestle in the chicken, cover and simmer gently 20–25 minutes, turning once, until the thighs are tender and read 165°F (74°C).
-
Shred the chicken with two forks right in the pan, then simmer uncovered 5–8 minutes, stirring, until the sauce clings to the meat and is no longer soupy. Remove the bay leaves and taste for salt and heat.
-
Serve in lettuce leaves topped with avocado, queso fresco, cilantro and a squeeze of lime, or spoon it over Mexican cauliflower rice or into coconut flour tortillas.
Tips for success
-
Canned chipotles in adobo give the deepest smoky flavor: blend 1–2 chiles plus 1 tbsp of their sauce in place of the chipotle powder. The adobo adds well under 1 g net carbs per serving. - Thighs stay moist through the simmer and shred easily. Breasts work too; pull them as soon as they reach 165°F (74°C).
- For more heat, add an extra chipotle or a pinch of cayenne; for a milder tinga, use half the chipotle powder plus a little smoked paprika.
Nice to have, not needed
- A blender makes the smoothest sauce — or simmer the tomatoes with the onion and mash them for a chunkier tinga.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Microwave 1½–2 minutes or warm in a covered skillet with a splash of broth, stirring halfway.
Prep tip: Freeze it in flat 1-cup portions — they thaw quickly for lettuce tacos, bowls or omelet fillings.
Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Add the fresh toppings after reheating.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosTinga cauliflower rice bowls
SwapSpooned over garlicky cauliflower rice with your toppings, the tinga becomes a burrito-bowl-style lunch that packs well.
- + 4 cups riced cauliflower
- + 1 tbsp avocado oil
6.3 g net · 272 kcal · 32 g protein · 12 g fat · ≈$2.28 per serving (+2.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Pork & chorizo tinga
ProteinTinga poblana-style: slow-simmered pork shoulder and crumbled chorizo in the same smoky sauce. Richer and even better the next day.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs → boneless pork shoulder
- + 4 oz fresh Mexican chorizo
4.9 g net · 463 kcal · 30 g protein · 35 g fat · ≈$2.01 per serving (+0.7 g net carbs vs the original)
Vegetarian (mushroom tinga)
ProteinTinga de hongos: torn oyster mushrooms browned until meaty and simmered in the chipotle sauce with vegetable broth.
- boneless skinless chicken thighs → oyster mushrooms
- chicken broth → vegetable broth
- + 1 tbsp extra avocado oil
8.6 g net · 108 kcal · 4.9 g protein · 5.5 g fat · ≈$4.55 per serving (+4.4 g net carbs vs the original)
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