Authentic Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga – Fiery Taco Filling

Using our slow cooker to make easy Mexican Recipes makes dinner time a breeze. This Crockpot Chicken Tinga is perfect to meal prep with to make quesadillas, chicken tinga tacos, and Oven Nachos for a quick lunch or dinner.

Everything is tossed into the slow cooker to let it do all the work. That means no fuss, no stress – just the best flavor! If you love the flavor of this chicken you may also love this Mexican Shredded Chicken Recipe.

What is Chicken Tinga?

Chicken Tinga is a classic Mexican dish that is cooked in a smoky, tomato base sauce. Chicken Tinga originates in Puebla, Mexico and is sometimes called Tinga de Pollo. This Mexican Chicken can be used in many dishes such as tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and more.

We love to meal prep this chicken dish on the weekend so we can enjoy it all week long for quick lunches. It is also perfect to serve at your next family gathering.

Ingredients

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – You can also make with boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Yellow Onion – Dice the onion ahead of time. Learn How to Freeze Onion
• Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• Cumin – If you are out, see Best Substitute for Cumin
• Dried Oregano – If you are, you can also use Italian Seasoning Recipe
• Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – You can also use regular diced tomatoes
• Chipotle Peppers – With the Adobo Sauce

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

How to Make Chicken Tinga in the Slow Cooker

• Step 1 – Add the chicken breasts to a crock pot (at least 6 quart in size). 

Step 2 – In a food processor or blender, add in the kosher salt, black pepper, onions, garlic, cumin, dried oregano, tomatoes, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Blend until smooth and combined. 

Step 3 – Pour this mixture over the chicken in the crock pot. Cover and cook on for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until the chicken shreds easily.  

Step 4 – Remove the chicken from the crock pot. Shred with 2 forks.

Step 5 – Then mix the chicken back into the sauce in the crock pot. Serve as is or over tortillas or rice. Enjoy!  

Recipe Tips

• Chipotle Peppers – I use chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce. Pull 2 peppers out of the can and 1 tablespoon of the sauce and refrigerate or freeze the remaining to use in future recipes. If you are sensitive to spice, only use 1 chipotle pepper instead of 2.  
• Shredding Chicken – Shred the chicken with two forks or Learn How to Shred Chicken with a Mixer.
• Combining Sauce Ingredients – We used a food processor to blend the ingredients together but you can also use a blender.
• Instant Pot – Yes, you can make this recipe in the instant pot. Cook on high for 10 minutes with a natural release. Then shred the chicken and serve.

How to Serve Chicken Tinga

This Chicken Tinga is so versatile that you can serve it many different ways. These are some of our favorites.

• Tacos – Make Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe or Corn Tortillas and add in the shredded chicken then top with dice avocado, fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro.
• Tostadas – Buy some crispy tostadas shells and top with Easy Crockpot Refried Beans Recipe, chicken tinga, shredded lettuce and shredded cheese.
• Bowls – Make Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls with Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe with Black Bean Corn Salsa. Top with cotija cheese for even more flavor.
• You can even add make Chicken Quesadillas Recipe or Chicken Enchiladas for a delicious dinner idea.