Mexican Chicken Tinga In The Slow Cooker - Healthy

Mexican Chicken Tinga Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1-6 hours (depending on method of cooking)

Makes: 10-12 tacos or tostadas

Ingredients Needed

For Chicken Tinga

• 2 large onions, peeled and finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
• 700g/24fl oz tomato passata
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 5 teaspoons diced Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (or 3 chipotle peppers and 2 teaspoons of sauce)
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1 jalapeno (optional), sliced
• 3.5 teaspoons of salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1kg/2.2lbs chicken breasts or thighs (skinless, boneless)

Mexican Crema

• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or grated

To Serve

• 10-12 tacos or tostadas
• Fresh avocado
• Refried beans
• Coriander

Step-By-Step Instructions

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Step 1a SLOW COOKER/INSTANT POT- Add the onions, garlic, tomato passata, cumin, oregano, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chilli powder, sliced jalapeno, salt, black pepper and bay leaf to a slow cooker. Stir and taste for seasoning adding more salt if needed. Submerge chicken in the sauce and set to 3 hours high or 6 hours low.

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Step 1b STOVETOP - You can also cook this on the stovetop in a pot with the lid on where it will take about an hour to cook on medium heat (with stovetop method, ensure that it doesn't dry out).

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Step 2 SHRED - Remove chicken from the sauce and set to high for 20 minutes or 10 minutes on stovetop to reduce the sauce slightly. Shred with gloved hands or two forks. You can leave the sauce as is although if I have time I prefer to blend it up using an immersion blender (just remove bay leaf first!). Return chicken to the sauce and stir well. It is ready.

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Step 3 CREMA - Whisk sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice and garlic together in a small bowl.

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Step 4 SERVE - Serve with crispy tostadas (deep fried corn tortillas, see recipe here) or soft tacos with warm refried beans, slices of avocado, coriander and the crema sauce.

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Personal Note

I was so excited to try this chicken tinga the other night. Mr NQN was at a conference all day and at 2pm I set the slow cooker to start and the alarm set for three hours. By 5pm, it would be ready and I could let it cool, shred the meat and then eat at 6pm.

I continued to do work all afternoon and walked the dogs. One thing that I have to mention is the smell of this cooking might drive you a bit wild. It smelt so delicious and the aroma wafted through the whole house. Even when I got back with the dogs and opened the front door, somebody walking past commented, "Smells good!".

Then at 5pm, I practically skipped to the slow cooker and lifted the lid. I picked up a piece of chicken with the tongs and was aghast as it was still pink! I looked at the slow cooker and realised that I had set it on low which takes 6 hours, not high that takes 3 hours. I was crushed and I was envisaging this meal exactly. I could have placed it on the stovetop but I have to test the time that it takes to cook things for the recipe so I kept going in the slow cooker. I didn't get to eat this until 8pm which was way too late for me but at least I got to eat it that night!

So tell me Dear Reader, has that ever happened to you?