This EASY Tinga de Pollo (Chicken Tinga Tacos with Rotisserie Chicken) is a quick and easy traditional Mexican dish made with smoky, slightly spicy chipotle tomato sauce that’s flavored with onion, garlic, and herbs. Stir in shredded chicken and you have a 20 minute dinner for busy weeknights that is wicked good!
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Tinga is an amazingly delicious sauce that’s traditionally made with sauteed sliced onions, tomatoes, and chipotles in adobo sauce and then stirred into shredded chicken. It is often served with a layer of refried beans on a tostada shell, over white rice, or in a taco shell.
My favorite way to serve this pollo de tinga is wrapped in a corn tortilla then topped with avocado, cotija (or any crumbly cheese), sour cream (creme), and salsa (preferably pineapple habanero or taco salsa). It is absolutely my favorite rotisserie chicken taco (tacos de pollo)!
If you like Mexican main dishes made with rotisserie chicken try this honey lime shredded chicken. It's absolutely delicious in these Verde Enchiladas. Or use it in place of the shredded beef in these Smothered Burritos. So many Mexican recipes, so little time!
🥇 Why it’s great
- The beautiful thing about this tinga recipe is it’s versatility. I can be made on the stovetop, in the instant pot, or in the slow cooker. It also freezes beautifully.
- It is packed with flavor. From fire-roasted tomatoes, to smokey chipotles, to the spices in the adobo sauce, this tinga sauce has flavor in every layer.
- It’s great for making ahead, so having some in the fridge or freezer for a weeknight dinner is super easy.
🍅 Simple ingredients
Oil: Either canola oil or olive oil work in this recipe.
Onions: White onion or yellow onion are prefered. Sliced onion is traditional, but feel free to cut them anyway you prefer.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is perfect, but garlic powder may be substituted.
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce: Smoked jalapeno peppers in flavorful adobo sauce. The perfect amount of heat.
Oregano: Preferably Mexican oregano, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
Cumin: Lends another subtle smokey layer. A classic Mexican spice.
Canned fire-roasted tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are easier to store than fresh tomatoes. Plus, the tomatoes are charred before being canned which really ramps up the smoky flavor of the sauce.
Chicken broth: Helps to thin the sauce to the correct consistency while adding flavor.
Kosher salt: My go-to salt.
Rotisserie chicken: Pull it yourself or buy it already pulled. Either way it makes for a super quick dinner. If you don’t have rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken breasts or chicken thighs may be substituted.
🔪 How to make Tinga de Pollo (Chicken Tinga Recipe)
Put your seat belt on because this is going to go fast.
Step 1
In a large frying pan or large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion until translucent. Then add in the oregano and cumin for 30 seconds. Next add in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and salt to the pan. Let that all heat up over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes.
Once the sauce is warmed through it needs to be blended. I prefer to use an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one you can use a regular blender or food processor. If you use a food processor or blender, return the sauce to the pan after blending. Be careful because the sauce is hot.
Step 2
Add the chicken into the warm sauce. Simmer gently until the chicken is warmed through. Serve with toppings of your choice, but I highly recommend creamy avocado and fresh lime juice!
🌮 How to serve Pollo de Tinga
Shredded chicken in tinga sauce can be served several ways. Serve it over white rice or serve it on a tostada shell that has a thin layer of refried beans. It can also be served as tacos. These are our absolute favorite accompaniments for chicken tinga. Feel free to use some or all of them!
- Warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- Cotija cheese or queso fresco (or any crumbly Mexican cheese)
- Avocado
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Crema or sour cream
- Fresh salsa, salsa verde, Taco Salsa, or Roasted Pineapple Habanero Salsa
⏲ Instant pot and slow cooker instructions
Can I make chicken tinga in the Instant Pot?
Tinga sauce can be made in the Instant Pot (affiliate) by using the saute feature. Follow the directions as written for the stovetop. Once the tinga sauce and chicken are warmed through, press the “keep warm” button. It will hold well for a couple hours. This is a great option when you need to make dinner ahead or are taking to a potluck.
Can I make a pollo de tinga in the slow cooker?
For this particular Mexican food recipe the slow cooker (affiliate)ends up being the vessel to keep the sauce and chicken warm. The tinga sauce is cooked on the stovetop, and then added to a slow cooker to keep warm. This is the method I prefer to use when serving a crowd.
Once the sauce is cooked, add the chicken and tinga sauce to the slow cooker. Turn on low for one to two hours until chicken and sauce are hot. Then place the slow cooker on “keep warm” for up to four hours.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
This easy chicken tinga taco recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd. Keep the sauce and chicken prepared separately for up to two days ahead. When it is time to serve, warm the sauce and then add the chicken and cook until warmed through. Prep the toppings and tortillas just before serving.
🙋 Questions & Answers
If you do not have rotisserie chicken on hand feel free to use whatever chicken you have. Just be sure to measure out six cups of cooked, shredded chicken breasts or thighs.
This recipe does not use a whole can of chipotles in adobo. I have found the best way to store the leftover chilis and adobo sauce is to freeze them in ice cube trays. Just place 1-2 chipotles per cube and divide the remaining sauce between the cubes containing the peppers. Once frozen, pop them out of the ice cube tray and place in a zip bag in the freezer.
Just use less chipotle peppers in adobo if you want it slightly less spicy.
My favorite way that I have found to warm tortillas without frying them, is to get out the pancake griddle (affiliate). That's right, the pancake griddle. Heat it as hot as it can go. Spray it with cooking spray or use one of my favorite kitchen tools, the Misto (affiliate). Place the tortillas down and warm for a minute. Right before flipping spray the tops of the tortillas with more spray. Use a light touch here. They don't need a lot. Once that batch is done add the tortillas to this amazing tortilla warmer (affiliate). It's life changing. It keeps the tortillas perfectly moist. If you don't have one get a pan with a lid and place them in there while you do the rest.
📖 More easy dinner recipes
- If you have any leftover chicken tinga, try these Corn Tortilla Quesadillas. A 15 minute wonder!
- Shredded Honey Lime Chicken (with rotisserie chicken) - A simple, flavorful chicken recipe made in under 15 minutes. Great for tacos, enchiladas, and more.
- 25-Minute Broccoli Lemon Pasta is quick and filling. Perfect for busy weeknights.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Start with less chipotle peppers if you are worried about the spiciness level. You can always add more after tasting it.
- One whole rotisserie chicken (3 pound) from Sam's or Costco should be enough for this recipe. Measure the shredded chicken to be sure.
- If you have extra chipotles in adobo, freeze them in ice cube trays then pop them in a freezer bag for next time.
- Warm tortillas on a pancake griddle or skillet with a light spritz of oil. Keep warm in a tortilla warmer.
👋🏻 Connect with us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!
📋 Recipe
EASY Tinga de Pollo (Chicken Tinga Tacos with Rotisserie Chicken)
Ingredients
Tinga Sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 teaspoon oregano Mexican if you have it
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups rotisserie chicken meat shredded
Taco Ingredients
- 20-25 corn tortillas
- 1-2 limes, sliced optional
- 1 head cilantro, chopped optional
- cotija cheese optional
- avocado, diced optional
- red onion, diced optional
- salsa see post for recommendation
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Add in oregano and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add in chipotles in adobo, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth and salt. Bring to a simmer. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender/food processor) carefully blend ingredients until mostly smooth. This is a personal preference so go as smooth as you like. If using a blender or food processor add the sauce back into the skillet.
- Add in shredded chicken and stir to coat in sauce. Allow to warm through.
- To serve: On tostadas with a thin layer of beans, in a taco shell, over rice, or in a Mexican bowl. Layer on your favorite toppings and enjoy!
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Notes
- Start with less chipotle peppers if you are worried about the spiciness level. You can always add more after tasting it.
- One whole rotisserie chicken from Sam's or Costco will be enough for this recipe.
- If you have extra chipotles in adobo freeze them for next time.
- Warm tortillas on a pancake griddle or skillet with a light spritz of oil. Keep warm in tortilla warmer.
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
This recipe was inspired by Pinch of Yum. We have altered amounts and directions to suit our preferences.
Sarah H says
Are you using fresh or dried oregano in this recipe?
Made this tonight and it was so delicious, and very true to the title- EASY!
Victor says
made these last night and they are fantastic. sauce came out a little watery so just keep an eye on how much liquid goes in
Misty says
Glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing.
Rachel says
I made this recipe last night for my family, wow wow wow. This is a mighty step up from your regular taco night. My husband was raving over how delicious it was. I started with just one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and that was plenty hot for us. We used fresh cilantro, cotija cheese, and fresh avocado slices as toppings. I was thinking about adding salsa as a topping, but the sauce covering the chicken was completely amazing on its own. A very fast and easy dinner, especially since it allowed for leftovers (There was three of us eating a total of 12 tacos, for reference).
Misty says
So glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your notes with everyone.
Destiny Rogers says
I made this tonight and it was excellent. It was a hit with my husband, I will definitely be making this again. The directions were easy to follow and easy to make. It made a great weekday meal. I did not blend up the sauce because I didn't want to clean something else and it was great. I liked the chunkiness of the dish. Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe
Misty says
So glad your family liked it! Leaving the sauce unblended is a great option if you like that texture.
Danielle says
So happy to hear how much you liked it! Love that you modified it to fit your taste.
Leslie says
These are AMAZING! I will be making these regularly. Super easy even on a school night.
Misty says
Makes us happy that you loved them! Definitely a great weeknight dinner.
Eileen says
How many tortillas with the tortilla warmer hold?
Borrowed Bites says
The back of the tortilla warmer says up to 12 tortillas if you are placing the tortillas inside and microwaving them. However, when I use it as described in the post I can easily fit 24 or more.
Eileen says
Thank you!
David says
Yes, please!
Megan says
Omg. Made these tonight and pickled some red onions for toppings. Sooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
Misty says
Pickled red onions sound amazing for these! We're so happy you liked them!