Crockpot Chicken Tinga - An Essential Mexican Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole White Onion (roughly diced)
• 3 cloves Garlic (smashed with the side of a knife)
• 14.5 oz Fire‑Roasted Diced Tomatoes (canned, standard size)
• 2 lb Chicken Thighs (bone‑in, skinless; can use 2‑3 lb and adjust salt)
• 3 tsp Kosher Salt (1 tsp per pound of meat plus 50 % extra for onions)
• 2 pieces Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (adjust to 5 for extra heat)
• 1 tbsp Adobo Sauce (from the chipotle can)
• 1 tsp Black Pepper (freshly cracked)
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Oregano (Mexican oregano preferred; regular oregano acceptable)
• 1 piece Bay Leaf (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare aromatics

   Roughly dice the white onion and smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife into irregular pieces.

   Time: PT5M

2. Add aromatics to slow cooker

   Place the diced onion and smashed garlic into the bottom of the slow cooker.

   Time: PT1M

3. Add fire‑roasted tomatoes

   Open the 14.5 oz can of fire‑roasted tomatoes and pour the contents over the aromatics.

   Time: PT1M

4. Add chicken thighs

   Lay the 2 lb of chicken thighs on top of the tomato mixture.

   Time: PT2M

5. Season the mixture

   Sprinkle 3 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp oregano, add 2 chipotle peppers with their adobo sauce, and stir in 1 tbsp extra adobo sauce. Add the optional bay leaf.

   Time: PT2M

6. Slow cook

   Cover the slow cooker and set it to Low for 6 hours (or High for 3 hours). The chicken will become tender enough to fall apart.

   Time: PT6H

7. Shred the chicken

   Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, let it cool enough to handle (about 5‑10 min), then shred with two forks.

   Time: PT10M

8. Blend the braising liquid

   Remove the bay leaf if used, then blend the remaining liquid until smooth. A hand blender works well directly in the pot.

   Time: PT5M

9. Finish sauce reduction

   Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, stir to combine, and set the cooker to High for 10 minutes so the sauce reduces and coats the meat.

   Time: PT10M

10. Serve

    Serve the chicken tinga warm in corn tortillas with avocado, lime wedges, or use it as a filling for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or nachos.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

330

Protein

25 g

Carbohydrates

8 g

Fat

15 g

Fiber

2 g