I’d love to share with you this simple and delicious Mexican recipe for Chicken Tinga. This recipe has often been taught and enjoyed in our Mexican fiesta cooking classes, and it is also appreciated often in our home. 

I poach a whole free-range chicken at least once a week. It means that dishes like this one can be created in no time at all. The remaining stock can be used for nourishing soups for lunches and quick dinners.

Thanks so much for being here. Hope you enjoy this recipe & if you are wanting a vegetarian option, these Mexican beans might be just the thing. 

Nellie

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Mexican Chicken tinga – Pulled chicken with chipotle sauce

Serves 6

For the poached chicken

1 whole free-range chicken (about 1.3 -1.5 kilos)
1 brown onion, peeled and halved
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3 pieces
1 celery stick, cut into 3 pieces
1 garlic clove, peeled and bashed
3 sprigs of thyme or use 1 bay leaf

For the chipotle sauce

4 tablespoons chipotle chillies in adobe sauce
4 ripe tomatoes, quartered (or use 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
200ml chicken stock (from poaching the chicken)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 brown onions, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed & diced
A good amount of freshly cracked black pepper

To serve

Tacos or tostadas
Shredded lettuce
Chipotle mayonnaise 
Avocado

Place the chicken in a large pot with vegetables, garlic, thyme or bay leaf. Add plenty of cold water to cover. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam and reduce heat down so that the surface just has a very gentle bubble every now and then. Poach the chicken for 50 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the chicken from the pot until it has cooled a little. 

Strip off the meat. 

Strain the stock & reserve 200ml for later in the recipe. Freeze remaining stock for soups etc.

For the chipotle sauce, place the chipotles and adobo sauce, the tomatoes, oregano, 200ml chicken stock in a blender or food processor along with a little sea salt & blend to form a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions and garlic over medium heat until soft and golden. Turn the heat up a little, and then add the chipotle puree. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken and reduce a little. Add the pulled chicken meat taste for seasoning. 

Serve with tacos or tostadas, shredded lettuce, chipotle mayonnaise and slices of avocado.