Tostadas de tinga are an easy and insanely delicious Mexican meal consisting of shredded chicken breasts that’s covered in a flavorful tomato sauce and served on tostadas along with your favorite garnishes. If you like this recipe you should check out my tostadas de jaiba (crab tostadas) next.
If you have leftover chicken breasts, chicken tinga is a great way to use them up. You can use store bought tostadas or you can make your own tostadas using corn tortillas. Either way is fine!
Ingredients needed
- chicken breasts
- white onion
- garlic cloves
- bay leaves
- chicken bouillon
- roma tomatoes
- chipotle peppers in adobo
- olive oil
- sour cream
- lettuce
- tostadas
What is tinga sauce made of?
The sauce is made with roma tomatoes, chipotle peppers, chicken bouillon, garlic cloves and onion.
They’re simple ingredients but pack a lot of flavor!
Is it spicy?
It can be depending on how much of the can of chipotle peppers you use. I use just 1/2 a cup and it’s not too spicy for us. Even my kids eat it.
However, if you are sensitive to spicy foods I suggest using 1/3 a cup instead.
How to make tostadas de tinga
To cook the chicken breasts you’ll also need onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves and bouillon. This will add flavor to the chicken.
Add all of the ingredients to a pot and cover with water. Then bring to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for about 25 minutes.
Then remove from the pot and place in a bowl to cool before shredding.
While the chicken is cooking roughly chop the tomatoes and measure out the amount of chipotle peppers you’ll be using.
Then transfer the tomatoes and peppers to a blender and add about 1/2 a cup of water to the blender. Blend for about a minute or until smooth. Then set aside.
Next slice a small white onion into thin rings then roughly chop them. Also finely chop three garlic cloves. Set the onion and garlic aside.
Once the chicken has cooled down enough to handle shred it.
Heat up a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Season with salt and black pepper. Then add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the blended tomato sauce to the skillet. Season the sauce with salt or chicken bouillon. Cook for a few minutes while stirring occasionally.
Next, add the shredded chicken to the tinga sauce. Stir until all the chicken is covered in the sauce. Then cover the pot and let simmer for just a few minutes. Then remove from heat.
Assembling the tostadas de tinga
My husband and I like to spread sour cream on our tostadas then we top them with the chicken tinga mixture and then shredded lettuce.
Other optional toppings include crumbled queso fresco and sliced avocados.
Where can I find chipotle peppers in adobo?
You can find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce at your local grocery store. It comes in a can. They are with the hispanic products. If you can’t find them you can look for them at a Mexican supermarket.
What to serve with tinga tostadas?
I like to serve mine with fideo seco. Some other good sides are pinto beans and rice.
Looking for more chicken recipe? Try these:
Chicken tinga tostadas
These chicken tinga tostadas are one of our favorite meals. I really hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. If you do, let me know what you think of it in the comments below.
And don’t forget to leave it a rating.
Thank you for visiting, see you soon!
Tostadas de Tinga
Tostadas de tinga are a delicious and easy recipe consisting of shredded chicken covered in a tomato sauce and served on tostadas.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 white onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tsp chicken bouillon
- 5 roma tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tbs olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- sour cream
- 12 tostadas
- shredded lettuce
Instructions
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Put the chicken breasts in a pot along with 1/2 an onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves and the 3 tsp of chicken bouillon. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 25 minutes.
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Once the chicken is done transfer it to a bowl to cool before shredding.
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Roughly chop the tomatoes and measure out the chipotle peppers in adobo you'll be using.
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Add the tomatoes and peppers to the blender along with 1/2 of water. Blend until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
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Slice the remaining onion into thin rings then roughly chop them. Next, mince three garlic cloves.
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Once the chicken has cooled shred it.
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Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. One hot add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Then add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
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Add the blended sauce to the skillet. Taste for salt. Season with more salt or chicken bouillon. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring ocassionally.
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Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and stir until completely covered in the sauce. Cover the pot and let it simmer for just a few minutes. Remove from heat.
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Spread sour cream on the tostadas. Then top with the chicken tinga and shredded lettuce.
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Serve and enjoy!