Chicken tinga tacos
Shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle tomato sauce, piled on warm corn tortillas with crumbled queso fresco and a squeeze of lime.
- 45 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.32 a serving
- 470 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tbsp of the sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- ½ cup sour cream (optional)
- 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
Each serving has about 470 calories, 41 g protein, 47 g carbs and 14 g fat, and costs about $2.32 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
- No queso fresco? Cotija cheese or feta cheese works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the chicken in a medium with the water and ½ teaspoon of salt and bring it over high heat.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to low, cover, and gently 12 to 15 minutes, until the thickest breast reads 165°F. Save ½ cup of the cooking liquid and the chicken.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Low heatTimer: 14 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Heat the oil in a large over medium heat and cook the onion 5 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min 30 sec
in the tomatoes, chipotles and their sauce, oregano, the saved liquid and the rest of the salt, and 5 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Chipotles are smoky and hot. One pepper is mild, two is medium, and you can always add more.in the chicken and 3 to 4 minutes, until it has soaked up most of the sauce.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them 45 seconds, until warm.
Timer: 45 sec
Fill the tortillas with the tinga and top with queso fresco, sour cream, avocado and a squeeze of lime.
Food safety: If you’re pregnant, buy queso fresco labeled “made with pasteurized milk,” and for extra care, warm it until it’s steaming hot.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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