Chicken Tinga Tacos

Servings: 12  tacos
Though pork tinga is the original (and it’s typically served as a main dish), chicken tinga has become a street vendor taquero staple beyond its homeland of Puebla. What’s not to love: chicken with roasted tomato, caramelized onion and smoky chipotle. In the best places, it’s garnished with avocado and fresco cheese, making it a crowd-pleasing combination of flavor and texture. While it’s easiest to make this tinga with canned chipotle, I encourage you to try it with the sweet pickled moritas/chipotles for the most dynamic flavor. Plus, a stash of those sweet-sour chiles in the refrigerator will become your secret flavor weapon for other dishes.

INGREDIENTS

  • For the pickled morita/chipotle chiles:
  • 2 ounces piloncillo (unrefined sugar) OR a generous ¼ cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vinegar (a fruit one like apple cider vinegar is typical in Mexico), plus more if needed
  • 2 ounces (18 to 20 pieces) dried morita/chipotle colorado chiles, stemmed
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • Salt
  • For the tinga:
  • Vegetable or olive oil to coat the pan
  • 1 large white onion, sliced a little less than ½ thick
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into half-inch pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • One 15 -ounce can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), lightly drained
  • 3 to 4 pickled morita/chipotle chiles, thinly sliced, plus some of their pickling liquid OR 3 to 4 canned chilpotle chiles en adobo, thinly sliced
  • About 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • A little additional vinegar, if you think the dish needs it
  • 12 warm corn tortillas
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • About 3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like farmers cheese, mild feta or fresh goat cheese
  • A handful of cilantro leaves for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the pickled moritas.  In a small saucepan, combine the piloncillo (or brown sugar), vinegar and ½ cup water.  Bring to a gentle simmer and stir until the piloncillo dissolves. Add the chiles, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt, then simmer for a couple of minutes.  Remove from the heat and cool, weighting the chiles to ensure even hydration.  (If there isn’t enough liquid to cover the chiles, add a little additional vinegar and water in equal portions.) After a couple of hours, the chiles are ready to use.  They will keep for months refrigerated in a sealed container. 

 

Brown the chicken.  Set a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat and film the bottom liberally with oil.  When hot add the onion.  Stir until it softens and begins to brown, about 4 minutes, then scatter the chicken in the pan in a single layer. Nestle it down to the bottom of the pan so that it will brown.  Cook until everything is richly browned, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.  

 

 Finish the dish.  In a blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes and their juice to a very coarse puree.  Add to the browned chicken in the skillet, along with the chiles and oregano.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is tender and the mixture is thick, about 4 minutes.  Taste and season with salt, about 1 teaspoon, and vinegar, if you would like it a little more tangy.

 

Serve.  Serve your chicken tinga on warm tortillas with a slice of avocado, a sprinkling of fresh cheese (queso fresco) and leaves of cilantro.