Authentic Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga – Fiery Taco Filling Guide

Okay, so here's the lowdown on Chicken Tinga (and my slow cooker mishaps)

Look, if you haven’t let your slow cooker do all the heavy lifting for taco night, seriously, what are you waiting for? I’ll be honest: the first time I ever made Chicken Tinga was for a random Tuesday night when I just could not face another round of plain old grilled chicken, you know? The smoky tomatoes and chipotle had my kitchen smelling amazing and when my partner walked in, he actually thought I’d cooked ALL DAY (I told him I did, but, well... slow cooker magic, amirite?). Also I once dropped a can of chipotles on my foot prepping this, so, y'know, it's not a glamorous dish but it *is* delicious.

Why you'll find this is a game-changer for taco night

I throw this together whenever I’m craving something warm and spicy but can't be fussed with standing over the stove. My family goes wild for this (except my youngest, who claims it’s ‘too spicy’ but honestly just likes to complain), and now it’s basically the one thing I’m expected to bring to every gathering, potluck, or football thing. I used to hate shredding chicken, but this recipe makes it pretty painless. Bonus: the leftovers, if you actually have any, somehow taste even better—no idea why, but I’m not questioning it.

Here’s what you need (ish)

• 2 pounds (around 900g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I sometimes use breasts if I’m out, but thighs = juicier)
• 1 big onion, sliced (red or yellow – honestly, whatever's in the pantry)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or just roughly chopped if you're feeling lazy
• 1 (14oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (my grandma swears by Muir Glen, but, like, store brand is fine too)
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (from a can) + a big spoonful of that delicious smoky sauce (scale it up or down for heat!)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (sometimes I skip this when the fridge is suspiciously empty—it's still good)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you’ve got it, if not, regular works)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste (I rarely measure—sorry)
• ½ cup chicken broth (or water if you’re in a pinch)
• Optional: a handful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, or maybe crumbled cotija for serving

Let’s make it (with a few meandering tangents)

1. Toss the sliced onions into your slow cooker. Layer the chicken thighs on top, but don’t get too precious about the arrangement—just toss 'em in.
2. In a blender (or, if you don’t have one, bash it all together with a fork—I did this once out of pure desperation), add the tomatoes, chipotles, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, a good pinch of salt, and chicken broth. Blend until smooth-ish. Does it smell spicy yet? (This is where I usually sneak a taste and maybe sneeze if I get too close to the chipotle.)
3. Pour that tomato-chipotle mess over the chicken, give everything a little shake or swirl. Don’t worry if it looks like a swamp right now—it sorts itself out.
4. Pop the lid on and set it to cook on LOW for about 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Don’t peek too much; just let it do its thing.
5. Once it’s all fall-apart tender, grab two forks and shred the chicken right in the pot. It’ll look wetter than you expect, but actually, I find it thickens up as it sits. If it’s too much liquid, just leave the lid off for a bit or crank to HIGH for the last 20 mins to reduce.
6. Give it a taste! Add more salt, or a bigger squeeze of lime, maybe an extra chipotle if you like life spicy. Then pile onto tortillas and toss on whatever extras you love. Mom always insists on cabbage, but I just go for avocado and raw onion most of the time.

Some things I learned the hard way (Notes)

• If your onions end up a bit mushy, don’t fret; they kinda melt into the sauce in a good way
• I once used smoked paprika instead of chipotles, thinking it’d be similar—it wasn’t, but it still tasted great
• Cotija is lush, but sometimes I just go at it with cheddar if that's all I've got
• The longer it sits, the smokier it gets—I think it’s even tastier the next day

Stuff I’ve played around with (and not always nailed)

• Added canned black beans once—tasted good but got a little mushy after several hours; maybe better to add at the end?
• Tried pineapple chunks for a sweet kick (was... odd, let’s leave it at that)
• I’ll swap in turkey if I’m out of chicken—shreds up fine, just needs a pinch more salt

What you might need—but don't stress if you don't have it

• Slow cooker (duh), but if you haven’t got one, just go low and slow in a Dutch oven in the oven at 300°F—done that twice, worked a charm
• Blender, or a stick blender, or brute force with a whisk, honestly
• Two big forks for shredding (but my sister uses her hands—less clean up, more messy)

How to keep the leftovers (theoretically)

Store the Chicken Tinga in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Though, honestly, it never lasts more than a day and a half around here. If you're actually better at self control, you can freeze it for up to 2 months (label it, or you'll forget what it is later—learned this the hard way, had "mystery red chicken" once).

How we serve it up (shameless family traditions included)

Well, obviously in tacos loaded with avocado and pickled onions. Sometimes I make a big rice bowl and just dump Tinga right on top with a dollop of sour cream. My aunt insists on serving it tostada-style at every family birthday because apparently, that's the "proper Mexican way," though honestly, I just like it straight out of the pot with a fork when no one's looking.

If I could give you some pro (aka, oops) tips

• Don't rush the cooking; I once tried to speed it up by cranking the slow cooker to high the whole time—ended up dry. Not worth it.
• Resist shredding too early; it actually tastes better and absorbs more flavor if you wait
• Oh, and double glove up if you use your hands to shred—unless you want spicy chipotle fingers. Trust me.

Your burning Tinga questions, answered (plus some random advice)

• Can I make this spicier or milder?
  For sure—just use more or less chipotle. Or scrape out seeds if you’re feeling timid. It’s your kitchen.
• Can I do this on the stove instead?
  Yep, simmer it all together and keep an eye so it doesn’t stick. But, slow cooker is less drama.
• Is it really okay to use chicken breasts?
  Absolutely! Just watch the cook time—breasts dry out a bit faster, but hey, it’ll still be tasty.
• I don’t have chipotle in adobo. What else?
  Eh, smoked paprika and some hot sauce if you must, but the magic is the chipotle. Bite the bullet and get a can if you can. (Kinda worth it, honest.)
• Does it reheat well?
  Actually, it rewarms like a dream. Just don’t microwave it in a metal bowl—I mean, you wouldn’t, but my cousin did once. Not recommended!

And, you know, if you get distracted halfway through and let it cook a bit longer than planned? Somehow, it's still tasty. Just another win for the slow cooker, if you ask me.

★★★★★ 4.30 from 13 ratings

Authentic Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga – Fiery Taco Filling

yield: 6 servings

prep: 20 mins

cook: 20 mins

total: 50 mins

A spicy, authentic Mexican Chicken Tinga bursting with smoky chipotle flavor, tender shredded chicken, and a rich tomato-chile sauce. Perfect as a fiery taco filling for your next fiesta.

🖨️ Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

1. 1
   Place the sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. 2
   Layer the chicken breasts on top of the onions and garlic.
3. 3
   In a medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and chicken broth. Mix well.
4. 4
   Pour the tomato-chipotle mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker, making sure the chicken is well covered.
5. 5
   Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily.
6. 6
   Shred the chicken using two forks, mix with the sauce, and serve hot as taco filling.

CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO ↑

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories: 250cal

Protein: 37 gg

Fat: 6 gg

Saturated Fat: 0g

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg

Potassium: 0mg

Total Carbs: 10 gg

Fiber: 0g

Sugar: 0g

Net Carbs: 0g

Vitamin A: 0

Vitamin C: 0mg

Calcium: 0mg

Iron: 0mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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