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In this Instant Pot Chicken Tinga we loved the combination of chicken, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and a touch of Chipotle Chile Pepper. And this flavorful low-carb Mexican chicken specialty can be served in a variety of ways.
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Today I’m excited to share this recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tinga! This easy chicken recipe uses readily-available ingredients to produce chicken with Mexican flavors that so many people enjoy, and whenever you’re craving Mexican food this is a fun dish to try.
And not only is this delicious, I can confidently say the recipe is even kid-approved because when I was testing it with my niece Kara, her sister Alyson stopped by with her son Judd and we invited them to stay for lunch. Truthfully, I was skeptical about whether Judd would like it, but we served him a simple kid-friendly taco with the Chicken Tinga mixture, and he gave it a big thumbs up!
What is Chicken Tinga?
Tinga is a dish that originates from the Puebla region of Mexico. It features shredded chicken that’s been cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, chipotle peppers, herbs, and onions. The slightly spicy chicken can be served in a variety of ways, and this delicious way to cook chicken is found all over Mexico.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
Is this an authentic Chicken Tinga Recipe?
I’m not going to claim that this is a completely authentic Chicken Tinga Recipe, although I looked at recipes in cookbooks and all over the web to decide what I should use in my version. I skipped the traditional canned Chipotle Pepper in Adobo in favor of easier-to-use ground Chipotle chile pepper and probably made it a bit less spicy than authentic Tinga would be. And I experimented a bit with dried herbs to get the seasonings that I thought gave this the perfect barely-spicy flavor. And a few years after I first posted this recipe I got to try Chicken Tinga in Puebla city, and I am so happy to report that it tasted just like my version you see here!
How can you serve Chicken Tinga?
- We browned Mission Carb Balance Low-Carb Tortillas (affiliate link) in olive oil and topped then with a thin layer of guacamole, shredded Chicken Tinga, and crumbled Cotija Cheese to make the tostadas you see in the photos. (See the ingredients for that in the recipe notes if you want to make tostadas.)
- You can use low-carb tortillas or your favorite tortillas to make tacos with the shredded Chicken Tinga. Use toppings like avocado, cilantro, diced red onion, and cheese or any taco toppings you prefer for the tacos
- Roll the Chicken Tinga up in a larger flour tortilla to make a burrito with any other other burrito add-ins you prefer.
- The spicy chicken would be great served over lettuce for a Chicken Tinga Taco Salad! I’d love it with some Queso Blanco or Cotija cheese.
- And no matter which way you serve your chicken, I highly recommend adding a few slices of lime to the plate to squeeze on at the table.
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Tinga:
- Trim chicken breasts and cut into lengthwise strips.
- Heat oil in the Instant Pot on SAUTE, HIGH TEMPERATURE. Cook the chopped onion for about 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Add Chipotle Chile Pepper, Mexican Oregano (or Marjoram), ground Cumin, and ground Thyme and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Add chicken strips, diced tomatoes with liquid from the can, chicken broth, and sweetener.
- Lock lid and set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH TEMPERATURE, 4 minutes.
- When cooking time ends, let the Instant Pot NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board to cool enough to handle.
- While chicken cools use SAUTE, MEDIUM TEMPERATURE to simmer and reduce the cooking liquid for about 10 minutes.
- Shred chicken apart into bite-sized pieces and add it back to the Instant Pot. Cooker 2-3 minutes to be sure chicken is coated with liquid and heated through.
- Use the Chicken Tinga to make Tostadas, Tacos, Burritos, Taco Salad, or any other Mexican dish you prefer.
More Chicken with Mexican Flavors:
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 1/2 T olive oil
- 1 tsp. ground Chipotle Chile Pepper (or more, to taste)
- 2 tsp. dried Mexican Oregano (see notes)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground thyme
- 1 T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (see notes)
- one 14 oz. can Fire Roasted Salsa diced tomatoes
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim chicken breasts to remove undesirable parts and cut each breast into three lengthwise strips, or 4 strips if your breasts are really large.
- Chop onion and mince the garlic if you’re using fresh garlic.
- Then heat oil in the Instant Pot on SAUTE, HIGH TEMPERATURE. Cook the onion for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Add Chipotle Chili Pepper, Mexican Oregano (or Marjoram), ground cumin, and ground thyme and cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Add chicken strips, diced tomatoes with liquid from the can, chicken broth, and sweetener.
- Lock lid and set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH TEMPERATURE, 4 minutes.
- When cooking time ends, let the Instant Pot NATURAL RELEASE for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board to cool enough to handle.
- While chicken cools use SAUTE, MEDIUM TEMPERATURE to simmer and reduce the cooking liquid for about 10 minutes.
- Shred chicken apart into bite-sized pieces and add it back to the Instant Pot. Cooker 2-3 minutes to be sure chicken is coated with liquid and heated through.
- Use the Chicken Tinga to make Tostadas, Tacos, Burritos, Taco Salad, or any other Mexican dish you prefer.
Notes
You can use dried Marjoram (or skip it) if you don’t have Mexican oregano.
Canned chicken broth is fine, but I would use homemade chicken stock if I had some in the freezer.
Instructions and ingredients for making the Chicken Tinga Tostadas shown in the photos:
- 8 Mission Carb Balance Low-Carb Tortillas
- 2-3 T olive oil (for heating and browning tortillas to make tostada shells)
- 2 avocados, mashed with a pinch of cumin, a pinch of Chipotle Chile pepper, and 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice
- 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (more or less to taste)
- chopped cilantro (optional)
- slices of lime for serving
Heat oil in a frying pan and brown tortillas one at a time while you mash together avocado, cumin, Chipotle Chile Pepper, and lime juice. To assemble spread a thin layer of avocado over each crisped tortilla, top with some of the chicken mixture, sprinkle with Cotija Cheese, and serve with a few slices of lime.
This recipe inspired by many different Chicken Tinga recipes in cookbooks and around the web.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 143Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 236mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 20g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chicken Tinga is a good dish for any low-carb eating plan, including Keto and any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
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