How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
Learn how to make Instant Pot Chicken Tinga – a popular Mexican-inspired recipe containing tender, shredded chicken infused with chipotle peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, and earthy spices. This dish comes together quickly in the Instant Pot and makes an easy, versatile filling for tacos, tostadas, burrito bowls, and more.
Recipe Snapshot
PREP + COOK TIME: 45 minutes (including time to pressurize)
METHOD: Instant Pot
OTHER TOOLS: forks for shredding
TOTAL INGREDIENTS: 14
What is chicken tinga?
Chicken tinga is a Mexican shredded chicken dish with a saucy mix of deeply flavored tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and spices. The chipotle-tomato sauce keeps the chicken juicy and tender during cooking, and integrates well into a rich filling after the chicken has been cooked and shredded.
Chicken tinga is a versatile filling or topping for many popular Mexican dishes, including tacos, quesadillas, burritos, bowls, enchiladas, and salads.
What’s To Love About This Recipe
- Homemade chicken tinga stands out as a little different and more flavorful than traditional taco meat, which is why I love adding it to our family meal rotation! You can get so many uses out of shredded chicken tinga. We build bowls, tacos, salads, and more!
- This is one of those recipes that gets even better the next day. The flavors continue to deepen after cooking, and the meat stays juicy and flavorful. It’s a great way to prepare several protein-rich meals at the beginning of the week.
- Chicken tinga reheats really well and is easy to use in a variety of meals or with whatever sides and toppings you have available.
- This recipe has a noticeable kick depending on the quantity of peppers, but it’s easy to adjust by scaling back or making sure you don’t add the seeds.
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Chicken breasts are the base of a tinga recipe, and the meat is shredded after cooking in order to fully integrate with the sauce and peppers. The Instant Pot is a great choice for making this dish because it keeps the meat juicy and tender, not rubbery.
- Olive oil – Use a little olive oil to sauté the onion and garlic, which deepens the flavors before cooking.
- Yellow onion – Thinly slice a yellow onion to add to the shredded chicken and lightly sauté for extra flavor and depth.
- Garlic – Briefly sauté minced garlic cloves just enough to bring out aromatic elements without burning them in the Instant Pot. This creates complexity in the sauce base.
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes add more depth than regular diced tomatoes. I think it’s definitely worth using them if you can. I buy them from Aldi, but you can look for any high-quality canned version.
- Tomato paste – This thickens the sauce and adds deep, concentrated tomato flavor.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – These are easy to find in both canned and jarred versions, and the packaged sauce is always a convenient addition to get plenty of chipotle flavor. The chipotle peppers bring both heat and smokiness, so I recommend starting with less and adding more if needed.
- Adobo sauce – Use this sauce straight from the can or jar for that bold flavor!
- Spices – The spices in this recipe create a warm, earthy blend that gets as close as possible to the authentic chicken tinga flavor. Combine ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and salt to taste.
- Chicken broth – Use chicken broth for the added moisture necessary for the steam pressure.
- Lime juice (optional) – An optional squeeze of fresh lime at the end will really brighten the overall result. Without it, the chicken and sauce may taste a little flat.
How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the olive oil.
- Add the sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, turning once to coat.
- Lock the lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Allow a 5-minute natural release, then carefully quick-release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks.
- Return the chicken to the pot and stir well to coat in the sauce.
- If desired, stir in lime juice to brighten the flavors.
- Serve warm.
Pro Tips
- The sauce seems thin at first, but it thickens once the chicken is shredded and mixed back in. If it still feels too thin after cooking, letting it simmer on sauté mode for a few minutes will make a big difference and begin to thicken it.
- Shredding the chicken fairly fine helps it soak up more of the sauce.
- I don’t recommend using precooked or leftover chicken, including rotisserie chicken, in this recipe, since the goal is to let it fully absorb the tomato-chipotle flavors and maintain juiciness.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Use chicken thighs instead of breasts for juicier meat and deeper flavor, thanks to their higher fat content.
- If you really want to dial back the spiciness, you can use regular diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted tomatoes.
- You can also increase or decrease the spice level by adding more or less jarred or canned chipotle peppers.
- Feel free to use chicken bone broth, or swap regular broth for a reduced-sodium version if needed.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
- Optional: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add the sliced onion and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds, then transfer to the slow cooker. (If you skip the skillet step, simply add these ingredients to the slow cooker.)
- Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, turning once to coat.
- Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours, until the chicken is tender and easy to shred.
- Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.
- Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir well to coat in the sauce.
- Stir in lime juice, if desired, to brighten the flavors, and serve warm.
How To Serve Chicken Tinga
Chicken tinga is such a versatile filling or topping for practically any way that you want to serve it! Try these family-friendly options for plenty of variety:
- Tacos or tostadas – Serve chicken tinga with shredded lettuce and pico in warmed soft tacos or on crispy shells. Add extra cilantro and lime as a garnish, and shredded cheese or cotija cheese as a finishing touch!
- Burritos or rice bowls – Add a scoop of chicken tinga over Easy Spanish Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice, then add your favorite fresh toppings.
- Salads – Make a protein-heavy salad bowl with chicken tinga served warm or cold over salad greens. Add roasted corn or other fresh veggies to make this a hearty, filling mix.
- Nachos – Make chicken tinga nachos with sturdy tortilla chips, refried beans, and a sprinkle of Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or pepper Jack over the chicken.
- Quesadillas or enchiladas – Similarly, add the chicken tinga to your preferred tortillas and cheese, then grill on the skillet or bake in an oven-safe dish, spooning some of the extra tinga sauce over the top.
If you need a fresh side to go with your chicken tinga dishes, add tortilla chips alongside Easy Corn Salsa or Black Bean and Corn Salsa for a bright and fresh finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chicken tinga spicy?
Chicken tinga is moderately spicy due to the chipotle peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes. However, it is easy to adjust the spice level by adding fewer peppers or by making sure you don’t add any pepper seeds.
What is chicken tinga traditionally served with?
Chicken tinga is traditionally served as a filling or topping on many different Mexican dishes. It is often served street-food style with shredded lettuce on tostadas or in tacos, or layered into rice bowls, enchiladas, or burritos.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts to make chicken tinga?
You can use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts if preferred. Chicken thighs can stay more tender and forgiving with longer cooking times.
Can I make chicken tinga ahead of time?
Yes! You can cook chicken tinga ahead of time, let it cool, then store it in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving. This is a great make-ahead option since the flavors continue to deepen over time.
You can also prepare this as a freezer-meal adaptation by combining all ingredients in a freezer-safe bag and freezing it for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, defrost in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance, then add ingredients to the Instant Pot and cook as directed.
Storing and Reheating
How To Best Store Leftovers
Fridge
This is one of those recipes that makes amazing leftovers! Store leftover chicken tinga in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer
Be sure the chicken tinga has cooled, then add it to a freezer-safe container or zip bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the meat in the fridge before reheating.
How To Best Reheat Leftovers
This dish reheats really well and is easy to use in a variety of meals throughout the week! Reheat the chicken tinga in single portions in the microwave in short intervals, or add it to a skillet over medium heat, with an extra splash of broth or water as needed to preserve juiciness.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 to 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo minced
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Optional for finishing: 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode and add olive oil
- Add sliced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened
- Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then turn off Instant Pot
- Add fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and chicken broth, and stir to combine
- Nestle chicken breasts into sauce, turning once to coat
- Lock lid and set valve to sealing position
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes
- Allow a 5-minute natural release, then carefully quick-release remaining pressure
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks
- Return chicken to pot and stir well to coat in sauce
- If desired, stir in lime juice to brighten flavors
- Serve warm
Notes
- Store leftover chicken tinga in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, let the chicken tinga cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe container or zip bag for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat in single portions in the microwave in short intervals, or warm in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth or water to keep it juicy.
- The sauce may look thin at first, but it thickens once the chicken is shredded and mixed back in. If it still feels too thin, simmer on sauté mode for a few minutes to thicken it.
- Shredding the chicken fairly fine helps it soak up more of the sauce.
