Chicken Tinga Tacos in Instant Pot

These Chicken Tinga Tacos are generously packed with shredded chicken that's been simmered gently in the Instant Pot with a smoky, spicy tomato-onion sauce flavored with chipotle peppers. It's a colorful and customizable Mexican meal for a taco, tostada, burrito or enchilada.

Smoky, Spicy Chicken Tinga Recipe

I like to think of Chicken Tinga as a shredded chicken recipe that tickles your tastebuds. It's a traditional Mexican dish from Puebla, in which shredded chicken is simmered in a spicy, smoky red chili sauce, with just the right amount of heat from chipotle peppers.

It's a wonderfully versatile filling that you can turn into tacos, tostadas, burritos or enchiladas. Now that's a Mexican fiesta! 🙂

Traditional Slow-Cooked Chicken Tinga Flavors in 30 Minutes

The traditional recipe requires roasting and sautéing ingredients in multiple steps. In other words, a lot of time and effort. This Instant Pot Chicken Tinga is a quick and easy version that tastes just as authentic!

Chicken breasts are simmered in a sweet and smoky tomato-chipotle sauce, then shredded to bite-size pieces. To serve it authentic-style - wrap it in warm corn tortillas and generously top with cooling avocado, cotija or crema.

This Instant Pot Tinga recipe is regular in my home because:

• It's a one-pot dish- Ingredients are cooked in one pot and an immersion blender allows me to blend the sauce in the same pot without any extra dishes.
• 30-minute meal- I can get the same restaurant quality slow-cooked flavors with very little effort.
• I can easily double or triple the recipe for meal prep for the week and use it in different meals, like tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas .

Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions

This easy chicken tinga starts off with olive oil, aromatics and tomatoes, along with the main ingredient - canned chipotle peppers in adobo. A few additional spices and chicken breasts and you have a succulent Mexican filling in no time!

• Tomatoes: I love to use one medium, fresh tomato (Roma or on-the-vine).
  • If fresh tomatoes don't look good that day, I go for canned fire-roasted tomatoes. These add another layer of smoky flavor. I use 1 cup from a (14.5 ounces) can and store the rest in the fridge. Use within a week in another favorite Mexican recipe.
• Canned Chipotle Peppers in Adobo: These are smoked jalapeno peppers, so they add a spicy, smoky kick.
  • Look for one small can in the Mexican or global food section of grocery stores.
  • You will only need two peppers and a touch of the liquid out of the whole can. Freeze the remainder in an ice cube tray for a convenient re-use.
• Chicken: Two chicken breasts (roughly 1-1.25 pound total) are enough to generously fill 8-10 corn tortillas.
  • Purchase one package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (roughly 1-inch thick).
  • If the thickest part of the breast is more than 1-inch, increase the pressure cooking time to 10 minutes so the chicken cooks through.
• Tortillas: Corn tortillas make these chicken tinga tacos completely gluten-free.
  • Warm directly over a gas burner on your stove, in a nonstick skillet or in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.
  • Feel free to use small flour or whole wheat tortillas instead.
• Toppings: I keep it simple and authentic with chopped onion, cilantro and lime.
  • Add additional toppings such as avocado, cotija or greens.

How To Make Chicken Tinga - Step-By-Step Instructions

This homemade chicken tinga is so easy, the Instant Pot does most of the work for you. The real effort comes in assembling the toppings and tacos. Simply:

Step 1. Make the Shredded Chicken

• Saute Onions: Select Saute mode and let the pot heat for about 30 seconds. Add chopped onions and saute for 3 minutes, until they soften (Pic 1).
• Add Tomatoes, Chipotle and Spices: Add garlic, tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, adobo sauce, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin and paprika. Stir and saute for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes soften (Pic 2).
• Deglaze: Add water and deglaze the pot, scraping off any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom (Pic 3).
• Add Chicken and Seal: Place the chicken on top of the tomato-onion mix, do not stir. Lock the lid in place and select pressure cook (or manual) for 8 minutes. If the chicken breasts are thicker than 1-inch, select 10 minutes (Pic 4).

• Naturally Release Pressure: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (NPR), after which use the quick pressure release instructions. Open the lid only after the pin drops (Pic 5).
• Blend the Sauce: Remove the chicken and using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to a smooth consistency. Tilt the pot if the blender head doesn't fully submerge in the sauce. If using a standalone blender, for safety reasons wait for the sauce to cool down before blending (Pic 6).
• Shred the Chicken: Using two forks, shred the chicken to bite-size pieces (Pic 7).
• Add Chicken Back In: Add shredded chicken back into the sauce and mix well (Pic 8). Chicken Tinga is ready, Enjoy!

Step 2. Serve Taco-Style

• Warm Tortillas: To serve in tacos, warm or lightly toast the corn tortillas directly over a gas burner on the stove, in a nonstick skillet or in the oven.
• Fill and Enjoy: Serve about ½ cup of chicken tinga with sauce on each taco and top with chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Serving Suggestions - Create a Mexican Meal

Rather than tacos, feel free to enjoy chicken tinga as a complete Mexican meal in one of the following preparations:

1. Tostadas: Layer corn tortillas with refried beans, chicken tinga and cheese, then broil on High for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
2. Rice and Beans: Serve with a side of Mexican rice and creamy black beans or Mexican style quinoa.
3. Burritos: Fill 4 large and warm flour tortillas with 1 cup chicken tinga, chopped onions, sliced lettuce, avocado, cilantro and lime juice. Fold, wrap and enjoy.
4. Enchiladas: Fill corn tortillas with tinga recipe and shredded cheese. Roll tight and place in a casserole dish layered with enchilada sauce. Top with extra enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until warmed through. Optionally broil on High for 2 minutes after cooking for extra crispy cheese.

And to add to this Mexican Fiesta, enjoy it with a Skinny Margarita. This certainly adds a fun, festive kick to my usual Taco Tuesday! 🙂

Using Cooked Chicken in this Recipe

This recipe is easy to use with cooked pre-shredded or leftover rotisserie chicken too. Simply make the sauce as per instructions (minus the chicken). Blend the sauce, add the cooked shredded chicken and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until chicken warms through and gets coated with the sauce.

Customizable Topping Choices

Chicken Tinga is a dish most often served as a tostada layered with refried beans. In our house, we love to serve them as tacos with an endless amount of topping choices to pick-and-choose. Some of our favorites include:

• Creamy Avocado Dressing, Guacamole or Avocado Slices
• Chopped Onions, Shredded Lettuce, Cilantro and Fresh Squeeze of Lime
• Crumbled Cotija or Mexican Crema
• Homemade salsa or try this Pico de gallo recipe

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Use fresh or fire-roasted tomatoes. I love to use fresh tomatoes (Roma or on-the-vine work great), but if the tomatoes do not look good at the store that day, I go for a can of fire-roasted tomatoes. These add an extra smoky flavor. Use 1 cup out of the 14.5 ounces can and transfer the rest to an airtight container to store in the fridge. Use within a week in another favorite Mexican recipe.
• Two chipotle peppers equal medium spice level. For mild spiciness, use one pepper. For hot, use three peppers.
• Take note of chicken breast thickness. The thickness of the breast will alter the cooking time. My chicken breasts were 1-inch thick at the thickest part of the breast, so I set the Instant Pot for 8 minutes. If slightly thicker, increase the cooking time to 10 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender for ease and convenience. This allows you to blend the sauce right in the Instant Pot. Simply tilt the pot to fully submerge the blender. If a standalone blender is all you have on hand, make sure to cool the sauce before blending.

Commonly Asked Questions for Chicken Tinga

More Mexican Recipes From My Kitchen

• Instant Pot Carnitas: An easy dump and start pressure cooker recipe for juicy, tender and flavorful Mexican pulled pork.
• Easy Chicken Fajitas: Homemade chicken fajitas with peppers and onions prepared on a Sheet Pan or in the Air Fryer.
• Bean Burrito/Burrito Bowl: An authentic, versatile, build-your-own burrito packed with fresh vegetables and Mexican spices prepared in the Instant Pot.
• Chicken Fajita Pasta: A colorful dish of bell peppers, onions, penne, chicken, salsa, homemade taco seasoning and a blend of Mexican cheeses!
• Instant Pot Salsa Chicken Tacos: A fast and easy 3-ingredient chicken taco recipe ready in no time in the Instant Pot.
• Taco Pasta: An easy 30-minute Instant Pot and Stovetop recipe for a vegetarian pasta dressed up with taco seasoning.
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup: Tender chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, creamy beans and sweet corn come together in this earthy and zesty gluten-free soup recipe.

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