These Chicken Tinga Tacos are packed with shredded chicken that's been simmered gently in the Instant Pot with an authentic smoky, spicy tomato-onion sauce.
Select Saute mode and let the pot heat for about 30 seconds. Add chopped onions and saute for 3 minutes, until they soften.
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.
Add water and deglaze the pot, scraping off any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom.
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 breast are thicker than 1-inch, select 10 minutes.
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.
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.
Using two forks, shred the chicken to bite size pieces.
Add shredded chicken back into the sauce and mix well. Chicken Tinga is ready, Enjoy!
Serving Suggestion
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. Serve about ½ cup of chicken tinga with sauce on each taco and top with chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
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.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates including corn tortillas and toppings. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.