Easy Chicken Tinga Tacos
Tired of the same old taco night? Next time, skip the ground beef and level up with this easy recipe for Chicken Tinga Tacos! Inspired by the classic Mexican dish, this version delivers all the great flavor of traditional tinga—tender, smoky, perfectly spiced shredded chicken—but in a quicker, weeknight-friendly way.
Save this recipe for later!
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it whenever you like!
The best part? This chicken tinga recipe is incredibly versatile. Load up your favorite taco toppings, serve it over rice for an easy burrito bowl, or go all in with nachos. However you enjoy it, one thing’s for sure—this will be your go-to for fast, flavorful tacos every time!
Key Ingredients
Cumin. A must for any Taco Tuesday menu!
Garlic powder. Make sure you reach for garlic powder and not garlic salt as you can end up with overly salty tacos. Alternatively, you can use garlic cloves. In general one clove of garlic can replace a ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Mexican oregano. Has a deeper, more earthy taste than regular oregano (typically Italian).
Onion powder. Same as with the garlic powder, make sure you reach for onion powder and not onion salt so you can control the salt level of your tacos.
Thyme. Dried or fresh both work for this recipe. It adds a subtle smokiness & depth to the tacos
Smoked paprika. Another hallmark of Spanish-influenced dishes. Smoked paprika offers more depth but plain paprika will also work for this recipe
Cayenne pepper. Optional but if you like spice, like me, go for it! Feel free to customize the called for amount to match your own preferences for spice level.
You can also use red pepper flakes or crushed red pepper if you prefer!
Chicken. I use 1 pound in this recipe which serves 2 people comfortably with a day’s worth of leftovers for 2 as well!
Tortillas. I am partial to corn tortillas and recommend them for this recipe since they give the tacos a more authentic flavor but you can use flour tortillas if you prefer.
Tomato paste. It’s not tinga tacos without it!
Chicken broth or chicken stock. Use to loosen the fond from the pan after searing the chicken breast and to infuse some more flavor in the tacos!
Top Tips for the Best Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Ditch the store-bought taco seasoning! I promise nothing compares to a homemade seasoning blend. For this recipe I use the same herbs & spices in my go-to homemade taco seasoning blend. Get the scaled up recipe here and keep it on hand for your next Taco Tuesday!
- Work harder not smarter – if you have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer use it with a flat beater attachment to shred your chicken! Its a game-changing hack and gives you perfectly shredded chicken in less than a minute. The longer you leave the chicken in, the more finely it’ll be shredded.
- Use a heavy pan, like cast iron to sear your chicken. This will give the chicken a really deep caramelized crust. If you’d like, take it step further and opt to grill your chicken. That unmatched “made-over-open-fire” flavor will make these tacos irresistible!
- To build your tacos, layer with something that has a paste-like consistency (like guacamole, refried beans or even sour cream). This will help prevent the bottom of your taco from getting soggy and breaking when you lift it – especially if you like to get crazy with toppings like me!
- Make this recipe even easier by using store-bought rotisserie chicken! Simply skip to the simmering stage and add all the seasonings along with the chicken broth. This is a great way to use up that last bit of rotisserie chicken before its forgotten!
Get Creative with Toppings!
Perfectly seasoned chicken gives you the foundation of an amazing taco but for the perfect tacos go crazy and make it your own with your favorite toppings. I love to add refried black beans, guacamole, salsa and some fresh dice jalapeños & red onions to mine. My husband is a little simpler and goes for refried beans, sour cream & some crumbled queso fresco or cojita cheese. When it comes to toppings I usually opt for convenience (pre-made toppings) since these tacos are in my quick & easy dinner rotation. Plus I’ve done the most important part from scratch anyway !
Topping ideas for your Chicken Tinga Tacos:
- Beans. Black, red or pinto – it’s up to you! I recommend using refried beans. If you only have a can of beans you can make simple refried beans by heating the beans on the stove, smushing some with the bottom of a spoon or potato masher and just allowing it to reduce on the stove until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Red onion – diced or sliced. You can also gently pickle red onions yourself if you enjoy a sharper taste. To do this add your diced red onions to a container with a lid and add some red wine vinegar. Cover, shake and allow to rest in fridge until ready to assemble your tacos The vinegar doesn’t have to cover the onions but it should be enough to touch all of them when the container is shaken.
- Jalapeños – freshly sliced/diced or pickled
- Smashed avocado or guacamole.
- Salsa. You can make your own or just go easy with a jarred salsa.
- Sour cream.
- Queso fresco or cotija cheese.
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh lime juice
- Corn salsa. I love this copycat Chipotle corn salsa recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind or part of chicken should I use for this recipe? I recommend boneless chicken for this recipe for ease of shredding. This chicken tinga tacos recipe work with either chicken breast or chicken thighs so it’s up to your personal preference. Chicken breasts are leaner but chicken thighs tend to be a little bit more flavorful since they have more fat. If using breasts, opt for breast tenderloins or slice the breasts in half for more even & faster cooking
- What else can I make with this chicken tinga tacos recipe? Almost anything! When I make the shredded chicken, my husband and I are usually split – I make tacos and he layers his toppings onto chips to make chicken tinga nachos! I’ve also used the shredded chicken in taco bowls & taco salad along with the same toppings and some steamed rice. When I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll also make a burrito, using this Jamaican roti as my tortilla!
How to Make these Easy Chicken Tinga Tacos
Step 1. Trim the chicken of any excess fat or cartilage and then add all the seasonings except the salt & cayenne pepper. Toss to evenly distribute.
Step 2. Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat add oil. Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
Step 3. Add the tomato paste & chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and shred the chicken. You can shred the chicken using 2 forks or you can transfer to your stand mixer and beat on low-medium with a flat beater attachment.
If using a stand mixer, your chicken will be shredded in less than a minute; the longer you allow it to beat the more finely shredded the chicken will be.
Step 4. Reduce heat to low-medium and allow the shredded chicken to remain at a gentle simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add the salt & cayenne pepper to taste
Step 5. While the chicken simmers, prepare the tortillas. Bring a comal or other griddle up to medium heat. Lightly brush or spray each side of the corn tortillas with oil (I used olive oil).
Step 6. Heat up the corn tortillas on the comal, cooking briefly on each side for 20-30 seconds or until bubbles/air pockets start to form.
The goal is not to crisp the tortillas, only to lightly caramelize and heat them. The tortillas should still be flexible and you should be able to make a fist with them in your hand without them crumbling.
Wrap in a clean kitchen towel so you have soft & warm corn tortillas when you are ready to assemble your chicken tacos.
Assembling your Chicken Tinga Tacos
Step 7. Gather all your desired toppings and your warm tortillas. Start by spreading a topping that has creamy or paste-like consistency like refried beans, guacamole or sour cream.
Step 8. Add the shredded chicken from earlier and layer on the rest of your desired toppings. Using a lime wedge squeeze lime juice on each tortilla before eating. Enjoy hot!
Store any leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container.
Get this recipe in your email!
I’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it whenever you like!
Equipment
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 2 TBSP cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano or regular oregano
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- cayenne pepper optional, to taste
- salt to taste
For the Tacos
- 1 lb boneless chicken
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- corn tortillas
- lime wedges
Topping Ideas (As Desired)
- diced fresh jalapeños
- diced red onions
- guacamole
- black beans or refried beans
- Cotija cheese
Instructions
Making the Shredded Chicken
- Trim the chicken of any excess fat or cartilage and then add all the seasonings except the salt & cayenne pepper. Toss to evenly distribute.
- Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat add oil. Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is completely cooked through.
- Add the tomato paste & chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and shred the chicken. You can shred the chicken using 2 forks or in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on low-medium with a flat beater attachment.
- Reduce heat to low-medium and allow the shredded chicken to remain at a gentle simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add the salt & cayenne pepper to taste. While the chicken simmers, prepare the tortillas.
Preparing the Corn Tortillas
- Lightly brush or spray each side of the corn tortillas with oil (I used olive oil). Heat up the corn tortillas on the comal, cooking briefly on each side for 20-30 seconds or until bubbles/air pockets start to form. The goal is not to crisp the tortillas, only to lightly caramelize and heat them. They should still be flexible and you should be able to make a fist with them in your hand without them crumbling.
- Wrap the tortillas in a clean kitchen towel so you have soft & warm corn tortillas when you are ready to assemble your chicken tacos.
Assembling your Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Gather all your desired toppings and your warm tortillas. Start by spreading a topping that has creamy or paste-like consistency like refried beans, guacamole or sour cream.
- Add the shredded chicken from earlier and layer on the rest of your desired toppings. Using a lime wedge squeeze lime juice on each tortilla before eating. Enjoy hot!
- Store any leftover shredded chicken in an airtight container.
