Tostadas de Tinga

Tinga hails from Puebla, where shredded chicken simmers in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce until deeply savory. Spooned onto crisp corn tostadas with cool shredded lettuce, it turns weeknight dinner into lively street-food energy.

Serves 4

Estimate for one serving

• 520 cal
• 38g protein
• 38g carbs
• 24g fat
• 5g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 large white onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes (canned)
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 lime wedges

Instructions

1. 1Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add chicken thighs and salt; simmer 15 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken, cool slightly, then shred with two forks. Reserve cooking liquid.
2. 2While chicken cooks, finely chop large white onion. Mince garlic cloves. Puree the 3 chipotle peppers with their adobo sauce in a blender or food processor until smooth.
3. 3Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the chopped onion and cook 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4Pour in the pureed chipotles, the can of diced tomatoes with juice, oregano, cumin, the bay leaf, and remaining salt. Stir and simmer 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
5. 5Add the shredded chicken and the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Remove bay leaf.
6. 6Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 °F. Brush both sides of the corn tortillas lightly with the remaining oil. Arrange on two baking sheets and bake 8–10 minutes, flipping once, until golden and crisp. (Alternatively, fry in ½ inch hot oil 30–45 seconds per side.)
7. 7Assemble the tostadas: spread a thin layer of crema on each crisp tortilla, top with a generous spoonful of warm chicken tinga, shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro, and a few pieces of the remaining raw onion.
8. 8Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side so each person can squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.