These slow cooker chicken tinga tacos are going to be your new go to dinner! Chicken thighs are slow cooked until tender with tomatoes, onion and chipotle, and then shredded and served with quick pickled red onion and avocado on soft tortillas. These chicken tinga tacos are perfect to serve a crowd or simply enjoyed for a simple family dinner.
When you think about slow cooker recipes, you’re probably thinking of soups and stews and all the comforting winter food. But slow cookers are perfect for the summer months as well because not only do they create delicious meals (of course!) but they also mean that you don’t have to turn on the oven. I am all about not adding MORE heat to my house in January!
If you’re not familiar with chicken tinga, it’s a Mexican dish made with shredded chicken in a rich tomato and chipotle sauce. It’s simple to make, especially in the slow cooker as we are just dumping everything in and letting the chicken cook until super tender and literally falling apart.
I like to blend the sauce to finish to give it that creamy and smooth consistency and then it’s just about serving them up with your favourite toppings. As the hero is the chicken and that sauce, you can really keep things simple when it comes to toppings. I am just doing some simple pickled red onion, avocado and of course some fresh lime.
These chicken tinga tacos are perfect to feed a crowd, or simply meal prep the chicken and enjoy it throughout the week in tacos or in Mexican-style rice bowls.
Key Ingredients
You’ll love how easy these chicken tinga tacos are to make using a few key ingredients to give them that delicious flavour.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken thighs – use boneless and skinless chicken thighs for the best result. I like slow cooking chicken thighs as they stay super moist thanks to their fat content, however you can use chicken breast if you prefer.
- Onion and garlic – one of the key flavours of tinga. I am using a brown onion and chopping roughly as the sauce gets blended at the end anyway.
- Chipotle in adobo – I use the La Costena Mexican Style Chipotle In Adobo Sauce to add the key smoky and spicy flavour to the chicken. You can use whole chipotles in adobo if you can find them instead. Adjust the quantity depending on how spicy you want the chicken.
- Spices – a combination of dried oregano, ground cumin and smoked paprika enhance the flavours.
- Diced tomatoes – a can of diced tomatoes becomes the base of the sauce.
- Small flour or corn tortillas – use the street style, smaller flour tacos for this recipe. You can also use corn tortillas if you want to keep this recipe gluten free.
- Red onion – this is turned into beautiful pink pickled onions to serve with the tacos. The tangy onions compliment the smoky and spicy chicken so well.
- Toppings – I am keeping it simple with some diced avocado and fresh lime.
Equipment and Tools
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- Slow cooker / All-in-one Cooker – I like the all-in-one cooker as I can choose whether to slow cook or pressure cook depending on the time I have available and what I am making, and I only need to find space for the one appliance.
- Vitamix Blender – while the step of blending the sauce is optional, I think it’s worth it for the best taste and texture. My Vitamix blender handles hot liquid and is super easy to clean.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Add everything to the slow cooker. Place the chicken thighs, onion, garlic, chipotle in adobo, dried oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and canned diced tomatoes in your slow cooker. Mix well so the chicken is fully coated and submerged in the liquid.
Cook the chicken. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. The chicken should be so tender it literally falls apart when you try to lift it.
Shred the chicken. Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the slow cooker and place it in a bowl. Use two forks to shred it into bite-sized pieces.
Blend the sauce. Pour the cooking liquid into a blender (make sure it can handle hot liquid) and blend until smooth.
Mix the chicken with the sauce. Return the sauce to the slow cooker, then stir the shredded chicken back in to coat. Season with salt to taste.
Assemble the tacos. Heat the tortillas over a gas flame for a few seconds each side, or wrap them in foil and warm in a low oven. Fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken tinga and top with pickled onions, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Storage and freezing instructions
The chicken tinga is great for meal prep. It can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it on the stovetop or microwave before serving. The pickled onions can also be prepared a few days ahead.
For any leftovers, you can freeze the chicken tinga in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make it on the stove top. For a stove top method, see below:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the chipotle in adobo, dried oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and canned diced tomatoes. Stir to combine. Place the chicken thighs into the pot, ensuring they are covered in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for 25–30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Shred the chicken and blend the sauce according to the slow cooker directions.
This recipe has a little spice, but it is quite mild. The level of spice really depends on the chipotle in adobo so feel free to reduce the amount to really tone down the spice.
More summer taco recipes:
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with @eightforestlane as I would love to see.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
For the slow cooked chicken tinga:
- 1 kilogram chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 tablespoons chipotle in adobo
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 400 gram canned diced tomatoes
- Salt to taste
For the pickled red onions:
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
To serve:
- 12 small flour or corn tortillas
- Avocado
- Lime
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in the bowl of the slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, crushed garlic, chipotle in adobo, dried oregano, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and canned diced tomatoes. Mix well to combine, ensuring the chicken is evenly coated and submerged in the liquid.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
- While the chicken cooks, place the thinly sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the onions and let them sit for 30 seconds to soften. Drain well.
- In a small bowl, mix together the white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Transfer the softened onions to a jar and pour over the pickling liquid, pressing the onions down so they’re fully submerged. Let them cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to a few days.
- Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and transfer it to a bowl. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
- Pour the cooking liquid into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the slow cooker, then add the shredded chicken back in, stirring to coat thoroughly. Season with salt to taste.
- Heat the tortillas directly over a gas flame or wrap them in foil and warm in a low oven.
- Fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken tinga. Top with pickled red onions, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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