← Nouns Cooking · Mexican

Ingredients

• 700 g boneless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 white onion, half in a chunk, half thinly slivered
• 3 cloves Garlic, 1 whole, 2 chopped
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 500 g ripe plum tomatoes (or a 400 g tin), roughly chopped
• 2 chipotle chillies in adobo, plus 1 tbsp of the sauce
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Dried oregano
• ¼ tsp Dried thyme
• 12 corn tortillas or tostadas
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• 100 g Queso fresco, crumbled (optional)
• 4 tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream (optional)
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Put the chicken in a saucepan with the onion chunk, the whole garlic clove, the salt and about 1 litre of water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and poach for 20–25 min, until cooked through (75°C / 165°F in the thickest piece).
2. Lift out the chicken and let it cool a little, then pull it into fine shreds with two forks. Keep a mugful of the poaching broth.
3. Blend the tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce and chopped garlic until smooth.
4. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat and cook the slivered onion for 6–8 min, until soft and just turning golden.
5. Pour in the tomato mixture (it will spit), add the oregano and thyme and simmer for 8–10 min, stirring now and then, until it darkens and thickens.
6. Stir in the shredded chicken and a splash of broth and simmer for 5 min, until the sauce clings to the meat and is juicy but not runny. Taste for salt and heat.
7. Warm the tortillas or tostadas, pile on the tinga and finish with avocado, cheese, crema and a squeeze of lime.

Tips

• For more heat, chop in an extra chipotle; for less, use only the adobo sauce and skip the chillies.
• Leftover roast or rotisserie chicken works perfectly: skip the poaching and use stock instead of broth.
• The cheese and crema are optional; leave them out to keep it dairy-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Pati Jinich BBC Good Food