Tinga Recipe

Place chicken thighs (or breasts), quartered onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large pot. Add water or chicken broth to cover the chicken by about 2 cm (approx. 1.5 l).

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Skim any foam that rises, reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer until chicken is cooked through and very tender, 25–35 minutes (thighs) or 20–25 minutes (breasts).

Remove chicken to a bowl and reserve 250 ml of the cooking liquid (strain if desired). Discard bay leaves and large solids. Let chicken cool slightly, then remove skin and bones and shred meat into bite-sized pieces with two forks. Set shredded chicken aside.

While the chicken cooks, remove stems and seeds from the dried ancho and guajillo chilies. Toast the chilies briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat, flipping until fragrant (10–20 seconds each), taking care not to burn them.

Place toasted chilies in a bowl and cover with 250 ml hot water. Let soak 15 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the roughly chopped onion and 3 garlic cloves and sauté until softened and lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes.

Add the halved roma tomatoes to the skillet and cook until they begin to collapse and char lightly, about 6–8 minutes. This concentrates flavor and removes excess moisture.

Transfer the softened chilies (drained but reserve a couple tablespoons of the soaking liquid), sautéed onion, garlic, tomatoes, 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo, oregano, thyme (if using), bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to a blender. Add about 150–200 ml of the reserved chicken cooking liquid or the chili soaking liquid to help blend into a smooth purée. Blend until very smooth, about 60 seconds. Adjust consistency with more reserved liquid if needed — sauce should be pourable but not watery.

Taste the puréed sauce and add 1 tbsp white vinegar or lime juice and additional salt if needed to balance sweetness from tomatoes and smokiness from chilies.

Return 1–2 tbsp oil to the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the puréed sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and the raw tomato smell is gone, about 6–8 minutes. If sauce seems very thick, add up to 50–100 ml reserved chicken liquid to reach a saucy consistency.

Add the shredded chicken to the skillet with the simmering tinga sauce. Stir to coat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8–12 minutes so the chicken absorbs the flavors, adding small splashes of reserved cooking liquid if it dries out. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime if desired.

Keep the tinga warm until ready to serve. If making ahead, cool and refrigerate; reheat gently with a splash of broth.

To serve, warm corn tortillas. Spoon 2–3 tbsp tinga onto each tortilla (or more for tacos), sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco, drizzle with crema, and garnish with chopped cilantro, radish slices and pickled red onion. Serve with lime wedges on the side.