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Food-Comida / Recipes-Recetas

Chicken tinga: versatile staple for making comfort foods on a budget

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Chicken tinga on warm corn tortillas topped with chopped cilantro and sliced onions

With oil prices rising due to the Iran war and inflation remaining stubbornly elevated, everything is expected to get more expensive. Economists say not even the car-free can escape the expected spike in the cost of consumer goods. “The longer this lasts, the more significant the shock would be,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at consulting firm EY-Parthenon told PBS News earlier this month. Of particular concern is food; it’s essential to survival and requires diesel, gasoline and jet fuel to be transported to grocery stores, supermarkets and restaurants.

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Dining out will see the biggest price increases if the current outlook holds. The Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook, 2026, noted that over the past year, the cost of eating out increased nearly twice as much as buying food to cook at home. Given the situation, March is a good month for making chicken tinga. Stewed chicken combines with tomatoes, onions, garlic, chile and herbs, resulting in a tangy delight with just the right amount of sweetness and heat that can be eaten in a variety of ways.

Chicken tinga

Ingredients for the tinga

  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 1 medium white onion, cut vertically into slices
  • 2 or 3 garlic cloves, diced
  • 3 cups of tomato, cut into cubes, or a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped and divided
  • 2 chipotle peppers, chopped, and their adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup of chicken stock
  • 2 cooked chicken breasts (stewed or roasted), shredded (approximately 3 cups)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for serving

Try some or all of these accompaniments:

  • Warm corn tortillas
  • Avocados, sliced
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Sliced onion
  • Mexican cream, sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • Crumbled cotija cheese
  • Limes, cut into wedges

Directions

Cooking chicken tinga in a skillet on the stove
  1. Add the oil to a large deep-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and cook for about two to three minutes until they begin to soften and become fragrant.
  2. Add the cubed or canned tomatoes and combine until heated through. Then, add the oregano, cumin and cilantro. Continue to cook until the sauce reduces by about 10 percent.
  3. If desired, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth; then return it to the pan. For a chunkier, more rustic version, skip this step.
  4. Add the shredded chicken and chipotle peppers with adobo to the sauce. Continue cooking for a few more minutes to let the flavors blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Warm tortillas and arrange the garnishes in small bowls. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • If you don’t have time to stew the chicken, a rotisserie chicken works great.
  • Chicken tinga makes a hearty “plato fuerto” — main course — when served with rice and beans, salad and other accompaniments.
  • Make a double batch on the weekend and repurpose the leftovers for quick weeknight meals. With a bag of instant corn masa and a tortilla press — or solid hand-building skills — assemble homemade tinga tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, gorditas or empanadas.

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– Copy edited by Kami Waller

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