Chef notes
I love this recipe because it is so easy to make and versatile. You can use leftover chicken or any other protein. If you want to make it vegetarian, the tinga sauce also works well with mushrooms or jackfruit.
Technique tip: Make the sauce and or chicken ahead of time. Preparing the day before will help make this a very easy snack or quick dinner.
Swap option: Alternatively, you use the tinga sauce to make tacos, burritos, sandwiches, etc. If you don't want to cook the chicken yourself, you can use a cooked chicken from the market or leftover roasted chicken. The cheese blend can be customized to your preference. Queso menonita (aka queso Chihuahua) is ideal but if you can't find it, a mild cheddar is fine.
Ingredients
- 2 cups red wine vinegar
- 1 habanero, halved
- 10 hibiscus leaves, cleaned
- 1 red onion, cut into thin matchsticks and rinsed
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin on organic chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 white onion
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 stick butter
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup poblano chiles, diced (optional)
- 4 pounds San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- water, as needed
- kosher salt, as needed
- 6 cups poached chicken (recipe above), picked and shredded
- Tinga Sauce (recipe above), as needed
- 1 cup caramelized onions (optional)
- 1 cup diced poblano chiles (optional)
- 12 organic corn tortillas
- grated cheese, preferably a blend of Monterey Jack and queso menonita (aka queso Chihuahua), as needed
- avocado, sliced, as needed
- Pickled Red Onion (recipe above)
- cilantro leaves, as needed
Preparation
For the pickled red onion:
1.Put vinegar, habanero and hibiscus into a pot and bring to a boil.
2.Place the onions in a heat-safe bowl and pour the hot liquid over the onions and let sit out until they cool to room temperature.
3.Place in the refrigerator and allow the onions to pickle for 24 hours before using.
For the poached chicken:
1.Place the chicken in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the chicken by 3 inches. Add salt then turn the stove on to medium-high heat.
2.After about 15 minutes, there will be a considerable amount of foam that comes to the top. Skim the foam off the top with a slotted spoon. Once the foam is removed, turn the flame down to low, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and slowly poach until you can see the meat beginning to pull away from the bone (you do not want to overcook at this point since you will be cooking the chicken more later). This should take about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the pot for 10 minutes before removing.
3.Remove from the pot and allow the chicken to cool enough to handle then pick the meat off the bone. Reserve the meat for later use and discard the bones.
For the tinga sauce:
1.Put a large pot over low heat and add the butter.
2.Allow the butter to melt then add the onions, garlic and poblano chiles, if using. Cook the vegetables very slowly until they are soft and translucent. Once they are soft. add the tomatoes, chipotles and about 2 cups of water.
3.Allow to simmer for about an hour, until the tomatoes have broken down and can be easily smashed with a fork. Season with salt then remove from heat.
4.Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning and consistency. It should be around the consistency of tomato sauce; add water if needed. Reserve for later use.
For the tacos:
1.In a medium pot, add the chicken and enough sauce to cover. Add caramelized onions and poblanos, if desired. Heat on medium-low until the chicken has absorbed most of the sauce. Add additional sauce or water as needed to adjust the consistency.
2.Heat the griddle and warm the tortillas briefly on both sides. Tortillas at this point should be only softened. Remove the tortilla from the griddle and reserve.
3.Add mound of cheese around the size of a tortilla directly to the griddle. Cook the cheese until you see it caramelize and become a deep golden-brown.
4.Place a softened tortilla on top of the cheese the press down lightly and allow the two to cook together for about 20 seconds before flipping. Remove the tortilla and cheese from the griddle.
5.Spoon a small amount of the chicken tinga on to the center of the tortilla. Top with sliced avocado, pickled red onion and cilantro leaves, and serve.
