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Per serving
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- 1
Brine the chicken (optional, but worth it)
Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in about a quart of water, drop in 2 boneless chicken breasts, and let them brine in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pat dry when you're done. In a hurry? Rotisserie chicken works great here too — the tinga sauce is the real star.
- 2
Roast the chicken and the veggies together
Rinse and de-stem the plum tomatoes and tomatillos. Lay them on a baking sheet alongside the chicken and roast at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until the chicken hits 160°F and is no longer pink inside. Let the chicken cool a few minutes, then shred it with two forks and set aside.
- 3
Start the tinga base
Roughly chop the half onion and sauté it in the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the 4 peeled garlic cloves and cook until the onion is starting to brown and smells amazing.
- 4
Blend the sauce
Scrape the onion and garlic into a blender with the 3 chipotles in adobo (scrape out the chipotle seeds if you want less fire) and the roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. Blend smooth, taste it, and add another chipotle if you want more heat.
- 5
Simmer it down
Pour the sauce back into the same pan. Stir in 1 tsp Mexican oregano, a pinch of cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, a few cracks of black pepper, and 1–2 tbsp of the adobo sauce. Bring it to a gentle simmer and taste for seasoning.
- 6
Add the chicken
Fold the shredded chicken into the sauce and let it simmer until everything is coated and heated through. This is the smoky, saucy tinga you'll want to put on everything.
- 7
Crisp the tostadas
Warm the tostadas in the oven for 2–3 minutes so they're crisp and ready to hold a big pile of filling.
- 8
Build and devour
Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tostada, pile on the chicken tinga, and finish with crumbled queso fresco, a drizzle of Mexican crema, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Eat immediately — crispy tostadas wait for no one.
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Smoky Chicken Tinga Tostadas
Created by: TacoEveryDay
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 4 tomatillos
- 1/2 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 chipotles in adobo
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- ground cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- 8 tostadas
- 1 cup refried beans
- queso fresco
- Mexican crema
- cilantro
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Brine the chicken (optional, but worth it)Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in about a quart of water, drop in 2 boneless chicken breasts, and let them brine in the fridge for 30 minutes. Pat dry when you're done. In a hurry? Rotisserie chicken works great here too — the tinga sauce is the real star.
- Roast the chicken and the veggies togetherRinse and de-stem the plum tomatoes and tomatillos. Lay them on a baking sheet alongside the chicken and roast at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until the chicken hits 160°F and is no longer pink inside. Let the chicken cool a few minutes, then shred it with two forks and set aside.
- Start the tinga baseRoughly chop the half onion and sauté it in the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the 4 peeled garlic cloves and cook until the onion is starting to brown and smells amazing.
- Blend the sauceScrape the onion and garlic into a blender with the 3 chipotles in adobo (scrape out the chipotle seeds if you want less fire) and the roasted tomatoes and tomatillos. Blend smooth, taste it, and add another chipotle if you want more heat.
- Simmer it downPour the sauce back into the same pan. Stir in 1 tsp Mexican oregano, a pinch of cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, a few cracks of black pepper, and 1–2 tbsp of the adobo sauce. Bring it to a gentle simmer and taste for seasoning.
- Add the chickenFold the shredded chicken into the sauce and let it simmer until everything is coated and heated through. This is the smoky, saucy tinga you'll want to put on everything.
- Crisp the tostadasWarm the tostadas in the oven for 2–3 minutes so they're crisp and ready to hold a big pile of filling.
- Build and devourSpread a thin layer of refried beans on each tostada, pile on the chicken tinga, and finish with crumbled queso fresco, a drizzle of Mexican crema, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Eat immediately — crispy tostadas wait for no one.