Instant Pot Chicken Tinga
Instant Pot Chicken Tinga features shredded chicken breasts simmered in a smoky and spicy chipotle tomato sauce. The chicken becomes tender and infused with flavors from chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic, and tomato. Cooking in the Instant Pot tenderizes the meat quickly while capturing the sauce's depth. This dish is typically served with warm corn tortillas and fresh toppings like shredded cabbage, radishes, cilantro, avocado, cheese, and lime wedges, balancing the smoky heat with bright, crisp contrasts. It's well suited for assembling tacos or tostadas.
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 large tomato quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 tomato diced
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- ½ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional to taste
To serve:
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 4 radish thinly sliced
- 1 cup cabbage shredded (purple or green)
- 1 avocado mashed
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese or cotija or queso fresco (optional)
- 1 lime cut in wedges
Instructions
- Puree quartered tomato, garlic, and half a can of chipotle peppers with adobo sauce and set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat oil. Add sliced onions and cook for a minute with a glass lid on. Add diced tomatoes, chicken breasts, broth, and salt. Pour the pureed sauce over the chicken breasts. Pressure Cook for 8 minutes.
- Allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot, take the chicken out, and shred it using two forks. Put the shredded chicken back in the pot and turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Cook for 5 mins or until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Adjust salt and add cayenne pepper to taste.
- To serve: Cook the corn tortilla directly over medium flame until it gets a few charred marks. Serve with cabbage, red onions, cilantro, avocado, cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Notes
- Prepare extra chipotle-tomato sauce by using the full can of chipotle peppers, two tomatoes, and more garlic; freeze half for future recipes.
- Serve the chicken tinga on lettuce for a low-carb alternative to tortillas.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 471
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 471kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 40g | 80% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 105mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 1459mg | 61% |
| Potassium | 1060mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 2482IU | 50% |
| Vitamin C | 23mg | 26% |
| Calcium | 147mg | 15% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.