An obligatory visit to the Taco House in Arnold’s Park, Iowa is a long-standing tradition for those who flock to the “Iowa Great Lakes” during the summer. One local’s review on Yelp said “Crowds, mess, long lines, and sometimes indifferent food served up by surly local teenagers in the middle of Northwest Iowa doesn’t necessarily give one hope of a culinary high adventure!” I hafta add unless you are getting their Pueblan-style shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo.
Chicken Tinga has deep roots in the street food of Puebla, one of the 31 Mexican states. What we in the States commonly call Mexican Shredded Chicken (Pollo Deshrabo) and sometimes Pueban Chicken, is becoming more commonly known by its real name Tinga de Pollo – or simply Chicken Tinga.
Tinga de Pollo done as Soft Shell Tacos with flour tortillas
About Pueblan Style Shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo:
In spite of the identity crisis, I’m guessing most of you know what I’m talking about. A slightly smoky mound of shredded chicken served in tacos, and often on the traditional tostada. We won’t stop there, though, and this is a large batch so there’s no need to!
The smokiness of Chipotle melds throughout the dish, accented by mellow onion and garlic and the faintest hint of tomato. Marjoram, an often ignored herb, brings in an elusive taste and scent. The teensiest, tiniest pinch of clove chimes in with a back note of warmth. A spike of vinegar accents everything else. It oozes with flavor!
It literally oozes, too! After a bite or two, the juices start to run down your hands and you’ll find yourself hunched over the paper wrapper. You can’t stop for fear of risking disaster – as if you’d even be able to stop. It’s addictive.
And now you have the secrets right here, to be made at home anytime you’d like. It’s dangerous. And best of all, in your kitchen make it as mild or as hot as you’d like. It’s perfect. And because this recipe makes a large batch, it’s convenient!
Chicken Tinga, Tinga de Pollo soft tacos
Serving Pueblan Style Shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo:
Serve like they do in Cali, on a crisp tostada slathered first with Crema, then piled with the luscious Chicken Tinga. Strew a few wafer-thin onion onions over the top. Or make it a soft taco and heap it with your favorite condiments and toppings. You can’t go wrong!
For serving, think about:
- Crispy tostada shells.
- Corn tortillas – double them up, and slightly char them over a burner.
- Flour tortillas, warmed and wrapped. They don’t hold up to the juices as well as corn tortillas.
- Crema or sour cream, laid down first, to create a barrier from the juiciness but also to hold the chicken in place.
- Very thinly sliced onion, soaked in water for about 15 minutes and drained.
- Very thinly sliced red or green cabbage or chopped or shredded lettuce, or maybe a Mexican-style Slaw.
- Queso Fresco for a bit of punch, or another fave cheese.
- Radishes (often overlooked in Mexican dishes) for crunch.
- Thinly sliced jalapenos or pickled jalapenos.
- Of course, you NEED lime!
- Sliced green onion or cilantro.
- Don’t forget an array of your favorite salsas or hot sauces.
Some of our favorite garnishes for Chicken Tinga
Making Pueblan Style Shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo:
Pueblan Style Shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo is a real deal, slowly braised Mexican Shredded Chicken. It doesn’t take long but there are multiple steps. This larger batch maximizes your time and effort.
The chicken is first gently simmered in a broth with herbs and an onion, then shredded and set aside. The broth is strained, reserving the onion, then that onion, some of the broth, and a few other ingredients are blended into a sauce. Finally, the chicken is simmered in the sauce with a few more seasonings added.
It’s easy, but does use multiple methods and dirties some equipment but it’s so worth the effort involved.
Tinga de Pollo – Shredded Mexican Chicken
Storing and Meal Prep:
This recipe makes a good amount of chicken, about 9 cups. Count on half a cup to 3/4 cup per serving so that’s 12 to 18 servings. It freezes well, is super versatile, and having it on hand is an asset. Freeze for about 4 months in a fridge/freezer and up to a year in a deep freeze. Reheat in the microwave or thaw overnight and heat stovetop
Plan a few meals, portion out the amount of Chicken Tinga needed for each, and label before freezing. Then use it to make any of your Mexican standards. tostadas, tacos, burritos, flautas, enchiladas, quesadillas, even stuffed sweet potatoes.
Don’t stop there! You can shortcut more complicated recipes instead of starting from scratch. Maybe Chimichangas (use well-drained tinga instead of steak) or our favorite Chipotle Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Rajas Sauce.
Originally this dish is from the state of Puebla, Mexico
Money Saving Hints:
Anytime you can make meals using smaller amounts of Tinga de Pollo, you’re ahead of the game. Tacos or Tostadas are more budget-minded than a Chipotle-style burrito.
Large Bags of Frozen Chicken:
- The recipe was developed to use a standard 3 1/2 pound bag of frozen chicken. Cook from frozen or thaw overnight in a container (the bags will always leak!) drain off excess liquid and proceed.
- Know the highs and lows for chicken in your area and always compare pricing. On sale these large bags can be a bargain, but not always!
- Sometimes they are labeled in ounces, not pounds. To compare pricing to fresh chicken, take the cost of the package and divide by the number of ounces. Multiply the price per ounce by 16 (since there are 16 ounces in a pound) to get the per-pound price.
Broth:
- You should end up with about six cups of broth. It’s just right for making soup, or to reduce and freeze for later. Check out my main soup menu, Soups, Chowders & Chilis.
Chipotle Chiles:
- Mexican markets have great pricing. Sales at the grocery are often unadvertised, but chipotles are usually on sale around Cinco de Mayo; stock up.
- A can has six or seven chiles depending on size. Freeze the rest in a Ziploc (push them to the bottom and roll them into a tube.) Once frozen it’s simple to break off one or two. Bonus: frozen are easier to chop.
Chicken Tinga on Tostadas
Pueblan Style Shredded Chicken, Tinga de Pollo
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings or more 1x
- Category: main dish chicken
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
Chicken & Broth:
- 3 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless chicken
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- Water to cover
- 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (optional)
Sauce & Final Dish:
- Reserved onion from the chicken
- 2 – 4 chipotle peppers (or more) from a can of Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup reserved broth from the chicken
- 1 large (29 ounces) can of diced tomatoes & juice. Strain the tomatoes and save both the tomatoes and the juice.
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced or chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- shredded chicken
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar
- A very tiny pinch of ground clove
Instructions
Chicken & Broth:
Place chicken, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven or large pot, add enough water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Skim off any foam that comes to the surface. Add marjoram, salt & peppercorns after skimming. Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes until chicken is just done all the way through.
Turn off heat and if time allows, for the most tender, moist chicken, cool chicken to room temperature in the broth. (This will take 30 to 45 minutes and will cool faster if chicken and broth are transferred to a wide, shallow container.) If time is of the essence, just remove the chicken from the broth, reserving the broth. and continue.
When chicken is cool, cut it into several smaller pieces and shred with two forks, clean hands, or use a hand or standing mixer. If using a standing mixer, fit with the paddle attachment. Use a guard or a makeshift piece of foil.
Strain the broth and reserve the onion along with the broth. Discard any other remaining solids.
Sauce & Final Dish:
In a blender, add the reserved onion, the chipotle peppers, salt, and a cup of chicken broth. Puree. Add drained tomatoes and pulse several times, making a chunky sauce.
Heat the oil in a large skillet (or deep pan like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add in thinly sliced onion and cook until slightly browned on the edges, stirring often. Add minced garlic and cook another minute.
Pour the blender sauce into the skillet, being careful of any spatters. Cook several minutes, then add shredded chicken, marjoram, vinegar, and a very small pinch of cloves. Be careful: clove can be strong and easily overpower this dish.
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding add more of the Chipotle, vinegar, salt, and/or spics and herbs as desired. Simmer gently 15 to 20 minutes, adding some of the juice from the tomatoes if it appears to be too dry. The final dish should be moist but not too saucy.
Notes:
- Typically not overly spicy, the heat is easily varied by the amount of chipotle pepper used. Two adds flavor but little heat. Four is more noticeable, but not “hot.” Add more if desired. Know your audience and their tolerance levels.
- The rest of the flavorful chicken broth can be saved and repurposed for another use.
2 thoughts on “Pueblan Style Shredded Chicken Tinga de Pollo”