Name: Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 yellow onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs*; 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes; 1/3 cup tomato sauce; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock; 1-3 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce**; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1/2 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp garlic powder; optional: flour tortillas, avocado, cilantro, feta, lime for serving

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Taco Tuesday got a whole lot more exciting! You will love this slow cooker chicken tinga recipe, made with juicy chicken thighs and spicy chipotle peppers!

slow cooker chicken tinga

An easy win dinner? Yes please. I’ve got a few great recipes coming at you over the next few weeks that I hope will make your weekday life a little easier!

How was the weekend?

My Mom was in town for a few days and the kids loved having Oma around. Hattie spent 85% of the time following around my Mom’s dog and exclaiming “DOG”! Like thanks Hattie, we hadn’t noticed. Hah!

We made the most delicious salmon on Saturday night and yesterday cooked up a pork tenderloin. This week I’ve got this slow cooker chicken tinga on the menu for a great use of the chicken thighs I’ve got in the freezer!

If you’ve had Mexican shredded chicken before, you’ll know what to expect with this one.

What do you need for Mexican chicken tinga?

While you could certainly use chicken breasts, I find chicken thighs to be SO much more flavorful and juicy. For this recipe I’d buy boneless, skinless thighs, along with:

diced tomatoes
diced onion
chipotle peppers (adjust the amount based on how much spice you want)
tomato paste
tomato sauce
chicken stock
garlic
spices (oregano, chili powder, paprika, pepper)

Is this a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe?

Basically, yes, BUT I like to brown the chicken thighs first in oil before adding them to the crockpot. Browning the chicken adds extra flavor to the end product! Once the chicken is browned and the onion and garlic is sautéed, you will need to whip up the Mexican tinga sauce in a food processor or blender, then add it into the slow cooker, on top of the chicken.

Now, the GO part. Set it and forget it! Dinner will be ready for you in 5-6 hours. You can cook it longer, on low, for up to 8 hours as well if you’re setting this before you jet off to work.

The hardest part of this whole recipe is not making yourself full before you actually serve the dinner…I can’t resist shoving forkfuls of this flavorful chicken into my mouth as I shred it apart!

slow cooker chicken tinga

What do you serve with this Mexican chicken tinga recipe?

You can serve Mexican shredded chicken over rice, or even cauliflower rice to keep it low carb. Our favorite way of eating it is in taco form! We top them with cilantro, feta cheese, lime and avocado. So, so good!!

If you’re using corn or flour tortillas, wrap them in foil and heat them in the oven on low before serving. Nothing like a warm taco after a long day!!

How spicy is this shredded chicken?

The nice part about this recipe is that you can totally customize the spiciness depending on your level of tolerance! If you like it quite spicy, I would recommend 2-3 chipotle peppers in the tinga sauce, and maybe an extra dash of chili powder. If you like to keep things on the more mild side, keep the chipotle peppers at 1!

I hope you’ll add this chicken tinga to your weeknight meal plan! You won’t regret it!

slow cooker chicken tinga

For some other easy family dinner recipes, check out:

Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 16 reviews

Author: Katherine | Love In My Oven
Total Time: 6 hours
Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Taco Tuesday got a whole lot more exciting! You will love this slow cooker chicken tinga recipe, made with juicy chicken thighs and spicy chipotle peppers!

Ingredients

Scale

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1–3 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce**
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
optional: flour tortillas, avocado, cilantro, feta, lime for serving

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add the olive oil to a medium frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat (or use your slow cooker insert, if possible). After a few minutes, add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and fry for an additional minute, then add the chicken thighs. Brown the chicken thighs on one side for 4-5 minutes before turning and browning on the other side for the same amount of time. Scrape everything into the slow cooker, or if using the insert, place the insert back into the base. Add the diced tomatoes.
In a food processor or high powered blender, combine the remaining ingredients and blend on high until pureed and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture in the slow cooker, and give everything a stir. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 6-7 hours (or 3-4 on high).
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker, and using two forks, shred it into long strands, returning it to the slow cooker. Stir everything together and cook on low for an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve over rice, couscous, or quinoa with a bit of lime and feta; or, serve as chicken tinga tacos with warmed flour tortillas, feta and cilantro.

Leftover chicken tinga can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.