Try this chicken Tinga recipe, then check out our chicken fajitas, chicken enchiladas, chicken burrito and more easy Mexican recipes.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil 2 tbsp
- onions 2, sliced
- garlic 3 cloves, crushed
- ground cumin 1 tbsp
- bay leaves 2
- chipotle paste or chipotles in adobo 25g-50g, depending on how spicy you like it
- smoked paprika 2 tsp
- passata 700g
- chicken stock 400ml
- skinless chicken thigh fillets 1kg
- soft light brown sugar 1 tbsp
- lime 1, juiced, plus wedges to serve
- coriander a handful, to serve
Method
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Step 1
Heat the oil in a large casserole or heavy-based lidded pan, and fry the onions for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the cumin and bay leaves, then add the chipotle paste (chop first if using chipotles in adobo), paprika, passata and stock. Bring to a simmer.
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Step 2
Nestle in the chicken thighs so they’re coated in the sauce, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through and very tender. Uncover for the final 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
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Step 3
Shred the chicken into the sauce using two forks, then simmer uncovered until the sauce has reduced and is thick enough to coat the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, the sugar and lime juice. Scatter over the coriander, then serve with lime wedges.
Get inspired with more chicken recipes

Nutritional Information
- Kcals 340
- Fat 15.3g
- Saturates 3.4g
- Carbs 12.2g
- Sugars 11.3g
- Fibre 2.9g
- Protein 36.7g
- Salt 0.6g