Chicken Tinga/Tinga de Pollo

easy weeknight meal

I’ll be honest, my kids’ plates did not look like this last night when I served them through tantrums and tears of hunger after a plethora of snacks after school. But what I can say is that Isaac ate two plates of this (he called it, “spiky chicken”, when explaining to his dad that I had made a delicious dinner), and Layla ate her plate without too much of it reaching the floor. So, success.

This is a very typical Mexican dish that people make at home to eat with tortillas or even tostadas. We’re kosher, so we don’t add cream or cheese to it, but you certainly could. We also hate cilantro, but that’s there for you too. It is super easy, the hardest part is slicing the onion. I used thighs, but breasts can work well too.

Chicken Tinga (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken thighs, skinless (boneless or bone-in work fine)

• 1 large onion, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 8 Campari tomatoes (or about 1 cup canned tomatoes)

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo (adjust based on spice preference; I used half a chipotle for the kids, but feel free to use more!)

• 1 cup chicken stock or water

• 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt (depending on your stock, use less if already salty)

To Serve:
Rice, tortillas, avocado, cilantro, or any other toppings you like.

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Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven:
   Set the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Prepare the sauce:
   Heat a large skillet with some oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes, chipotles, chicken stock (or water), salt, and vinegar. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes.

3. Blend the sauce:
   Let the mixture cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

4. Cook the chicken:
   While the sauce is cooling, season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in the skillet and brown the thighs on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. (Alternatively, you can boil the chicken instead.)

5. Assemble and bake:
   Place the browned chicken thighs in an oven-safe glass baking dish. Pour the blended sauce over the chicken. Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours, uncovered, or until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken is tender.

6. Shred and serve:
   Shred the chicken directly in the baking dish, mixing it well with the sauce. Serve warm with tortillas, rice, avocado, cilantro, or any toppings you prefer.

Español

Tinga de Pollo (Para 4 personas)

Ingredientes:

• 1 kg de muslos de pollo sin piel (pueden ser con hueso o deshuesados)

• 1 cebolla, en rodajas

• 3 dientes de ajo, finamente picados

• 8 tomates Campari (o aproximadamente 1 taza de tomate enlatado)

• 2 cucharaditas de vinagre de manzana

• 1-2 chiles chipotles en adobo (ajusta a tu gusto; yo usé medio chipotle por mis niños gringos, ¡pero puedes usar más!)

• 1 taza de caldo de pollo o agua

• 1/2 cucharada de sal kosher (ajusta según tu caldo)

Para Servir:
Arroz, tortillas, aguacate, cilantro u otros complementos al gusto.

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Instrucciones:

1. Precalienta el horno:
   Pon el horno a 180°C (350°F).

2. Prepara la salsa:
   Calienta un poco de aceite en un sartén grande a fuego medio. Sofríe la cebolla hasta que esté transparente. Agrega el ajo y cocina por un minuto más. Añade los tomates, los chipotles, el caldo de pollo (o agua), la sal, y el vinagre. Tapa y cocina a fuego lento hasta que los tomates comiencen a reventarse, unos 8 minutos.

3. Licúa la salsa:
   Deja enfriar un poco la mezcla y luego licúala hasta obtener una salsa homogénea. Prueba y ajusta la sal al gusto.

4. Cocina el pollo:
   Sazona los muslos de pollo con sal y pimienta. En el mismo sartén, dora los muslos por ambos lados, aproximadamente 5 minutos por lado. (Si prefieres, puedes hervir el pollo en lugar de dorarlo).

5. Ensamblar y hornear:
   Coloca los muslos de pollo dorados en un refractario para horno. Vierte la salsa de regreso en la olla y calienta, y después viértela sobre el pollo. Hornea por 1 a 1.5 horas, descubierto, o hasta que la salsa espese un poco y el pollo esté tierno.

6. Desmenuza y sirve:
   Desmenuza el pollo directamente en el refractario, mezclándolo bien con la salsa. Sirve caliente con tortillas, arroz, aguacate, cilantro u otros complementos al gusto.