Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado-Cucumber Salad
560 cal · 38g protein · 42g carbs · 26g fat
Toddler tip: This tinga is mild as written, so most toddlers do fine with the sauce. If she's sauce-shy, rinse a little shredded chicken briefly under warm water to knock off the sauce, or serve it over plain rice with sauce on the side instead of mixed in.
Low-carb fork: Skip the tortillas and serve the tinga over the avocado-cucumber salad as a bowl, or in lettuce cups.
Ingredients
Chicken Tinga
- 1.5 lbsboneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 can (14.5 oz)fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1chipotle pepper in adobo, minced, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce (mild — add more sauce at the table if you want heat)
- 1 tspdried oregano
- ½ tspground cumin
- ½ cupchicken broth
- to tastesalt
For Serving
- 8-10small flour tortillas
- 4 ozqueso fresco, crumbled (using up what's on hand — confirm the label says pasteurized)
- ¼ cupcilantro, chopped
- 1lime, cut into wedges
Avocado-Cucumber Salad
- 2avocados, diced
- 1cucumber, diced
- ¼red onion, finely diced
- 1lime, juiced
- to tastesalt and pepper
Instructions
1Heat the olive oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium. Cook the sliced onion 4–5 min until soft, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
2Stir in the oregano and cumin and toast 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, chipotle + adobo, broth, and a good pinch of salt. Nestle in the chicken thighs, cover, and simmer 20–22 min until the chicken shreds easily (165°F).
3While the tinga simmers, make the salad: toss the avocado, cucumber, and red onion with the lime juice, salt, and pepper. Chill until dinner.
4Shred the chicken right in the pot with two forks and simmer uncovered 3–4 min so the sauce clings. Off heat, stir in a squeeze of lime juice to brighten. Taste for salt.
5Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a low flame. Build tacos with tinga, crumbled queso fresco, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, with the salad alongside.