Chicken thighs roasted in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce with onions, ready to shred into tacos or serve over rice.
Tinga is a classic Mexican preparation, usually made by simmering shredded chicken in a smoky chipotle and tomato sauce on the stovetop; this traybake version roasts bone-in chicken thighs directly in the sauce instead, which lets the chicken skin crisp slightly at the edges while the sauce below thickens and deepens in the oven's dry heat. The sauce's smokiness comes from chipotles in adobo — smoked, dried jalapeños canned in a tangy tomato-vinegar sauce — blended with fresh tomato, onion, and garlic into a base that's poured over the chicken before roasting. Because the chipotles are quite potent, starting with fewer and tasting the blended sauce before committing the whole batch is worth doing if you're unsure of your spice tolerance. Once roasted, the chicken can be shredded directly into the thickened sauce for tinga tacos, tostadas, or tortas, or served whole over rice with the sauce spooned on top — either way, the traybake format means less stovetop attention than the traditional simmered method while landing at the same smoky, savory result.
Serves 4
Blend tomatoes, chipotles with adobo sauce, chopped onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt until smooth.
Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Pour the sauce into a roasting tray and stir in the oil.
Nestle chicken thighs skin-side up into the sauce, and scatter sliced onion around them.
Roast 40-45 minutes until the chicken skin is deeply golden and a thermometer reads 74C (165F), and the sauce has thickened.
Either serve the chicken whole with the sauce spooned over, or shred the meat off the bone and stir it back into the thickened sauce.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges, warm tortillas, or over rice.
Start with 2 chipotles and taste the blended sauce before roasting — you can always stir in more adobo sauce, but you can't remove heat once it's in.
Roast the chicken skin-side up the whole time so it stays crisp rather than steaming in the sauce.
Shred the chicken while it's still warm, straight off the tray, so it absorbs the sauce more easily.
Use boneless, skinless thighs and shred immediately for classic tinga tacos.
Add a sliced chorizo alongside the chicken for extra richness, a common regional variation.
Swap chicken for pork shoulder, extending the roasting time until fully tender.
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days; freezes well up to 3 months. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of water or stock.
Tinga de pollo originates from Puebla, Mexico, traditionally simmered on the stovetop with chipotle chiles for their distinctive smoky heat, and is a common filling for tacos, tostadas, and tortas across the country.
You can, but thighs stay juicier through the longer roasting time — if using breast, reduce the roasting time to about 25-30 minutes to avoid drying it out.
Smoked paprika plus a pinch of cayenne and a splash of vinegar approximates the smoky heat, though the flavor won't be quite as deep.
Return the tray to the oven uncovered for an extra 10-15 minutes, or transfer the sauce to a pan and simmer it down on the stovetop until it thickens.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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