These Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos are made with fire-roasted tomatoes and chipotle – they're gluten-free and ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado, grapeseed or canola oil.
- Yellow onion – white onion, red onion or shallots would also work.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic is best but you could also use jarred minced garlic in a pinch.
- Chili powder – use taco seasoning instead.
- Cumin – use taco seasoning instead.
- Adobo sauce – you can mix up some minced pickled jalapeno pepper with 1 tbsp of smoky BBQ sauce but the flavours will change.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes – if you can’t find fire roasted, use a can of regular diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
- Chicken breasts – boneless chicken thighs or even chicken drumsticks would work in this recipe.
- Corn tortillas – I prefer corn tortillas for this recipe for a more authentic flavour but flour tortillas would work just as well.
How to make chicken tinga tacos
- Add everything but the tortillas to the Instant Pot in order.
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure.
- Shred the chicken and add back to the pot.
- Assemble your tacos and dig in!
Making this recipe in the slow cooker
You can also make this taco recipe in the slow cooker! Here's how:
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, adobo sauce, broth, tomatoes and chicken to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Once done, remove the chicken breasts and shred.
- Add back to the sauce in the slow cooker, then serve with corn tortillas and toppings of choice and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken tinga tacos are a traditional Mexican dish made with shredded chicken in a tomato-based sauce with chipotle chilis in adobo and onions. This version is made special for the pressure cooker!
You can use whatever toppings you like, but chicken tinga tacos are typically served with raw onions and fresh chopped cilantro. Tomatoes, romaine lettuce, sliced avocado, crumble Cojita cheese and refried beans would all be good as well!
The chili powder and adobo sauce do make this recipe spicy. If you don’t like spice or want your tacos to be milder, you can swap out the chili powder for taco seasoning.
There are 388 calories per serving in this recipe and each serving includes two tacos. Since you’re making the chicken tinga fresh and using whole ingredients, they’ll be a lot healthier than the tacos you’d get from a taco stand!
Tinga originates from Puebla, Mexico, which is very close to Mexico City.
Storing and reheating
You can store the chicken and toppings separately in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you're ready to enjoy, sprinkle some water over top of the chicken and reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, then assemble your tacos fresh.
Freezing this recipe
You can freeze the leftover chicken for up to 3 months in an airtight glass container. Let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight, sprinkle some water over top and reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Serve with fresh toppings and corn tortillas and dig in!
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More Instant Pot taco recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- The Instant Pot DUO Plus 60
is the version I use in this recipe. - Grab some Glass meal prep bowls for your leftovers.
- And of course I get all my free-range chicken breasts from Butcher Box!
is the version I use in this recipe.
Instant Pot Chicken Tinga Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers)
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup fire roasted diced tomatoes (pureed in a blender)
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 8 corn tortillas
Topping Ideas
- Raw onions, diced
- Tomatoes, diced
- romaine lettuce, chopped
- Sliced avocado
- chopped fresh cilantro
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, adobo sauce, broth, tomatoes and chicken to the Instant Pot in that order. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes (Instant Pot will take 10-15 min to preheat) and do a quick pressure release once the cooking cycle is finished.
- Open the lid when safe to do so and remove the chicken breasts. Shred apart with a knife and fork, or let cool and shred with your hands. Add back to sauce in Instant Pot and stir until well combined. Replace lid and let sit another 5 min.
- Meanwhile, microwave corn tortillas for 30 seconds and prepare toppings of choice. Add toppings and chicken to tortillas, then serve and enjoy!
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, adobo sauce, broth, tomatoes and chicken to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours.
- Once done, remove the chicken breasts and shred in the pot. Serve with corn tortillas and toppings of choice. Enjoy!
STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS
- Add olive oil, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, adobo sauce, broth, tomatoes and chicken to a pot on the stove. Cook on med-high heat for 25 minutes.
- Once done, remove the chicken breasts and shred in the pot. Serve with corn tortillas and toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Ashley says
How long would you cook it with frozen chicken
Taylor Stinson says
I haven’t tried it myself but I have heard you add 5 more minutes to the cook time for frozen chicken. You can always try it and see if that works! If they are larger breasts I recommend adding 10 more minutes to the cook time.
Corry says
I look forward to making this, it sounds fabulous! I have one clarifying question. When I read the blog it sounded like I was going to put the peppers in chipotle sauce into my blender. When I read the recipe I will only need the sauce from the peppers. Can you help me understand what to do with this ingredient? Thank you!!
Taylor Stinson says
Sorry for any confusion! You will just be adding 2 tbsp of adobo sauce from a can of chipotles as the recipe states. The peppers themselves don’t go in, just the sauce they come in. Hope that helps!
Colleen says
Oh..and what would be a good sub for the cheese?
Colleen says
Taylor..this sounds like something I just may make this weekend, My daughter is coming home from Toronto tonight for the long weekend. I do not have an instant pot..not sure at my age it’s worth the investment. I have lots of time on my hands ..lol..and was never fond of meat cooked in a slow cooker. To me it always tasted “texture -wise” like it’s been steamed. I have a regular pressure cooker..but anyways…I didn’t realize you’d moved “into” the big city! I was just down around King and Queen a couple of weeks ago….Where oh where are you finding your cojita cheese??? I have never ever seen it. St. Lawrence market? I must tell my daughter about this Mi Taco Taqueria. Thanks Taylor!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Colleen! So sorry for the delay in response I was actually painting and moving some more the last few days, hah! I found my cotija cheese in Kensington Market actually at La Tortilleria! They sell some other Mexican ingredients and I think they have a few locations across the city 🙂
Virginia Granados says
Can this recipe be doubled?
Taylor Stinson says
You should be able to double it! I don’t think you need to adjust cook time either (based off feedback I’ve heard from other people on other Instant Pot recipes I have). Let me know how it goes 🙂
Virginia Granados says
Will do. Thanks!
Barbara Haar says
5 minutes on high. Yes yes yes. Others suggest 10 and 8 with 10 minute natural release. Me thinks that’s overcooking the chicken. I feel a deep connection and the warm glow of affirmation here
Taylor Stinson says
Haha, Barbara you are speaking my language!!!! Maybe people creating those recipes are using different models of Instant Pots…I’m not sure! I always find my diced up chicken cooks in 2-5 minutes on high; though natural pressure release provides more tender chicken overall so maybe it’s ok on the 10 minute mark with NPR and quick release. Either way, I want my food ready QUICKER, lol!
Sabina says
Great recipe!
To adapt it for a slow cooker, I suggest using whole chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. Chicken breasts will breakdown in the slow cooker while thighs won’t and can be shredded. 🙂
Taylor Stinson says
That’s a great idea! Thanks Sabina!