Spicy Tostadas De Tinga Recipe

Sizzling Tostadas De Tinga Recipe: Spicy Bliss in Every Bite!

Taco nights just leveled up with these mouthwatering spicy tostadas de tinga that burst with authentic Mexican flavors.

Tender shredded chicken simmers in a rich, smoky chipotle sauce that promises to ignite your taste buds.

The crispy corn tortillas provide the perfect crunchy base for this zesty dish.

Each bite combines layers of spicy, tangy, and savory notes that dance across your palate.

Fresh toppings like diced onions, creamy avocado, and bright cilantro add vibrant freshness to the robust chicken.

Quick to prepare and packed with bold flavors, these tostadas will become a new favorite in your dinner rotation.

Gather your ingredients and get ready to transport your senses to the streets of Mexico.

Steps To Assemble Tostadas De Tinga Recipe

  • Sauté Aromatic Base

Warm oil in a spacious skillet over medium heat. Toss in chopped onions and let them turn translucent and tender.

  • Build Flavor Foundation

Sprinkle minced garlic into the pan, stirring quickly to prevent burning. Introduce diced tomatoes, smoky chipotle peppers, fragrant oregano, earthy cumin, and a pinch of salt.

  • Create Sauce Texture

Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, allowing tomatoes to soften and break down. Blend the mixture with chicken broth until it reaches your desired consistency – smooth or slightly chunky.

  • Marry Chicken and Sauce

Return the vibrant sauce to the skillet. Gently fold in shredded chicken, letting it absorb all the spicy, rich flavors. Let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes, allowing the chicken to become fully infused with the sauce.

  • Assemble Tostadas

Spread the chicken tinga generously over crispy tostada shells. Top with fresh garnishes like crumbled cheese, sliced avocado, or chopped cilantro for a burst of freshness.

Tips To Make Tostadas De Tinga Recipe Extra Bold

  • Spice Control: Adjust chipotle pepper amount to manage heat level. Add fewer peppers for mild flavor or more for extra kick.
  • Meal Prep Magic: Cook chicken tinga filling in advance and store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat quickly before assembling tostadas.
  • Protein Swap: Replace chicken with pulled pork, shredded beef, or black beans for vegetarian option. Each protein brings unique flavor profile.
  • Crunch Factor: Toast store-bought tostada shells in oven for 2-3 minutes to enhance crispiness and add deeper golden color.
  • Dietary Friendly: Use gluten-free tostada shells and verify all ingredients for those with specific dietary restrictions. Option to serve as lettuce wraps for low-carb alternative.

Serve Tostadas De Tinga Recipe With Toppings

  • Fiesta Plating Paradise: Arrange tostadas on a large colorful platter, creating a stunning display with vibrant chicken tinga as the centerpiece, perfect for family-style serving.
  • Fresh Flavor Boosters: Top each tostada with crisp lettuce, creamy Mexican crema, crumbled queso fresco, and fresh cilantro to add layers of texture and bright, zesty flavors.
  • Accompaniment Magic: Serve with traditional sides like Mexican rice, refried beans, sliced avocado, and lime wedges to complement the spicy chicken tinga and enhance the overall dining experience.
  • Crowd-Pleasing Variation: Offer a DIY tostada bar where guests can customize their own tostadas with various toppings like pickled jalapeños, diced onions, and extra hot sauce for personalized enjoyment.

Store Tostadas De Tinga Recipe Smartly

  • Fridge Freshness Hack: Store chicken tinga in an airtight container for up to 4 days, keeping the flavors vibrant and ready for quick meals.
  • Batch Cooking Brilliance: Prepare double the chicken tinga recipe and freeze portions in sealed containers for convenient future tostada nights or quick protein additions to salads and bowls.
  • Tostada Shell Strategy: Keep unopened tostada shells in their original packaging at room temperature. Once opened, transfer to a sealed container and consume within 1-2 weeks to maintain crispness.
  • Meal Prep Magic: Separate chicken tinga, tostada shells, and toppings into individual containers in the refrigerator. This allows for easy assembly and helps maintain the crunch of the shells while keeping ingredients fresh and ready to enjoy within 3-4 days.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Calories: 510 kcal

Servings: 5

Ingredients Used In Tostadas De Tinga Recipe

For Chicken and Seasoning:
  • Chicken Breast: Tender protein that absorbs the vibrant sauce beautifully, choose fresh meat with minimal fat for best results.
  • Chipotle Peppers: Smoky, spicy peppers that give the tinga its signature deep flavor and rich complexity.
  • Oregano: Earthy herb that adds authentic Mexican depth and aromatic warmth to the chicken mixture.
  • Cumin: Warm spice that provides a nutty, slightly peppery undertone characteristic of traditional Mexican cooking.
  • Salt: Essential seasoning that enhances and balances all other flavor profiles in the dish.
For Aromatics and Base:
  • Onions: Foundational vegetable that creates a sweet, caramelized base for the tinga sauce.
  • Garlic: Pungent ingredient that adds robust, intense flavor and traditional Mexican cooking depth.
For Liquid and Binding Components:
  • Tomatoes: Juicy, tangy base that creates the signature red sauce and provides natural acidity.
  • Chicken Broth: Liquid that helps create smooth consistency and adds extra savory dimension to the sauce.
For Cooking Base:
  • Cooking Oil: Neutral fat used to sauté aromatics and prevent sticking during the cooking process.

Kitchen Tools For Tostadas De Tinga Recipe

  • Large pan: Essential for sautéing onions, garlic, and cooking the tinga sauce.
  • Cutting board: Needed for chopping onions and preparing ingredients.
  • Sharp knife: Perfect for slicing onions and cutting ingredients precisely.
  • Wooden spoon: Great for stirring and mixing ingredients while cooking.
  • Blender or immersion blender: Crucial for creating smooth or chunky sauce consistency.
  • Measuring spoons: Helps accurately add spices like oregano, cumin, and salt.
  • Shredding tool or forks: Useful for shredding cooked chicken into perfect strings.
  • Spatula: Helps transfer and scrape sauce and chicken in the pan.
Print
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Spicy Tostadas De Tinga Recipe

Spicy Tostadas De Tinga Recipe


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4.8 from 22 reviews

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 5 1x

Description

Mexican tostadas de tinga bring spicy chicken to crisp tortillas with zesty flavors. Layers of smoky, tangy ingredients create a delicious meal you will crave again and again.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (473 ml) cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie or boiled)
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
  • ½ cup (118 ml) chicken broth
  • ½ cup (118 ml) white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 tostada shells (store-bought or homemade)
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried oregano
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) cumin
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
  • 1 cup (237 ml) refried beans (optional, for spreading)
  • ½ cup (118 ml) shredded lettuce
  • ½ cup (118 ml) crumbled queso fresco (or feta)
  • ½ cup (118 ml) sour cream or Mexican crema
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • ¼ cup (59 ml) chopped fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Sauté Aromatics: In a skillet, transform chopped onions into a translucent, fragrant foundation, then quickly introduce minced garlic to amplify the flavor profile without scorching.
  2. Build Sauce Complexity: Combine crushed tomatoes with chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, and salt, creating a robust sauce that simmers and melds flavors for approximately 5 minutes.
  3. Texture Development: Incorporate chicken broth to adjust sauce consistency, blending for smoothness or maintaining a rustic texture according to preference.
  4. Chicken Integration: Gently fold shredded chicken into the spicy, smoky sauce, allowing each morsel to become thoroughly infused with the vibrant flavor landscape.
  5. Final Reduction: Simmer the chicken tinga mixture, concentrating flavors and thickening the sauce for 5-10 minutes until the texture reaches a perfect, luxurious consistency.
  6. Serving Preparation: Remove from heat, letting the mixture rest briefly before nestling the succulent chicken atop crisp tostada shells, ready to delight the palate.

Notes

  • Control Spice Level: Adjust chipotle peppers to manage heat intensity, adding gradually and tasting to suit personal preference.
  • Texture Mastery: Choose between smooth or chunky sauce by controlling blending time and technique with chicken broth.
  • Moisture Management: Simmer chicken tinga carefully to prevent dryness, maintaining sauce’s moisture for juicy, flavorful result.
  • Versatile Protein Swap: Replace chicken with shredded jackfruit or pulled pork for alternative dietary needs and exciting flavor variations.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
  • Method: Simmering
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 5
  • Calories: 510
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Sodium: 600 mg
  • Fat: 24 g
  • Saturated Fat: 8 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 30 g
  • Cholesterol: 80 mg
Olivia Bennett

Olivia Bennett

Co-Founder & Content Creator

Expertise

Nutritional Analysis​, Dietary Accommodations​, Food Writing and Blogging​,

Education

University of Texas at Austin

  • Degree: Bachelor of Science in Nutrition
  • Focus: Emphasis on dietary planning, food science, and the relationship between nutrition and health.​

Institute of Culinary Education, New York, NY

  • Program: Plant-Based Culinary Arts Certificate
  • Focus: Specialized training in vegetarian and vegan cooking techniques, emphasizing whole foods and sustainability.​

Olivia Bennett is Cooking Crusade’s go-to expert for nutritious, feel-good food. Based in Austin, she blends her degree in Nutrition from the University of Texas with plant-based culinary training from the Institute of Culinary Education.

Olivia’s recipes are all about balance: vibrant, wholesome, and easy-to-love dishes that work for all kinds of eaters. Her mission is simple: to make healthy eating approachable and genuinely tasty, with tips that support your lifestyle, not complicate it.

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