Chicken tinga bowl is a very easy meal to prepare. A recipe with few steps, simple and very tasty.
This is a famous Mexican dish made of shredded chicken that has been cooked in a sauce made with peppers, tomato sauce and onions that is simply amazing.
Depending on how many chipotle peppers and how much adobo sauce you add, the chicken can have a bit of heat.
Chicken tinga is usually served on tostadas, or it can be used to make tacos. My family and I like to use the bowl for this recipe because it’s easier and convenient.
The option of having dinners or even lunch in the bowl makes life much more practical.
You can have delicious and easy recipes using the bowl. Ideally, the base of the recipes should be a carbohydrate, like rice or pasta for example.
You can use more fitness options according to your preference. Leafy salad or vegetables are also nutritious and tasty options.
In my chicken tinga bowl recipe I use rice as the base. You can easily replace rice with quinoa, farro or even cauliflower rice if you are looking for a lower carb option.
If you prefer not to use bowls, make chicken tinga tacos. Make corn tortillas (can be found ready made in supermarkets) stuff them with chicken tinga, red onion, sliced avocado and cilantro.
Contents
What is Chicken Tinga?
Chicken tinga is a dish originating in the city of Puebla, Mexico.
The recipe takes chicken cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and smoked chipotle peppers. Spices such as oregano, bay leaf, and thyme add flavor to the blend.
The big secret of this recipe is the Chipotle chili in Adobo Sauce. This delicious sauce is smoky, spicy, very hot, and has a hint of sweetness.
You can find adobo sauce easily at the supermarket. The amount of chipotle chiles you will use depends on how spicy you like your food.
Ideally, you should use chicken breast, or chicken thighs shredded. If you are short on time, roast chicken is a great option.
For maximum flavor, it’s best to let the chicken soak in Adobo sauce, onions, and spices until it becomes a thick, flavorful broth.
This recipe is a good weeknight meal option. The Chicken Tinga Bowl Meal Prep stored in a pot can last in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.
Since there is always a little sauce left over I use it to prepare meals for the week, so on tired days I have my dinner ready in 5 minutes.
How to Prepare Chicken Tinga Bowl?
After I have the Chicken Tinga prepared and the base of the bowl set, I choose the ingredients that will complement my bowl.
Traditionally, Chicken Tinga bowl is served with a layer of beans, red onion, avocado, crumbled Mexican cheese, and cream. I don’t use the Mexican cheese and cream. I like to put in colored peppers, cherry tomatos and cilantro.
About the colored peppers, I usually don’t use the green peppers. Its flavor is quite peculiar and I don’t think it suits this recipe.
Beans can be optional, but I like to use them to make the dish more nutritious and healthy. I use canned beans because of their practicality.
The cilantro is alsooptional, but to me it goes very well with Mexican food. Besides bringing flavor, it leaves a super fresh aroma to your chicken tinga bowl.
To assemble the dish I add the ingredients one by one. I usually put the rice (base) at the bottom, and put the other ingredients next to each other to make a very colorful dish. Good food has to call attention to the eyes as well.
Chicken Tinga Rice Bowl Recipe
Chicken Tinga Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup sliced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon grated or minced garlic
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 of an avocado, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup of cherry tomato
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onions and sauté until they're soft and tender. 4-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Pour in the fire roasted tomatoes, dried spices, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce and green chiles. Season with salt and pepper and stir everything together. Cook until warmed through.
- Pour the tomato mixture into a blender and purée until smooth. If needed do this in two batches. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and stir in the shredded chicken. Cook on medium-low heat until warmed through.
- To prepare the bowls, fill them with rice and then top with some of the chicken tinga, black beans, avocado slices, cherry tomato, purple onions and cilantro.
Notes
Serve with lime wedges if desired.