Shake Things Up with Chicken Tinga Verde

Tinga verde de pollo in a pan
June 17, 2024

By Miguel Guerrero

Whenever I go to my sister’s house, I like to give her a break from her daily mom duties and cook with my sobrinos. I invented this recipe one day when my nephew Benny said he was craving tinga. I looked through the fridge and didn’t see any tomatoes, but I did find tomatillos for days. I made it the same way as the classic, and even got the chipotle in there. My sister, who is my toughest critic and the pickiest eater in our family, loved it, and Benny couldn’t get enough. We all went in for tostada after tostada piled with all the toppings. This tinga verde is now one of my signature recipes – their only criticism that day was that I made such a small batch.

This is a little bit different than the classic tinga we all know and love, but it's made the same way: sauté your ingredients, blend, and pour over your chicken. Once the flavors have melded, serve it on a crispy tostada, layered with crema, lettuce, and queso, and let me know whether you miss the tomatoes.
Tinga Verde de Pollo (Green Chicken Tinga)

Tinga Verde de Pollo (Green Chicken Tinga)

Miguel Guerrero

Servings

4-6 servings, 10-12 tostadas

Ingredients

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    • 3 boneless chicken breasts

    • ½ onion, peeled

    • 2 cloves garlic, peeled

    • 1 bay leaf

    • 1 tbsp salt

    • 1 chipotle pepper, dried

    • Water

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    • 10 tomatillos, peeled and rinsed

    • 4 garlic cloves, peeled

    • 1 serrano pepper, destemmed

    • 2 jalapeños, destemmed

    • Bunch of cilantro, rinsed

    • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon (adjust to taste)

    • 1 cup chicken broth

    • Olive oil

    • 1 medium white onion, sliced (to be sautéed separately, not blended with sauce)

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    • Crema

    • Shredded lettuce

    • Queso fresco, crumbled

    • Tostadas

    Directions

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      1. In a pot, place the chicken breasts, halved onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, chipotle pepper, and salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool slightly before shredding it with two forks. Set aside.

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      1. In a non-stick pan or skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatillos, garlic cloves, serrano pepper, and jalapeños. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

      2. Transfer the sautéed ingredients to a blender. Add cilantro, chicken bouillon, and chicken broth. Blend until it reaches a uniform, pourable consistency. Taste the sauce and adjust the amount of chicken bouillon if necessary until properly seasoned.

      3. In the same pan or skillet used for sautéing the ingredients, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and sliced onions. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour the blended sauce into the pan with the sautéed onions. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

      4. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir until well combined. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the chicken to absorb the flavors of the sauce.

      5. Serve the tinga verde hot on a tostada, garnished with crema, shredded lettuce, and crumbled queso fresco. ¡Provecho!

      4 comments

      JANET |

      Sounds really good. Can’t wait to try it.

      MASIENDA |

      Hi Alexa! It works great with both. For fish, use a firm, flaky option and fold it into the sauce once cooked so it stays intact. For tofu, go extra-firm and cook it until golden first, then let it simmer briefly to soak up the sauce. The tinga verde does most of the work—bright, fresh, and just as good beyond chicken.

      ANDREA |

      Thank you so much for this e mail, I dont do tik tok and many other online sites peeps are all into now, so really, way Muchas Gracias !!!!

      ALEXA |

      How would this work on fish or tofu?

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