Instant Pot (or not) Chicken Tinga Tacos
with Tajin watermelon
Cooking juicy chicken thighs with a few simple ingredients yields a rich, flavorful taco filling. Top it with some cool, fresh garnishes and watch it disappear!
Smarts #1: Don't shy away from the chipotle chilies, as they're the key ingredient in this classic dish (although if you prefer, you can substitute good quality chili powder.)
Smarts #2: Tajin is a brand-named seasoning that is both salty and sour. It makes a delicious topping for fresh fruit, since it enhances the fruit's natural sweetness. Look for it in the seasonings or global foods sections of your supermarket.
Cooking methods: This recipe includes instructions for using the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop. Select your preferred method.
Ingredients
- Cheese, feta (opt) - 2 oz , crumbled
- Onions, medium - 1 , sliced
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Chipotle peppers (usually found canned in adobo sauce) - 2 , chopped (use more or less depending on your spice preference)
- Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless - 1 1/2 lbs
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Tomatoes, crushed (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can
- Stock, any type - 1/4 cup (sub water)
- Cumin, ground - 1 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1/2 tsp
- Cabbage - 8 oz , shredded (sub coleslaw mix)
- Limes - 1 , wedges
- Avocados - 1 , chopped
- Cilantro, fresh - 1/4 cup , coarsely chopped
- Tortillas, taco-sized and gluten-free - 8
- Watermelon - 1 lb , cubed or sliced
- Lime juice - 1 Tbsp
- Tajin seasoning - 2-3 tsp , adjust to your preference
Choose Cooking Method
Prep
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Cheese / Onions / Garlic / Chipotle peppers - Prep as directed. Store cheese in its own container. Store onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers together in one container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Chicken - Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Slow cook chicken - Heat a large skillet with cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear until just golden brown on both sides (it should not be cooked all the way through). Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the bowl of a slow cooker, combine onions, garlic, chipotle peppers, tomatoes, stock, cumin, oregano, and paprika. Add chicken thighs and any accumulated juices to the slow cooker. Slow cook until chicken is tender and easy to shred, 6 to 7 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Cabbage / Limes / Watermelon - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make
-
Use two forks to shred the chicken (you can shred it on a cutting board and then put it back into the sauce, or you can shred it right in the pot if you like). Taste and season with some salt and pepper, if needed.
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Place watermelon on a serving plate and sprinkle with lime juice and Tajin seasoning.
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Warm tortillas according to package directions.
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Set out toppings. Let everyone assemble their own tacos by filling tortillas with shredded chicken, cabbage, avocados, cilantro, and cheese (if using).
-
Serve tacos with lime wedges to squeeze over top and Tajin watermelon on the side. Enjoy!
Prep
-
Cheese / Onions / Garlic / Chipotle peppers - Prep as directed. Store cheese in its own container. Store onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers together in one container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Chicken - Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
-
Cabbage / Limes / Watermelon - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again
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Make
-
Heat a Dutch oven or deep saute pan with cooking oil over medium heat. Add chicken thighs to heated oil and saute until golden brown on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
-
Return pan to heat and add onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers. Saute until onions begin to turn tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and slowly pour tomatoes and stock over onions and scrape up any browned bits. Stir in cumin, oregano, paprika, and some salt and pepper. Return chicken to the pan along with any accumulated juices and nestle it into the sauce.
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Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer the chicken gently over the lowest possible heat (boiling will make the chicken turn tough) until tender and easy to shred, 20-25 minutes.
-
Use two forks to shred the chicken (you can shred it on a cutting board and then put it back into the sauce, or you can shred it right in the pot if you like). Taste and season with some salt and pepper, if needed.
-
Place watermelon on a serving plate and sprinkle with lime juice and Tajin seasoning.
-
Warm tortillas according to package directions.
-
Set out toppings. Let everyone assemble their own tacos by filling tortillas with shredded chicken, cabbage, avocados, cilantro, and cheese (if using).
-
Serve tacos with lime wedges to squeeze over top and Tajin watermelon on the side. Enjoy!
Prep
-
Cheese / Onions / Garlic / Chipotle peppers - Prep as directed. Store cheese in its own container. Store onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers together in one container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
-
Chicken - Season chicken on both sides with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
-
Cabbage / Limes / Watermelon - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make
-
Using the saute function of an Instant Pot add the cooking oil and then sear chicken thighs until golden brown on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.
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Add onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers to the Instant Pot and saute until the aromatics start to turn tender, 3 to 4 minutes more.
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Turn off the saute function. Slowly pour tomatoes and stock over the onions, vigorously scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot (getting all of those browned bits up is the key to avoiding the burn error). Stir in cumin, oregano, paprika, and some salt and pepper. Return chicken to the pot along with any accumulated juices and nestle it into the sauce.
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Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure valve to 'Sealing'. Cook on manual / high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure.
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Use two forks to shred the chicken (you can shred it on a cutting board and then put it back into the sauce, or you can shred it right in the pot if you like). Taste and season with some salt and pepper, if needed.
-
Place watermelon on a serving plate and sprinkle with lime juice and Tajin seasoning.
-
Warm tortillas according to package directions.
-
Set out toppings. Let everyone assemble their own tacos by filling tortillas with shredded chicken, cabbage, avocados, cilantro, and cheese (if using).
-
Serve tacos with lime wedges to squeeze over top and Tajin watermelon on the side. Enjoy!
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