MediumSafe for younonveg-maindairy-free

Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Name: Chicken Tinga Tostadas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 large Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs — thighs are far better than breast for tinga; the higher fat content keeps the meat moist during the long simmer and the flavour is deeper and more savoury; the bones add body to the cooking liquid which becomes part of the sauce; 1 large White onion — 1 large, halved; half goes into the poaching water with the chicken, half is thinly sliced for the tinga sauce; 4 cloves Garlic cloves — 4 cloves total; 2 go into the poaching water, 2 are finely minced for the sauce; 2 Bay leaves — for poaching the chicken; 2–3 chillies + 2 tbsp adobo sauce Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce — from a tin; the chipotles provide the defining smoky heat of tinga; the adobo sauce they are packed in is equally important and goes into the sauce too; start with 2 chillies and add more to taste — they are very smoky and moderately hot; 4 medium fresh, or 400g tin Ripe tomatoes — roughly chopped; or one 400g tin of whole plum tomatoes, drained; fresh tomatoes give a brighter sauce, tinned give a deeper, more concentrated one; both work well; 2 tbsp Olive oil — for frying the onion and building the sauce; 1 tsp Dried oregano — Mexican oregano if available; it has a more citrusy, earthy flavour than Mediterranean oregano; Mediterranean oregano works fine as a substitute; ½ tsp Ground cumin; To taste Fine sea salt and black pepper — to season throughout; 8 tostadas Corn tostadas — 100% corn, gluten-free; buy ready-made tostadas if available, or make your own by baking corn tortillas flat in the oven until completely crisp (see step 1); check the label if serving someone with coeliac disease; 1 x 400g tin Tinned black beans — drained and rinsed; warmed in a pan with a little olive oil, salt, and a pinch of cumin to make a quick refried-style base for the tostadas; ¼ head Iceberg lettuce — finely shredded; its cool crunch is the essential textural contrast to the warm, smoky chicken; 1 large Ripe avocado — sliced or roughly mashed with lime juice and salt; 1 large avocado serves 4; 1 batch (see below) Fresh pico de gallo — 2 ripe tomatoes finely diced, ¼ white onion finely diced, 1 jalapeño finely diced, a handful of coriander roughly chopped, juice of 1 lime, salt to taste; mix together and leave for 10 minutes before serving; 2 limes Limes — cut into wedges for squeezing over at the table; A small handful Fresh coriander — to scatter over the finished tostadas

Shredded chicken slowly simmered in a smoky, deeply flavoured chipotle and tomato sauce — the classic Mexican tinga — piled onto crispy baked corn tostadas and topped with refried black beans, shredded iceberg lettuce, fresh pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime. No cheese, no sour cream, no crema — completely dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, egg-free, and sesame-free. Bold, smoky, and satisfying.

20 minPrep

40 minCook

60 minTotal

4Serves

Cooking progress0/4 steps

How to cook

Plating & presentation

Tostadas are a street food and they look best served with that energy — generous, colourful, and slightly chaotic rather than precise and composed. Arrange 2 tostadas per person on a wide, flat plate or a wooden board. Each tostada should be visibly layered: the dark, glossy tinga visible at the edges beneath the pale green lettuce, the bright red pico de gallo, the creamy green avocado, and the scattered coriander leaves. The colours — dark brick red, pale green, bright red, creamy green, white — are vivid and appetising. Serve lime wedges on the side, cut generously so guests can squeeze freely. If serving as a sharing platter, arrange all 8 tostadas on a large board or platter in two rows, toppings piled high, lime wedges scattered around the edges, and a small bowl of extra pico de gallo alongside. Bring to the table immediately — tostadas wait for no one.

Dana's tip

The chipotle chillies in adobo are the soul of this dish — they provide the defining smoky, slightly sweet heat that makes tinga unmistakable. They are available in tins in most supermarkets and online. Start with 2 chillies and 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce; taste the finished sauce and add more if you want more heat and smoke. The chillies are moderately hot and very smoky — a little goes a long way. Unused chillies and sauce freeze well: transfer to a small container or freeze individual chillies on a tray then bag them up, and they keep for 3 months. The other key to great tinga is the poaching liquid — do not discard it. It is well-seasoned, flavourful chicken stock that loosens the sauce and adds depth; using plain water instead produces a noticeably thinner, flatter sauce. Bone-in thighs are strongly preferred over breast — the fat and collagen in the thigh meat keep it moist and flavourful through the long simmer; breast meat shredded into a tomato sauce tends to be dry and stringy. Assemble the tostadas at the very last moment — a tostada that has been sitting with toppings for more than a few minutes will soften and lose its essential crunch. The tinga itself is an excellent make-ahead component: it keeps in the fridge for 2 days and reheats beautifully.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs — thighs are far better than breast for tinga; the higher fat content keeps the meat moist during the long simmer and the flavour is deeper and more savoury; the bones add body to the cooking liquid which becomes part of the sauce6 large

White onion — 1 large, halved; half goes into the poaching water with the chicken, half is thinly sliced for the tinga sauce1 large

Garlic cloves — 4 cloves total; 2 go into the poaching water, 2 are finely minced for the sauce4 cloves

Bay leaves — for poaching the chicken2

Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce — from a tin; the chipotles provide the defining smoky heat of tinga; the adobo sauce they are packed in is equally important and goes into the sauce too; start with 2 chillies and add more to taste — they are very smoky and moderately hot2–3 chillies + 2 tbsp adobo sauce

Ripe tomatoes — roughly chopped; or one 400g tin of whole plum tomatoes, drained; fresh tomatoes give a brighter sauce, tinned give a deeper, more concentrated one; both work well4 medium fresh, or 400g tin

Olive oil — for frying the onion and building the sauce2 tbsp

Dried oregano — Mexican oregano if available; it has a more citrusy, earthy flavour than Mediterranean oregano; Mediterranean oregano works fine as a substitute1 tsp

Ground cumin½ tsp

Fine sea salt and black pepper — to season throughoutTo taste

Corn tostadas — 100% corn, gluten-free; buy ready-made tostadas if available, or make your own by baking corn tortillas flat in the oven until completely crisp (see step 1); check the label if serving someone with coeliac disease8 tostadas

Tinned black beans — drained and rinsed; warmed in a pan with a little olive oil, salt, and a pinch of cumin to make a quick refried-style base for the tostadas1 x 400g tin

Iceberg lettuce — finely shredded; its cool crunch is the essential textural contrast to the warm, smoky chicken¼ head

Ripe avocado — sliced or roughly mashed with lime juice and salt; 1 large avocado serves 41 large

Fresh pico de gallo — 2 ripe tomatoes finely diced, ¼ white onion finely diced, 1 jalapeño finely diced, a handful of coriander roughly chopped, juice of 1 lime, salt to taste; mix together and leave for 10 minutes before serving1 batch (see below)

Limes — cut into wedges for squeezing over at the table2 limes

Fresh coriander — to scatter over the finished tostadasA small handful

Add intolerances on the homepage to highlight safe ingredients.

Back to Mexican