Chicken Tinga Tacos

I love people. People exhaust me. I am always with people, therefore I am always exhausted. Do you remember proofs in geometry? Used to teach it (funny since I’m not a fan of it). But I just essentially applied the transitive property (más o menos), proving to myself that perhaps geometry is not pointless for the general population after all! Must share this news with daughter right away.

I share this, not because it has anything to do with chicken tacos, but because it has everything to do with why this blog is neglected. We have been eating some good stuff around here, and I so want to share the inspiration! Most of the good food is thanks to a cookbook a friend loaned me – Half Baked Harvest Super Simple. I had some kombucha explode onto the cookbook, and I’m not sad I had to replace her copy and keep it for myself. There’s only one recipe I made that was bleh so far, and that could have easily been due to this chef’s error.

In addition to the meals in the cookbook being delicious, they’re all pretty quick and easy too (thus the “Super Simple”). You still have time to hit up the grocery store real quick and make these tacos for Taco Tuesday dinner tonight! Here’s the deal – the enchilada sauce you choose makes a big difference. The first time I made these tacos, I used enchilada sauce that comes in a pouch – I think this one pictured below, but it could have been the Frontera brand. The second time I made these, I used Whole Foods brand enchilada sauce. So spicy!! Too spicy for all of us, and I like a bit of spice. If you use the pouch, you need to use a pouch and a half, which is a little awkward. Or use two and add some extra chicken/use one and less chicken… The chipotle peppers are what make these “Tinga”. They add smoke, not spice.

Use tortillas of your choice – I really like white corn tortillas for these if you can find them. For the pineapple salsa, I use half of a fresh jalapeño. I don’t love pickled things. Just my personal preference. I’ll include both in the recipe.

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Chicken Tinga Tacos

Course Dinner

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

For the tacos

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ cups red enchilada sauce (see note above)
• 1 or 2 avocado(s), mashed
• 8-12 tortillas, warmed
• 4 oz crumbled feta or queso fresco

For the pineapple salsa

• 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
• 2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeño peppers OR ½ fresh jalapeño seeded and chopped fine
• 1 lime, juiced
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

For the tacos

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the chicken, onion, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper (if you don't actually pinch, use about ⅛ tsp). Cook, stirring occasionally and turning the chicken over, until chicken is browned all over and the onion is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes on each side. Add the enchilada sauce and chipotle peppers to the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer about 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and fork-tender to shred. Remove the pan from the heat; using two forks, shred the chicken in the pan, coating shredded pieces with sauce.

2. To serve, spread the mashed avocado over the tortillas, top with chicken, crumbled cheese, and salsa (if desired… highly recommended!)

For the pineapple salsa

1. In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and salt, and gently toss together. Use the salsa right away or refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Notes

Source: Half Baked Harvest Super Simple