Mexican Tinga de Pollo {Authentic Mexican Chicken}

The pot lid rattles and you know dinner is almost ready. That sound hits you deep in a way like a little promise. You been waitin all day for that cozy, spicy smell to hit your kitchen and you can finally feel it coming alive.

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You catch a glimpse of the steam rolling out and it9s kinda like a signal that everything inside the pot is cookin just right. The float valve just popped up, telling you the pressure build is perfect. You gotta keep cool though because quick release is only for when you9re ready to dive in.

When you crack that lid open, that tender pull of chicken in the chipotle tomato sauce pulls at every sense you9ve got. It ain9t just food, its a whole mood. And you just know this kinda dinner gonna make you wanna make it again and again.

What Makes Pressure Cooking Win Every Round

• Pressure cooking traps heat and steam to get food done way faster than stove or oven.
• The float valve lets you know when pressure build is just right, so you avoid guesswork.
• You get that tender pull on chicken or beef that slow cooking usually takes hours to do.
• Quick release and slow release options give you control over how fast you open the pot without messin up the food.
• Preserves flavors in a way nothing else can since the steam can9t escape till you let it.
• You use less water and keep nutrients locked in, so meals serve up healthy and hearty.
• Cleanup's a breeze cause it9s mostly one pot doin all the heavy lifting.

The Complete Shopping Rundown

Grab yourself 3 pounds of boneless chicken breast or thighs, whatever you prefer. Go for 5 guajillo peppers but make sure you take off the stems and seeds, they9d get bitter if you don9t.

Half of a big white onion and 4 cloves of garlic are the base flavor bombs here. You want a stalk of celery and a large carrot for that extra depth. Plus 2 bay leaves and a handful of fresh cilantro for some fresh vibes.

Don9t forget 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns and salt. For your sauce, you9ll need 2 pounds of roma tomatoes and about one and half cups of chicken stock. Grab a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo 6 that9s the heat and smokiness heart, roughly 5 to 6 chipotles.

For serving and finishing touches, get some corn tostadas, fresh lettuce, tomato, avocado, crema, and queso fresco. And finally, some olive oil or grapeseed oil to get that skillet nice and ready.

How It All Comes Together Step by Step

Step one, place your chicken, half an onion, garlic cloves, celery stalk, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt into your pressure cooker pot. Cover it all up with water.

Then, seal your lid and wait for the float valve to pop up. When that pressure build hits, set your timer for about 30 minutes to let the chicken get cooked through good and tender.

Once done, do a slow release to let pressure out gently. Remove the chicken and let it cool so you can shred it easily with two forks. Strain the broth and keep it for later use.

Next, boil the guajillo peppers till they soften, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and toss them into a blender. Add the remaining onion, a couple garlic cloves if you9re feelin it, some fresh cilantro and 1 to 1 and half cups of the softened chicken broth. Blend till silky smooth.

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Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium. Pour in your blended sauce and cook it for 5 to 7 minutes, making sure you stir it here and there so it doesn9t stick.

Now stir in your shredded chicken to the sauce. Let that simmer together for about 10 more minutes so all them flavors have a chance to get friendly.

While that9s happening, slice a large white onion into thin short strips and mince some extra garlic to cook up fresh if you want a little pop in texture and taste on top when you serve.

Finally, serve your Tinga de Pollo with warm corn tostadas, a pile of lettuce, sliced tomato, creamy avocado, a drizzle of crema, and a sprinkling of queso fresco. You gonna love every bite.

Quick Tricks That Save Your Time

• Pre-soak guajillo peppers before boiling to speed softening time.
• Use leftover rotisserie chicken if you wanna skip the pressure cook step altogether.
• Blend sauce ingredients while chicken cooks to multitask smartly.
• Freeze portions of shredded chicken separately so you can grab quick meals later.
• Keep pre-chopped veggies in the fridge, ready to toss in the pot without fuss.

What It Tastes Like Fresh From the Pot

The first thing you notice is that deep smoky warmth from the chipotle in adobo. It wraps your tongue in that perfect balance of heat and smokiness that sticks just right.

You sense the tomato9s brightness cutting through the richness of the chicken and the sauce9s full body clinging to every shred. The tender pull on the chicken tells you it9s been cooked slow enough to soak up all those flavors deep.

There9s a little fresh crunch from the raw onion and cilantro on top when you garnish, adding a cool contrast that makes the whole thing sing. Heck, it9s like a hug on a plate.

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Making It Last All Week Long

Store your Tinga de Pollo in airtight containers in the fridge and it9ll keep good for about 4 days. Just reheat gently so it doesn9t dry out.

If you wanna keep it longer, pop it in the freezer. It freezes super well, just thaw it in the fridge overnight and heat slow to keep that tender pull.

Another cool trick is to freeze the sauce and chicken separately if you got room. That way you can heat them individually and keep the fresh flavors popping when you eat.

Everything Else You Wondered About

• Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast?
  Yeah definitely, thighs stay juicier and work real good in this recipe.
• What if I don9t have guajillo peppers?
  You can swap in dried ancho or pasilla peppers for a different but still awesome flavor.
• How do I know when the pressure is right?
  Look for the float valve to pop up and stay steady, that tells you pressure build is solid.
• What does slow release mean?
  That9s when you let pressure come down naturally without rushing, good for keeping food tender.
• Can I make this spicier?
  Just add more chipotles or toss in some fresh jalapeos when you blend the sauce.
• Is the broth important?
  Oh heck yeah, it adds body and depth to your sauce, don9t skip straining and using it in the blend.

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Pressure Cooker Tinga de Pollo and More: A Saucy Fiesta

This Pressure Cooker Tinga de Pollo is a spicy, saucy Mexican classic featuring juicy shredded chicken simmered in a smoky chipotle and tomato sauce—perfect for piling on crispy tostadas with fresh toppings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 8 people

Calories 320 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Pressure Cooker for cooking the chicken
• 1 Blender for making sauce
• 1 Skillet for cooking sauce

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 3 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs
• 5 guajillo peppers stems and seeds removed
• 0.5 white onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 large carrot
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 handful cilantro fresh
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• salt to taste
• 2 pounds roma tomatoes
• 1.5 cups chicken stock or broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo about 5-6 chipotles
• olive oil or grapeseed oil
• 1 large white onion sliced thin
• 4-5 cloves garlic minced
• corn tostadas
• lettuce
• tomato sliced
• avocado sliced
• crema
• queso fresco

Instructions

 

Instructions

• Place chicken, onion, garlic, celery, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt into the pressure cooker. Cover with water.
• Seal the lid, wait for float valve to pop. Cook under pressure for 30 minutes. Use slow release and set chicken aside to shred. Strain broth for later use.
• Boil guajillo peppers 10-15 minutes. Blend with onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1-1.5 cups chicken broth until smooth. Set aside.
• Heat oil in skillet over medium. Cook blended sauce for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add shredded chicken to sauce. Simmer 10 more minutes to combine flavors.
• Serve on tostadas with lettuce, tomato, avocado, crema, and queso fresco.

Notes

For extra smokiness, roast the tomatoes before blending. Tinga keeps well refrigerated up to 4 days and freezes beautifully for future tostada dinners. Skipping pressure cook? Use rotisserie chicken for fast version.