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Tostadas de Tinga

Name: Tostadas de Tinga
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 250 g boneless skinless chicken breast; 120 g white onion, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 180 g ripe tomato, chopped; 20 g chipotle chiles in adobo, minced; 15 g adobo sauce from the chipotles; 1 g dried oregano; 1 g ground cumin; 10 ml neutral oil; 120 ml water; 4 g fine salt; 1 g black pepper; 4 small corn tortillas; 15 ml neutral oil; 100 g avocado, sliced; 40 g Mexican crema; 25 g Cotija cheese, crumbled; 5 g fresh cilantro leaves; 1 lime, cut into wedges

These tostadas are crisp, smoky, tangy, and creamy in every bite. Juicy shredded chicken tinga sits on crunchy corn tortillas with cool avocado, rich crema, salty Cotija, and a bright squeeze of lime.

30 min

2 servings

643 kcal

Mexican

Ingredients

Tinga de pollo

250 gboneless skinless chicken breast
120 gwhite onion, thinly sliced
2garlic cloves, minced
180 gripe tomato, chopped
20 gchipotle chiles in adobo, minced
15 gadobo sauce from the chipotles
1 gdried oregano
1 gground cumin
10 mlneutral oil
120 mlwater
4 gfine salt
1 gblack pepper

Tostadas y guarniciones

4 smallcorn tortillas
15 mlneutral oil
100 gavocado, sliced
40 gMexican crema
25 gCotija cheese, crumbled
5 gfresh cilantro leaves
1lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1
Prep everything first for fast cooking: thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic, chop the tomato, mince the chipotles, slice the avocado, crumble the Cotija, and cut the lime into wedges. Pat the chicken dry and season it with a little of the salt and pepper.
2
Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 10 ml neutral oil. Add the chicken breast and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until just cooked through and the thickest part reaches 74°C. Transfer to a plate and rest for 3 minutes so the juices stay in the meat, then shred finely with two forks.
3
In the same skillet, add the sliced onion and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic, chopped tomato, minced chipotles, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, remaining salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until the tomato breaks down and the mixture smells sweet, smoky, and concentrated.
4
Return the shredded chicken to the skillet and add the water. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is well coated and the sauce is moist but not watery. The tinga should mound easily on a tostada without running off.
5
While the tinga simmers, make quick tostadas. Heat a second skillet over medium-high heat with 15 ml neutral oil. Toast the corn tortillas for 1-2 minutes per side, pressing lightly, until crisp and lightly blistered. They should be rigid enough to hold toppings. Alternatively, bake them briefly if preferred.
6
Assemble the tostadas: divide the chicken tinga over the crisp tortillas, then top with sliced avocado, small spoonfuls or drizzles of crema, Cotija, and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over the top.

Nutrition per serving

643 kcal

Calories

42g

Protein

37g

Carbs

35g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•For a beginner-friendly shortcut, use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken; add it in step 4 and simmer 2-3 minutes less.
•If you want a milder tinga, start with 10 g chipotle and add more to taste.
•Serve with shredded lettuce or refried beans if you want a more loaded tostada, though the classic version is excellent kept simple.
•Eat as soon as assembled so the tortillas stay crisp.

Background

Tinga is a classic dish from Puebla, where shredded meat is simmered with tomato, onion, and smoky chipotle chiles. Serving it on crisp tostadas is a beloved antojito style found across Mexico, especially for casual family meals and street-food-inspired gatherings.

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