Chicken Tinga Tacos with Street Corn and Chile-Lime Fries
Smoky Chicken Tacos with Lime Crema and Pickled Red Onions
Serves 4 · Prep: 25 minutes · Cook: 35 minutes · Total: 1 hour
I know tacos with both fries and corn sounds like a lot, but you have to give this plate a chance! The chicken is smoky and soft, the cabbage is COLD and crunchy, and the lime crema gets into every crack in the blue corn tortillas. The pickled onions do most of the work here. Don’t skip them.
I use frozen fries and frozen corn. The tinga and onions are where your effort matters; peeling potatoes is not. Oh! And warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan. Blue corn tortillas are delicious, but they will split if you look at them wrong.
Ingredients
For the pickled onions
- ½ medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the chicken tinga
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 14½ ounces
- 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
For the lime crema
- ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Water, as needed
For the street corn
- 4 cups frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder or regular chili powder
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the fries
- 1 pound frozen straight-cut fries
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chile-lime seasoning, such as Tajín
For assembling the tacos
- 12 small blue corn tortillas
- 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- 1
Pickle the onions
Put the red onion in a small bowl or jar. Stir the vinegar, warm water, sugar, and salt together, then pour the mixture over the onion. Press the slices beneath the liquid and leave them alone for at least 20 minutes. They should soften but still have some crunch.
- 2
Blend the tinga sauce
Put the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, oregano, cumin, chicken broth, and salt in a blender. Blend until mostly smooth. Start with one chipotle if you are unsure about the heat. You can add another later. Removing chipotle from a sauce is considerably harder.
- 3
Cook the chicken
Heat the oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the white onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and starting to brown around the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the tomato-chipotle sauce, then add the chicken thighs. Bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the chicken once, until it pulls apart easily and the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- 4
Shred the chicken
Move the chicken to a plate and shred it with two forks. Return it to the skillet and simmer uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes. The sauce is ready when it clings to the chicken rather than pooling around it. If it still looks soupy, keep cooking. Wet tinga and small tortillas are a bad combination.
- 5
Bake the fries
While the chicken cooks, bake the fries according to the package directions. Use a large pan and spread them into one layer. Toss the hot fries with the chile-lime seasoning. Taste before adding any extra salt.
- 6
Make the lime crema
Stir the crema, lime juice, and salt together. Add water a teaspoon at a time until it is thin enough to spoon over the tacos. Keep it in the refrigerator until you need it.
- 7
Cook the street corn
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the frozen corn straight from the freezer. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Give it time to brown before moving it around again. If you stir constantly, the corn will be hot but pale. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the mayonnaise, crema, lime juice, half of the cotija, and the chile powder. Add the cilantro and taste for salt. Spoon the corn into a bowl and scatter the remaining cotija over the top.
- 8
Warm the tortillas
Warm each tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 20 seconds per side. Stack the warm tortillas beneath a damp kitchen towel. Do not warm all twelve and leave them uncovered on a plate. The last few will crack.
- 9
Assemble the tacos
Add chicken tinga to each tortilla, followed by cabbage, lime crema, pickled onions, and cilantro. Serve three tacos per person with the street corn, fries, and lime wedges.
Shortcuts and substitutions
The best shortcut: rotisserie chicken
Make the sauce as written and simmer it uncovered for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. This cuts out most of the cooking time without changing the part you actually taste.
Regular corn tortillas
White and yellow corn tortillas both work. They are usually more flexible than blue corn tortillas, which makes assembly easier.
Canned corn
Drain it well and pat it dry before cooking. Otherwise, it will spend the first several minutes steaming in the pan.
No cotija
Use feta. It is a little tangier, but it has the right salty, crumbly texture.
No Mexican crema
Use sour cream. Thin the taco crema with water, but leave the portion for the corn thick.
Less spicy
Use one chipotle pepper and 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce. For more heat, stir additional adobo into the finished chicken after tasting it.
Air-fryer fries
Cook the fries at 400°F until crisp, usually 12 to 18 minutes. Shake the basket a few times so the fries underneath get a chance.
Recipe notes
Don’t rush the sauce
The chicken may be cooked before the sauce is ready. Shred it, put it back in the skillet, and keep simmering until the sauce coats the meat. That last five minutes makes the tacos much less messy.
Use less filling than you think
These are small tortillas. Two or three forkfuls of chicken are enough. Add too much and the tortilla will split before you take the first bite.
Make the onions first
Twenty minutes is enough for a quick pickle, but an hour is better. You can also make the onions ahead and keep them in their liquid in the refrigerator.
Keep the cabbage plain
The crema and tinga already bring plenty of sauce. Plain shredded cabbage stays crisp and cool instead of turning into another wet topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is chicken tinga?
Chicken tinga is shredded chicken cooked in a smoky tomato, onion, and chipotle sauce. It is commonly served in tacos, tostadas, and rice bowls.
Can I use chicken breasts?
Yes. Start checking them after 15 minutes since chicken breasts dry out sooner than thighs. Remove them once they reach 165°F and shred easily.
Are chicken tinga tacos spicy?
This version is moderately spicy with two chipotle peppers. Use one chipotle for a milder sauce and serve extra adobo at the table.
Why are my corn tortillas cracking?
They are probably cold or have been sitting uncovered. Warm each tortilla in a dry skillet and keep the stack beneath a damp towel until you assemble the tacos.
Can I make the chicken tinga ahead?
Yes. The tinga reheats well and usually tastes better the next day. Warm it gently in a covered skillet, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has become too thick.
What goes with chicken tinga tacos?
Street corn, chile-lime fries, black beans, tortilla chips, or a simple cabbage salad all work. If you do not want to make three separate things, keep the corn and skip the fries.
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