Chicken tinga (spicy pulled chicken) recipe

Created by The Tesco Recipes team
Move over pulled pork! This epic chipotle pulled chicken platter makes a stunning centrepiece for your Christmas buffet. Serve with tortilla chips and soured cream for a Mexican-inspired feast.
See method- Serves 8
- Takes 50 mins
- 439 calories / serving
- Freezable
- Gluten-free
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1kg pack boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 red onions, thinly sliced
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
- 2 tbsp chipotle paste
- 500g carton tomato passata
- 2 large limes, juiced
- 3 Little Gem lettuces, leaves separated
- 1 green chilli, thinly sliced
- 20g fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 150ml pot soured cream
- 200g pack lightly salted tortilla chips
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Shop ingredientsEach serving contains
- Energy
- 1835kJ 439.0kcal
- Fat
- 24g
- Saturates
- 6g
- Salt
- 0.4g
- Sugars
- 10g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 27.0gProtein 26.5gFibre 2.5g
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Method
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the chicken for 3-4 mins each side until golden. Add half the onions and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften. Stir through the garlic, cumin, sugar and chipotle paste and cook for 2 more mins.
- Stir in the passata, cover and cook for 25 mins, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through. Shred into bite-sized pieces with 2 forks and season with black pepper.
- Meanwhile, mix the remaining onion with the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside to pickle, stirring every 10 mins.
- Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and spoon over the chicken tinga. Top with the drained pickled onions, sliced chilli and most of the chopped coriander. Serve alongside the soured cream, garnished with the remaining coriander and a twist of black pepper, and the tortilla chips for dipping.
- See more Christmas party food recipes
Tip
Make the tinga and pickled onions up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
- For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.



