Chicken tinga (spicy pulled chicken) recipe

Chicken tinga (spicy pulled chicken)

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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Each serving contains

Energy
1835kJ 439.0kcal
22%
Fat
24g
high35%
Saturates
6g
high32%
Salt
0.4g
low7%
Sugars
10g
low11%

of the Reference intake

Carbohydrate 27.0gProtein 26.5gFibre 2.5g

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Meanwhile, mix the remaining onion with the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside to pickle, stirring every 10 mins.
  4. 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.
    • 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.

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