Chicken Tinga Toastadas

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Chicken Tinga Toastadas are a wonderful, easy dinner everyone will love. full of spice and deep chipotle flavor served over a crispy shell. These are the perfect change up to taco night!

Chicken Tinga Toastadas on a white counter on parchment paper with jalapeños.
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Why Make Chicken Tinga Toastadas

Toastadas are a great way to change up taco night, they remind me of an open faced sandwich but with crunch and spice and all the things I love.

  • Easy to Make. You can make the chicken from scratch( my favorite way) or use rotisserie chicken.
  • Delicious. The shredded chicken is so savory and has loads of chipotle flavor. Try my Chicken Birria Tacos for another knockout meal.
  • Meal Prep Friendly.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients to make this recipe on a white marble counter in small bowls and saucers.

All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post. 

  • Chicken. I make mine from scratch with boneless chicken breasts in a skillet, i suggest this route for the most flavor. But rotisserie will work wonderful as well!
  • Toastadas. Buy them pre made or you can toast up your own with corn tortillas.
  • Seasonings & Garlic. salt, pepper, paprika, oregano.
  • Onion. This is an integral part of the tinga sauce.
  • Tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes are the base of the tinga sauce, they give it the red color.
  • Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce. A must! you can find this in the international aisle at the store. Use as much or as little as you like.
  • Chicken Bullion. This is in most tinga sauce recipes. It adds a deep savory flavor.
  • Toppings. Shredded lettuce, jalapeño slices, cotija cheese, cilantro.

Recipe Variations

  • Add refried beans to the Toastadas to make them more hearty.
  • Cooked rice will also be yummy on the toastadas.
  • Add the shredded chicken tinga to regular flour tortillas if you want to skip the crispy shell.

How To Make Chicken Tinga Toastadas

Black cast iron skillet with onions and tomatoes in it.
  • Step One. If making the chicken from scratch, start with cooking it first. Preheat the oven to 375º In a large cast iron skillet heat op 1 tsp oil. Season the breasts on both sides with 1 tsp of each: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and oregano. Brown the chicken in the skillet for 5 minutes on each side. Pop the skillet in the oven for 18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165º.
  • Step Two. Make The Tinga Sauce: Using the same skillet the chicken was cooked in (or a fresh skillet will also work but the chicken remnants add a lot of flavor!). Add 1 Tbsp of oil and sliced onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, let them soften for about 5 minutes. Add in tinga seasonings, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes (photo 1-2).
  • Blend the tinga sauce!
  • Pour the sauce back into the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cast iron skillet with shredded chicken and sauce in it.
  • Step Three. Add the shredded chicken into the skillet with the tinga sauce and take it off the heat.(photo 3).
  • Step Four. Mix well and assemble the Toastadas. I like to lay a little shredded lettuce down first to help keep the toastadas from getting soggy. Add the chicken tinga, jalapeño, cotija and any other toppings of choice. Enjoy asap!

What To Serve With Toastadas

These make a wonderful meal on their own. They pair lovely with rice, or beans or you serve a nice Simple Green Salad or Santa Fe Chicken Salad with it.

Make it a taco fiesta by serving Crispy Ground Beef Tacos or Oven Baked Taquitos with it for a more boisterous meal.

Recipe Tips

  • Don’t overcook the chicken! It’s always best to have a digital meat thermometer. This will help keep the chicken nice and juicy. 
  • If you are sensitive to heat, add half the chipotle peppers and taste as you go. If you make it too hot, add a tsp of honey to help tone it down.
  • Use toppings you love. Avocado, sour cream, lime wedge and roasted corn all make great toppings in addition to the ones listed.
  • Make your own Toastadas. Spritz corn tortillas with some oil and toast them on medium heat in skillet and turn often until they are browned and crispy. Sprinkle with a little salt.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days keeping the toppings and Toastadas separate. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.   

Recipe FAQs

What does Tinga sauce taste like?

Tinga sauce has a smoky, slightly spicy, and rich tomato-based sauce with a prominent flavor from chipotle peppers

How Spicy is Chicken Tinga?

It really depends on how much sauce is used. If you’re concerned about the spice level, taste the sauce before you add the chicken. You can scoop some of the sauce out of the skillet and keep on the side if desired!

Other Mexican Inspired Recipes To Try

If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.

Chicken Tinga Toastadas on a white counter on parchment paper with jalapeños.
5 from 1 vote

Chicken Tinga Toastadas

Chicken Tinga Toastadas are a wonderful, easy dinner everyone will love. full of spice and deep chipotle flavor served over a crispy shell. 
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • oven safe skillet
  • food processor or blender

Ingredients 

For The Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken breasts, or 4 cups shredded rotisserie (if using rotisserie skip seasonings and make sauce)
  • 1 tsp salt & pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • tsp oregano, use less if you don't like oregano

Chicken Tinga Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 5 roma tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp chicken bullion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo , *use more or less to taste

Toppings

  • 8 small corn tortillas , or pre made/store bought Toastadas
  • 1 cup shredded romaine
  • cup cotija cheese
  • thinly sliced jalapeño
  • cilantro, chopped

Instructions 

  • If making the chicken from scratch, start with cooking it first. Preheat the oven to 375º In a large cast iron skillet heat op 1 tsp oil. Season the breasts on both sides with 1 tsp of each: salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and oregano. Brown the chicken in the skillet for 5 minutes on each side. Pop the skillet in the oven for 18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165º. 
    Let the chicken cool, shred it and set aside.
  • Make The Tinga Sauce: Using the same skillet the chicken was cooked in (or a fresh skillet will also work but the chicken remnants add a lot of flavor!). Add 1 Tbsp of oil and sliced onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, let them soften for about 5 minutes. Add in tinga seasonings, garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. 
  • Blend the tinga sauce! Pour the sauce back into the skillet. Add the tinga sauce back into the skillet and bring it to heat. Let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes, uncovered.
  • Add the shredded chicken to the tinga sauce, take it off the heat. Assemble the Toastadas. I like to lay a little shredded lettuce down first to help keep the toastadas from getting soggy. Add the chicken tinga, jalapeño, cotija and any other toppings of choice. Enjoy asap!

Notes

  • Don’t overcook the chicken! It’s always best to have a digital meat thermometer. This will help keep the chicken nice and juicy. 
  • If you are sensitive to heat, add half the chipotle peppers and taste as you go. If you make it too hot, add a tsp of honey to help tone it down. 
  • Use toppings you love. Avocado, sour cream, lime wedge and roasted corn all make great toppings in addition to the ones listed. 
  • Make your own Toastadas. Spritz corn tortillas with some oil and toast them on medium heat in skillet and turn often until they are browned and crispy. Sprinkle with a little salt. 
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days keeping the toppings and Toastadas separate. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.   

Nutrition

Serving: 2 Toastadas | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 884mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 773IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Bailey
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 344
Keyword: Chicken Tinga Toastadas
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