I found this recipe when I was looking for a nut-free alternative to mole to make for a winery crew lunch. I had never had it before, but I really enjoyed it, and one of the men on our team is originally from Puebla and told me it was delicious and authentic. So I am saving this recipe.

Chicken Tinga

Ingredients

1.5 pounds chicken breast
28 ounce can peeled whole tomatoes
7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
5 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add bay leaves and chicken, and boil for 12 minutes. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface, and be careful not to boil over.
Drain the chicken and set aside to cool before shredding.
Add the can of tomatoes with all liquid to a blender. Add the can of chipotle, scraping all the adobo sauce in too. Blend until smooth.
Slice the onion and garlic thinly.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onions and garlic slowly by until golden, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the chipotle sauce to the onions, along with the oregano, thyme, and salt. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the sauce darkens a bit.
Add the pulled chicken to the sauce and warm through. Serve with soft tortillas or rice.

Note: you can use the broth you cooked the chicken in to make the rice.

Note: If you to make the spice mild, only use half the chipotle peppers, but do try to use all the adobo in the can.

Also note, if you want to double this recipe for a big group, don’t double the can of tomatoes, just add another 8 ounce can of tomato sauce. Do double the chipotle and everything else.