Best Instant Pot Chicken Tinga

Tips and Substitutions

Pressure cooking time for the chicken thighs or drumsticks can vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces.  For larger pieces, you may need to increase cooking time by 1 or 2 additional minutes.

I highly recommend using bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks.  But if you decide to use boneless chicken thighs, pressure cook them for about 8 to 9 minutes.

I like to add brown sugar in this recipe because I like to balance out the flavors: salty, sour, spicy and sweet flavors make a perfect combination.  Feel free to omit the sugar.

For many years I’d been buying cans of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce, and I would freeze the leftover chilies for later use. But now I’ve discovered Diced Chipotle peppers which come in a glass jar. It’s very convenient and easy to use and keeps in the fridge for a long time.  That’s what I use in this recipe.

I have a secret sauce that I’ve concocted that I use for all kinds of foods including Middle Eastern and Mexican.  It keeps in the fridge really well.  I love using it on tacos and rice bowls!

Garlic Sauce / White Sauce

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or whole milk yogurt
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/8 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped finely (optional)

This recipe would be perfect for a taco bar if you’re entertaining.  It’s easy to pressure cook the chicken ahead of time and saute on the day of your party.  You can offer alternate options and serve Instant Pot Carne Asada and/or Instant Pot Pork Carnitas as fillings.

I recently purchased a Vitamix blender that also has a mini-blender attachment.  It was a pricey investment but I am so happy with it.  It blends everything so quickly and thoroughly!

Reducing the sauce and sauteing the chicken adds a lot of flavor to the Instant Pot Chicken Tinga.  I suggest using a splatter screen when you reduce the sauce because there will be a lot of bubbling up while the liquid evaporates.

Although sauteing the chicken is optional, I do recommend doing this step.  I love the crispy bits and caramelization!

Toppings for the Instant Pot Chicken Tinga include:

• chopped avocados or guacamole
• pico de gallo
• salsa
• crema
• queso fresco or cotija cheese
• cilantro
• caramelized onions, chopped onions or pickled onions
• chopped serrano chiles, jalapenos or pickled jalapeno
• thinly sliced radishes
• fresh lime

• Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
• Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘12′ (12 minutes).

Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:

• Close the lid.
• Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 12 minutes (00:12).
• Press ‘Start’.

• Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
• Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
• The display will count down from 12 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’  or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.

• Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).  The float valve will be in the down position.  This may take 15 to 30 minutes. *
• Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.

* If you wish, you can release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.

Best Instant Pot Chicken Tinga

This Instant Pot Chicken Tinga recipe is perfect for tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, nachos, a rice bowl or taco salad. Packed with flavor, the recipe is adapted from an authentic Mexican recipe made in the slow cooker. Perfect for meal prepping, the chicken can be pressure cooked ahead and sauteed when you're ready to eat.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken tinga tacos, instant pot chicken tinga, instant pot tacos

Main Ingredient: chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 338 kcal

Author: Paint the Kitchen Red

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup onions coarsely chopped
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 14.5 oz
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp garlic coarsely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce chopped (more to taste)
• 1 Tbsp Mexican oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks bone-in skinless
• 2 tsp vegetable oil if using

For serving, your choice of:

• chopped avocados
• guacamole
• pico de gallo
• salsa
• crema
• queso fresco
• cotija cheese
• cilantro
• caramelized onions chopped onions or pickled onions
• chopped jalapeno or serrano chiles
• fresh lime

Instructions

• Combine onions, tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, chipotle chiles, oregano, marjoram, salt, thyme, cumin, and brown sugar in a blender and blend until smooth.
• Combine chicken broth, chicken, and blended sauce in the Instant Pot inner pot.
• Close lid and pressure cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. Allow for a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). If you wish, you can release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken from the inner pot into a large bowl and reserve.
• Select 'Saute' mode and reduce the sauce until thickened, about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring intermittently. To prevent splatter from the bubbling sauce, use a splatter screen to protect your countertops.
• Shred the reserved chicken using two forks. Add in desired quantity of sauce (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) and stir together the chicken and sauce.
• Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. *
• Spread out the shredded chicken on the frying pan without overcrowding. Add more sauce if desired.
• Saute the chicken until brown bits form on the bottom, stirring gently occasionally. Add more sauce as needed.
• Transfer chicken to a serving bowl.
• Serve with tortillas, rice or salad and your choice of toppings.

Notes

• Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. skinned chicken, chopped onions, minced garlic, etc.
• * sauteing of chicken is optional, but I recommend it!
• See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 338 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 47 g | Fat: 19 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 165 mg | Sodium: 311 mg | Potassium: 243 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 4 g

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I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

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