Mexican · Lunch & handhelds

Chicken tinga tostadas

Name: Chicken tinga tostadas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 tostadas
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs; 2 cups water; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus 2 cups for frying; 1 large white onion, thinly sliced, divided; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 14-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes; 2 canned chipotles in adobo, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon adobo sauce; 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar; 8 corn tortillas; 1 1/2 cups refried pinto beans, warmed; 2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce; 1 ripe avocado, sliced; 1/2 cup Mexican crema; 3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco

Crisp corn tostadas spread with beans and topped with Puebla-style smoky tomato-chipotle chicken, lettuce, avocado, crema, and queso fresco.

About 1 hr 30 minTotal

About 1 hr 20 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 tostadas

Equipment

Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
Simple clip-on pick
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907
View at Amazon
For frequent frying and alarms
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100
View at ThermoWorks
Another workable path: Use a high-temperature instant-read thermometer between batches; do not leave it in the pot.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We compared continuous readability, clip stability, temperature recovery help, cleaning guidance, and exact model identity. A current independent comparison informed the simple clip-on choice; manufacturer documentation established care and the alarm system's included parts. Kwilt has not calibrated or fried with these thermometers.
KitchenAid Fry Thermometer · KQ907: Its curved paddle and silicone-coated clip stay close to the pot, giving you a continuous oil reading without another screen or battery. Trade-off: It has no alarm, and KitchenAid says to hand wash rather than submerge it.
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm · TX-1100: High and low alarms make the oil drop between batches hard to miss, and the same system can monitor roasting, bread, and candy. Trade-off: It costs substantially more and brings a cabled probe, case, and controls that are unnecessary for an occasional batch of fish tacos.
Another workable path: If you already own a suitable high-temperature instant-read thermometer, check the oil before and between batches. Do not leave it in the pot unless its maker allows continuous high-temperature use.
Sources
Food Network tested comparison
KitchenAid thermometer care
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 tostadas

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon neutral oil, plus 2 cups for frying
1 large white onion, thinly sliced, divided
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 14-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
2 canned chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar
8 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups refried pinto beans, warmed
2 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/2 cup Mexican crema
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco

Instructions

Simmer chicken thighs with 2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and one-quarter of the onion until chicken reaches 165°F, 18 to 22 minutes. Rest 10 minutes, shred coarsely, and reserve 1 cup broth.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet. Cook remaining onion until soft and golden at the edges, 8 minutes; add garlic for 30 seconds.
Blend tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, oregano, vinegar, remaining salt, and 1/2 cup reserved broth until mostly smooth. Pour into onion and simmer until thick enough to mound, 8 to 10 minutes.
Fold in chicken and simmer 5 minutes, adding reserved broth by the tablespoon only if dry. The tinga should be juicy but leave no watery pool.
Heat 2 cups oil to . Fry tortillas one at a time until flat, crisp, and golden, about 45 seconds per side; drain on a rack and season lightly.
Spread each tostada with warm beans, then add tinga, lettuce, avocado, crema, and queso fresco. Assemble only what will be eaten immediately so the shell stays crisp.

MexicoMexican household and street cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Tinga de pollo is a Mexican preparation of shredded chicken in a concentrated tomato, onion, chipotle, and oregano sauce, commonly served on crisp tostadas with cool garnishes.

Tinga is associated with Puebla; pork preceded the now-widespread chicken form. Tomato, long-cooked onion, chipotle, and oregano create its identity, while beans anchor the moist filling to the tostada. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Use poached thigh for a dependable 165°F endpoint, build the sauce separately for concentration, and author freshly fried shells so the catalog version preserves the defining crisp-moist contrast.

Sources

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