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two corn tortillas filled with finely shredded chicken in a thick brick-red chipotle tomato sauce and whole black beans on an ordinary plate, with no cheese, creamy topping or garnish
Melissa Hart

Crockpot Chicken Tinga

Tinga gets its character from smoky chipotle and tomato, with shredded chicken carrying the sauce into every bite, and black beans stretch the filling without asking for a second batch of meat; keep the sauce fairly thick before it reaches the tortillas, since a soupy tinga runs down your wrist instead of staying in dinner. Mash a few beans against the crock to absorb loose juices, leaving most of them whole for texture. Estimated calories: about 420 per serving, including everything listed.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 can 14.5 oz no-salt-added diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 can 15 oz no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 8 small corn tortillas about 50 calories each

Method
 

  1. Stir tomatoes with their juices, onion, garlic, chipotle, oregano, cumin and salt in a 4-quart slow cooker. Nestle chicken breasts into the sauce.
  2. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the chicken reaches 165°F and pulls apart easily.
  3. Lift chicken onto a plate and shred with two forks. Stir beans into the sauce, mashing about 1/4 cup of them against the side to thicken the juices.
  4. Return shredded chicken to the cooker and cook covered on high for 10 minutes until beans are hot. Stir in lime juice.
  5. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds per side.
  6. Use a slotted spoon to divide chicken and beans among 8 tortillas and serve 2 per portion.