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Weeknight-style Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema. Chicken thighs seasoned up with smoky chipotle peppers and enchilada sauce, then mixed with cheese, stuffed into tortillas, and oven-baked. Each tinga taco is crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy, salty, honey-lime avocado crema sauce, and a mix of your favorite toppings. These come together easily and are so delicious. The perfect crispy taco that everyone loves!
It’s definitely no secret that we love Mexican food, especially tacos. Honestly, anything Mexican is a go for my family. Spicy, cheese, lots of flavors, avocado, and cilantro. These are some of our favorite flavors/foods.
I have told the childhood taco story here one too many times, so we’ll skip that today. But if you’re new, basically I grew up on my dad’s crispy, cheesy hard shell tacos.
His were very basic, but to this day my brothers still request them. Hard not to love any kind of taco, you know?
But today we have a chicken tinga tacos recipe, one of my very favorite flavors. If you’re not familiar with Chicken Tinga, it’s a Mexican dish consisting of shredded chicken in a tomato-based chipotle sauce with sliced onions. Like a lot of popular Mexican dishes, it’s pretty simple. The flavors from the chipotle peppers are KEY and what’s most traditional with any Tinga dish.
I’ve done a few variations now, but this is probably the most traditional. Well kind of, I use a shortcut in the sauce to save a little time!
The quick details
They are easy you guys. I want to start out by saying you can make these in either the crockpot, instant pot, or on the stove. We all love options when it comes to dinner, so use whichever method suits you best! They will all give you the same outcome.
For the crockpot, just add all the ingredients for the chicken right into the crockpot. So the onions, chipotle, enchilada sauce, and the seasonings. Let it all slow cook, then shred the meat. Done.
The very same with the instant pot, except the cooking time is much, much shorter (just 8 minutes).
And for the stove-top, there is slightly more involved, but it’s still easy. Just cook the chicken in a skillet until seared. Add the onion, then everything else. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Then shred the chicken and that’s that.
For the crispy shells
Instead of using store-bought taco shells, I like to take corn tortillas and stuff them with the chicken tinga and cheese. I throw them into the oven to bake until the tortillas are crispy.
This method is my favorite and I use it every time I make tacos for my family. We love the crispy oven “fried” shells and melty cheese. It’s the best when some of the cheese melts out onto the pan and gets crispy too. Delicious.
And finally the crema
Do you all remember the creamy jalapeño sauce I made with my Cuban quesadillas? Well, that sauce uses pickled jalapeños. Ever since making those I’ve been using pickled jalapeños in everything.
For this crema, I whipped avocado in a food processor with the jalapeños and lots of cilantro. I added garlic and a little honey to balance the heat, and then some fresh lime juice and sea salt.
It is so creamy, and the pickled jalapeños give the best taste. Spicy, but not SPICY. Serve up the crema on each taco, then add whatever other toppings you love most. I always recommend a pineapple salsa or mango salsa. I love a good fruity salsa.
Looking for more simple, Mexican recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Cauliflower Al Pastor Quesadillas with Lime Smashed Avocado
Mushroom Al Pastor Tacos with Garlic Lime Special Sauce
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Lastly, if you make these Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Jalapeño Avocado Crema
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 517 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup red enchilada sauce
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12-16 corn tortillas, warmed
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded lettuce and pickled onions, for serving
Crema
- 2 large avocados, halved
- 1/4-1/2 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 limes (juice from)
- flaky salt
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken, onion, enchilada sauce, chipotle, oregano, cumin, and salt. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.2. When finished cooking, shred the meat and toss with the sauce. Preheat the oven to 425° F.3. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each tortilla flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the Avocado Crema. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt.5. Serve the tacos topped with avocado, lettuce, limes, and any other desired toppings.
Instant Pot
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In the bowl of your instant pot, combine the chicken, onion, enchilada sauce, chipotle, oregano, cumin, and salt. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Once done cooking, release the steam. 3. Follow the directions as directed above for steps 2-5.
Stove-top
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken. Cook until 2-3 minutes, then flip and add the onion. Cook another 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the enchilada sauce, chipotle, oregano, cumin, and salt, and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the Avocado Crema. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt.5. Serve the tacos topped with avocado, lettuce, limes, and any other desired toppings.
This post was originally published on March 1, 2022
So you don’t reply to any reviews under 4 stars?
Would appreciate more tips, but noticed you don’t reply to anyone with issues with recipes.
Hi Hailey,
So sorry, I really am not sure what you are referring to. I reply to every SINGLE comment. I am not seeing an original message from you. Did you had an issue with the recipe? Is there a way that I can help? Let me know:) xTieghan
My corn tortilla split in half and then stuck to the baking sheet. Big mess 🙁
I would defiantly heat the tortillas in the microwave or pan so that they’ll be more pliable, as well as a nice coating of olive oil on the sheet pan next time! Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Deb,
Sorry to hear this. Did you line your baking sheet with parchment or spray with nonstick spray? Did you warm and coat your tortillas with olive oil? I would try a different brand of tortillas, I like Whole Foods 365. xTieghan
I noticed that in one of your taco videos you had a skewer in through about 3 tacos holding them together. Is that something that you recommend? I haven’t seen that step written out in your crispy taco instructions yet saw it in your video. Could you video your actual process of getting the results that you actually photograph of the crispy corn tortilla tacos?
Hey Kristin,
Are you sure it was one of my videos? I don’t think I’ve ever done that before:)
Like many of the reviewers, I couldn’t get the taco shells crispy. Left them in the oven twice as long and they were still softish. What is the trick to getting them crunchy?
Hi Beth,
Sorry to hear this, I make sure to coat them in olive oil and then flip halfway through so they can crisp up. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
This was delicious and so easy to make! The whole family loved it! Thank you!
Hi Alik,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
Tieghan,
This recipe was to die for! My three adult boys and husband loved them!!
I just had a hard time getting them crunchy, I don’t think I put enough olive oil on them.
The crema was delicious too! I just started following you, as a recommendation from my sister and so far I have loved every recipe I’ve tried of yours!
Thanks for sharing and thanks for sharing your family with us too! Oslo is adorable!!
Hi Tammy,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
I make your recipes every single week. They are all sooo good but rarely do I comment. These were so spectacular that I had to leave a review. My boyfriend and I were both blown away. Loved how crispy they were! We made some black bean dip and Mexican rice on the side. Such a great meal for a Sunday evening. Thanks as always and take care.
Hi Melissa,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
I’m SO glad I tried this recipe! I usually make pork or steak tacos because I’ve never found a chicken taco recipe that I liked.. But this recipe was game changing. It was so easy and I’m literally obsessed with the crema. I was very liberal with the olive oil and had no problems with my tacos staying together in the oven. I had a ton leftover so I warmed them in the oven again the next day and they were just as great. My husband was also obsessed, so I’m definitely adding this recipe this to our usual rotation!
Hi Julia,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
5 stars for the chicken; 3 for the crispy tacos! We tried to make them crispy using 3 different corn tortillas but with the filling and cheese they never got crispy (but were still delicious); however, we loved the filling and used it several different ways; rice bowl, burrito and with store bought crispy taco shells. The filling is delicious and very versatile. I like the avocado crema but will leave out the honey; I didn’t care for the sweet note; (just a personal preference). This is a keeper for sure! Thank you!
Hi Kathie,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Amazing! Everyone loved them!! The avocado crema was delish!!!
Hi Michelle,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
These were amazing! My hubby doesn’t like guac but he loved the creme. The kids even enjoyed them. Lots of flavour and makes good sized servings. Excellent recipe yet again!
Hi Amanda,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
I really want to try this recipe. Can I use a Dutch oven to cook the chicken instead of a crock pot?
Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
You bet, just follow the stove top instructions. I hope you love the recipe! xx
This was delicious but I can never get the tacos to look like yours! Mine don’t get crispy and stick to the cookie sheet no matter what I try. Any tips?
Hi Katie,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Are you using corn tortillas? Do you coat them in olive oil? Have you tried lining your baking sheet with parchment paper? Let me know how I can help! Have a great week:) xx
Made these last night in the crackpot for dinner using chicken thighs and hands down my most favorite chicken taco ever!!! The avocado crema was superb and yummy? I will make these again & again!!!
Hi Linda,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
So easy, so fun and everyone loved them!!
Hi Kelly,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
I NEVER wrote reviews, but made an exception. This recipe is amazing and the crema is addictive. My family loved this recipe. Will 100% make this again.
*Write – sorry (auto correct)
Hi Jennifer,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
These were delish!!! I didn’t read warm the tortillas before so mine broke when closing. What brand tortillas do you recommend?
Hi Brooke,
I like Whole Foods 365 brand!
Very tasty but mine fell apart when I tried to flip them. The tortilla crumbled. Any idea what happened? Too much oil? Chicken too soggy?
Hi David,
So sorry to hear this!! You really want to allow the first side to crispy up before flipping, that may have been the issue. Let me know if you try the recipe again! xx
Omg, Tiegan!!!! This recipe is amazing! Made the chicken in the crockpot. Used Trader Joe’s red enchilada sauce and three large chicken breasts and cooked on low for about 4 hours or so. I did add a little water because I thought you did in the Instagram video….not sure if that’s right or not, but it came out perfect! The Crema was out of this world. I could drink it! Everyone loved it and my dad said they were ” 5 star restaurant quality” lol They did stick when I tried to flip, but I think it is because I put foil down on my pan for an easy clean up, and forgot to spray the foil. I oiled both sides of the corn tortillas and warmed before. But even though some stuck a little, when I flipped and cooked….I threw the broiler on for like a minute and it crisped it up and made even the broke ones stay together! This recipe is a winner and I will be making this as part of my normal meal rotation! Thank you, Tiegan! ♥️
Oh also….I made the best nachos with the left over chicken and drizzled the crema over them. AMAZING!
That’s awesome, such a great idea!!
Hey Marla,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! Thanks so much for your kind message and sharing your notes. xTieghan