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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
I made this tonight. I am giving it four stars only because I thought it could use more heat. That is a reflection of me not the recipe. I strive to make recipes as stated the first time around (even though I did miss one step in this one). I followed it to a T except I forgot to warm the tortillas before stuffing them. Don’t make my mistake. Although you can still eat them even if they split down the seam. I am always hesitant of crockpot recipes, but love that this recipe starts with the crockpot but we are told to take it a step further. Everyone from my teenager to hubby loved the crema. Another great recipe from HBH.
Hi Jen,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Fell apart. Soggy. Disaster.
yes. there needs to be more instruction regarding the assembly of this baked technique. written recipe as usual does not add up to the photos.
Hi there,
So sorry to hear the recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
These are amazing! I made them for my dad and I and he couldn’t stop saying “I love these! They’re so good.” He has talked about them many days since them. Definitely going to make these again and again. Also the fact that you can put them in the crockpot, assemble them quickly and they are done in the oven with minutes makes them even better.
Hi Brittany,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
Really delicious. I only had flour tortillas so I used them and it was great. Will definitely make again. Thank you for so many fantastic recipes.
Hi Holly,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx
Made these today, very tasty. My first venture into chipotles with adobo – love the smoky flavor they impart. As I only put I have a lot of chicken mixture left, plan to use it to make burritos, quite versatile. Ended up just making a quick guacamole and also topped with shredded lettuce, scallions, fresh cilantro and lime. Excellent
Hi Christina,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx
These were incredible! Thank you for the recipe. Definitely will be on regular rotation for us! So easy and I love how crunchy they were when I pulled them out of the oven! 10/10
Hi Melissa,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Have the best weekend❄️ xTieghan
That avocado jalapeño crema has become our new go to spread for everything. We put it on sandwiches, in place of avocado on avocado toast. I used it on a bagel with bacon and a fried egg…. It stayed nice and green for a solid 3 days (maybe longer, but we ate it all haha). If nothing else, make that crema!
Hi Pam,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx
Is there a way I can use this recipe for an Instant Pot instead? What changes would I need to make?
Thank you
Hi there,
You can follow the instant pot instructions listed above:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions!! xTieghan
This recipe was excellent! I’ll be adding this to our weekly rotation!
Hi Jaimee,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx
Hi has anyone tried to sub green enchilada sauce?
Hey Cariann,
You could definitely do that, it’s just going to change your flavor and coloring a bit. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you!! xTieghan
Flavor is SO good. Unfortunately, my taco shells didn’t turn out crispy, what did I do wrong??
Hi Emily,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear about the taco shells! It is key to coat them in olive oil and then flip half way so they can crisp. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
These are delicious. This gets 4.5 stars! I preheated my gas oven for 450* and I baked the tacos for 10 minutes longer? I followed the instant pot instructions. These will go on rotation.
Hi Lisa,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
I would give the flavor of this dish a 10/10, however the tacos were a complete mess. I read the reviews prior and saw everyone talking about how they weren’t crispy and were falling apart so I tried to take notes. We heated them up before hand, used parchment paper, and even left them in the oven longer. None of which seemed to work. We ended up trying to fry them in a pan to get it crispy enough. Would definitely make again but I would fry the shells and then let everyone stuff their own tacos.
Hi Jessica,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Sorry to hear about the shells, corn tortillas can be finicky. xx
This is a keeper! I did my chicken in the Instapot, I actually used frozen chicken breasts and went for 25 minutes and it was perfect. Incredible flavor, I can’t wait for leftovers! One tip I would have for people is when you’re folding your tortilla shell over the filling, don’t try too hard by pressing it down. I did this and it tore at the fold. When I just flopped it over, it didn’t tear, and it still held together.
Hi Ashley,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
If I sub sour cream/Greek yogurt for avocado in the sauce? How much would I sub? Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Jaime,
I would do about 1/2 cup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Very delicious, loved the crispiness of the tacos and all the flavors! I did mine in the crockpot and made dinner a breeze. Thank you again for another wonderful dish!!!! 🙂
Hi Mandy,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx