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Weeknight style 30 Minute Crispy Cheese Chicken Tinga Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. Chicken, seasoned up with smoky chipotle peppers and enchilada sauce, then stuffed into crispy fried cheese tortillas. Each tinga taco is slightly crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a charred corn and pineapple salsa, creamy crema, and a mix of your favorite toppings. These come together easily and are so delicious. The perfect twist on a classic taco that everyone will love!
When in Mexico, eat all the tacos you can! I mean, right? I figured since I’m in Mexico the next couple of days why not share one of my favorite tacos with you guys. And truly, these really are one of my favorites.
Jumping right into the details today!
So here’s how you make these quick tinga tacos
What I love so much about these tacos is just how quick and easy they are to make. Thirty minutes is really all that’s need. Alright, so the chicken. The key to a good tinga taco is canned chipotle peppers. They’re the key to the tinga sauce.
Cook the the chicken up in a skillet, add the peppers, then a bit of enchilada sauce. The enchilada sauce isn’t traditional, but I love the additional flavor and sauciness it adds. Simmer the chicken in the sauce, then once it is cooked, shred the meat.
I love to use chicken tenders, which cook up much faster than chicken breasts. If you want more flavor, try using chicken thighs.
Now the pineapple salsa
While the chicken cooks, make the pineapple salsa.
The salsa is also one of my favorites. Charred corn and fresh pineapple tossed together with serrano peppers and cilantro. It’s fresh and so delicious.
If you have extra time, char the serrano peppers over an open flame. It adds so much extra flavor.
The crispy fried cheese tortillas
When the chicken is cooked, heat a big skillet over medium heat. Add a few tortillas and a handful of cheese. Let the cheese melt, now flip the cheese and let it cook until the cheese is crisping on the edges. I know this sounds odd, but essentially you’re frying the cheese. Trust me it’s so delicious.
Flip the tortilla back over, add a second tortilla and then assemble the taco.
Layer up a little smashed avocado, salsa, and chicken, then drizzle over a little crema. Looks fancy and like these tacos took hours to prepare, but in reality, they take thirty minutes – tops.
Got to love that, and what’s even better? They taste pretty darn amazing too. Perfect weeknight tacos to keep dinner fresh and exciting!
Looking for other taco recipes? Here are some favorites:
Crispy Braised Chipotle Beef Tacos
Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Crispy Cheese Chicken Tinga Tacos, 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!
30 Minute Crispy Cheese Chicken Tinga Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 511 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo finely chopped, use to your taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought
- 8-12 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 shredded mexican cheese
- shredded lettuce, smashed avocado, crema, or sour cream
Pineapple Salsa
- 2 ears grilled corn, kernels removed
- 1 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
- 1-2 serrano peppers, seeded, if desired, chopped
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browning, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle peppers, enchilada sauce, oregano, salt, and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and shred the chicken. 3. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt. 4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add 2-3 tortillas and a handful of cheese, cover the pan and let cook 30 seconds, until the cheese is melty. Flip and cook another minute, until you see the cheese crisping, then flip and add another tortilla on top. Remove from the heat. 5. Stuff the tortilla with avocado, salsa, and chicken. Top with crema and additional salsa. Enjoy!
Magnificent! I nearly skipped the cheese tortilla and I am SO GLAD I did not—they made the taco! So easy but special too.
Hey there,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed. I appreciate you giving it a try:) xTieghan
10/10! I subbed out the 1/3 cup water for 1/2 an IPA and it turned delicious!
Hey Carissa,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Delicious!
So nice to change up my taco Tuesday game. The flavor combination was amazing! The Serrano pepper blended beautifully with the corn and pineapple. The addition of the red enchilada sauce spot on, and the cheesy tortilla should happen all the time. Definitely on my meal rotation. Thank you!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Soo good!! I made these tonight for my husband and another couple. I tripled the recipe in order to feed two grown men who ate about 12 tacos between the two of them, and wanted to have some leftovers! Just to tell you how good these are- one of those grown men said, “these are the best homemade tacos I’ve ever had in my life” and said he can’t wait until he has them again haha! Another amazing recipe, Tieghan!! Highly recommend these. I also threw the Serrano peppers in a pan for a few min with some olive oil before chopping them up for the salsa! Everyone raved about the cheesy tortilla (I only used one layer). They were so simple and delicious and added the perfect touch! Thanks for always having such great recipes!!
Hey Morgan,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Delicious! My husband and son loved the tacos. I served rice and beans with the tacos. A keeper!
Hey Rosie,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Made this over the weekend and while i normally would not venture out towards the pineapple salsa – the sweetness against the chicken and chipotle flavor – oh my!! It was great and everyone loved them and so easy to make!!
Hey Laurie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
So good! I loved the cheese in between the two tortillas – what a great idea. I used flour tortillas instead of corn and poached the chicken separately then shredded it.
Hey Bethany,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Another winner! We LOVED that pineapple salsa! I am going to make that salsa on it’s own to go along with my regular salsa and avocados this weekend at our BBQ!
Thank you — Mary
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I made these last night and WOW (!!!) sooo good! The pineapple flavor was amazing. My husband doesn’t do well with tomato based things, so I subbed the red enchilada sauce w/ green & it was still super delicious. Like, I’m craving these right now and it’s 8:30AM!! My hubby loved them too! Thanks so much!!!
Hey Ashley,
Awesome!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
This sounds delicious! Do you think it would work to make a big batch of this chicken in a Crock Pot and have the chicken cook several hours in the enchilada sauce and peppers? Or do you think that too much juice would come out of the chicken?
Hey Christina,
I think that would be just fine to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
So excited to try these tacos. They look amazing. I too read the recipe thinking you add a tortilla on top meaning the cheese was in between. I zoomed in too. I read the reviews it’s one tortilla.
Appreciate your great recipes and photos.
Hey Clo,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Unfortunately, I didn’t like these.
Hey Lynne,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, was there something I could help you with? Let me know! xTieghan
I’m just back from Portland Maine where a lobster taco had an all cheese crispy shell. It was really good, and great for gluten free and Paleo diets. Since I live in California which is a pretty long drive for a taco, I’m going to try and make one myself, and your tinga sounds like a great way to do it.
I hope you love the recipe Janet! xTieghan
I need clarity on your instructions. The photo looks like a single tortilla with a crispy cheese layer on top, but the instructions sound like the crispy cheese is layered between two tortillas? Please advise. Thanks.
Hey Lisa,
You are just using 1 tortilla and melting cheese on top. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Ya I’m confused by the instructions as well. When it says “flip and add another tortilla on top” I took that literally as in 2 tortillas….
Hey Patti,
If you like to have a double tortilla then add the second, if you prefer your tacos with just one tortilla then you do not need to add the second one. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
What do you mean by “flip and add another tortilla on top”? Is that just a mistake in the recipe?
Hey Valerie,
You can add another tortilla on top if you like to double wrap your tacos, if you prefer to have just 1 taco shell then you can just use one. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I don’t understand how it’s one tortilla when it says “flip and add another tortilla on top” — can you reread that sentence and explain it again?
Hey Jan,
If you like to double wrap your tortillas you can add the second tortillas on top, but if you prefer to just have one tortilla then you can just use the 1. I hope love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I can’t wait to make this. I love all HBH recipes. I admit I thought what you thought Lisa – Flip and cook another minute, until you see the cheese crisping, then flip and add another tortilla on top. HAHAHA.
Now I will just use one tortilla. I was going to lay another one on top and have a double tortilla.
Thanks so much Cathleen! Hope you love it!
will be making this soon can i use mushrooms and vegan as am a vegan can i skip lettuce as am not a big fan of it i never had tacos and salsa before perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Hey Ramya,
Sure, that will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe!