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Weeknight-style Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema. Chicken 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 chicken tinga tacos, 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 sea salt.
It is so creamy, and the pickled jalapeños make it so delicious. 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.
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 was a hit with our family. I split the sauce in half and made half with chicken and half with kidney beans for the vegetarians. Both were great. Avocados are hard to come by in my area right now, and sour cream would be a great substitute if you can’t find any. The only difference is it took me at least twice as long to make this as it did you, but it was worth it. Thank you for the recipe.
Hey Amber,
Happy Friday! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! ?xx
These are delicious and incredibly easy! First time making this recipe and I will definitely be making them again!
Hey Angela,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
These are delicious and SO easy! My husband has asked me to make them every week for dinner for a few months now, we’re obsessed. They’re also incredibly delicious reheated in the air fryer, and just as crispy as they were fresh out of the oven.
Hey Samantha,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe is always a winner, thanks a bunch for making it so often:)
Mouth watering, DELICIOUS. I legit was eating that crema by the spoonful! Everything about this recipe is perfect!
Hey Bri,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx
I made these a few months ago and they were SO good. The avocado crema is the cherry on top of these tacos. I am planning on making them tomorrow again! Love them!
Hey Alexis,
Amazing! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great Monday! xTieghan
If I want to double or triple the recipe in the crockpot, do I need to adjust cook time? Want to make for a large group!
Hey Lee Anne,
Yes, I would definitely add time onto the cook time depending on how much of the recipe you do, also I would make sure your pot is large enough to handle all of the ingredients! xTieghan
Chicken is great, but tortillas didn’t crisp, and also split in half. So bummed!
Hi Jess,
Thanks for making the recipe, sorry to hear about your tortillas. Did you warm them and coat in oil first? That really helps to prevent the splitting. You could also try a different brand of tortillas next time, corn tortillas can be finicky:) xTieghan
Amazing! I made these for dinner tonight and the family loved them. The avocado cream was the perfect finish and will be made over & over. Thank you!
Hey Heather,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
I’ve made these tacos once before and thought they were great. You don’t say when to add the creama. Can you please clarify.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for trying the recipe! The crema is added in step 5:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were very good. Like I mentioned in my previous comment, my tortillias did not turn out like this. I would definitely fry them from fresh corn tortillias. I will omit the honey in the crema next time. Too sweet for OUR liking but we don’t like anything sweet in sauces or savory food. The chicken was delicious and so easy to make. So happy to have 1 C bags of it vaccume sealed. A keeper for sure!
Hi Laurie,
Amazing!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback:)
My shells didn’t crisp up. Split in the back. Followed the recipe to a T. I have them still baking to look like yours. I am sure that they will be delicious but I wanted them crispy and dark.
Hi Laurie,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. Corn tortillas can be tricky, you might want to try a different brand next time! xTieghan
Easy, fun and delicious! I substituted with green enchilada sauce and it was still great! I love the crispy-crunch! It’s my next goto for entertaining. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Barbara!
Amazing!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
Chicken was delicious, but tortillas didn’t get crispy like yours. Did you leave out a step? I know you say try different brand of tortillas, so what do you recommend? What brand do you use to get them crispy?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for making this recipe. I like to use Whole Foods brand tortillas. Did you coat them in oil? xx
These are SO good, y’all! I’ve been making the Weight Watchers Salsa Crockpot Chicken for years, and this recipe is a more elevated version that’s just as easy. Will definitely make these over and over again!
Hi Mallory,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) xx
Family Favorite! We have made this recipe multiple times and the tacos are devoured in minutes! Do not skip on the crema, it takes these already delicious tacos to the next level. Highly recommend to everyone!
Hey Maggie,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I am glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Amazing! We have made these 3x and we absolutely love them. Thank you for creating such flavorful recipes!!
Hey Brie,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe!! It’s a family fave over here:) Thanks for trying them! xx