Turn Leftover Chicken Into Flavorful Mexican Fare: Tinga Poblana de Pollo

Oftentimes, our weekly menu at home becomes a bit bland. All home cooks dabble in ethnic cuisines that are filling, practical, and, of course, delicious! If you have leftover chicken, this recipe becomes that much easier! However, you can always make your chicken fresh, but using leftovers saves time for busy families looking for variety.

This recipe is my personal modification of traditional tinga poblana. Traditionally, this recipe is made with pork and chorizo, but many Latino families alternate with chicken as well. The recipe's name take after it's birth city of Puebla Mexico, where this dish is usually eaten as a stew.


Cara's Tinga Poblana de Pollo

- about 2 cups cooked Shredded Chicken
- 1 small to medium Onion, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomato
- 8 oz. can pure Tomato Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Marjoram
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- about 6 splashes of Hot Sauce
- Juice of 1/4 of a Lime
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil


Heat oil in large frying pan at medium high heat. Sautee chicken in oil until heated and slightly carmelized. Add onion and garlic to chicken and stir until onions are halfway transluscent. Add chopped tomato and tomato sauce and mix well. Introduce salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, marjoram and bay leaf into the stew and combine. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the chicken simmer for about 15-20 minutes. After the simmering time is completed, add cayenne pepper, hot sauce and cilantro and stir. Allow Tinga Poblana to cool for about 5 minutes and serve.

There a few ways to serve this dish. you can serve it over a bed of rice, or make tacos topped with fresh avocado slices as I have in the image above. If you'd like to keep it more traditional, serve it as tostadas. Black beans are also an excellent accompaniment with this dish. If you'd like, you can substitute the cayenne pepper for chipotle, jalapenos, or bell pepper, depending on your desired spice level. Enjoy another flavorful Latin entree, that you can make during the week AND utilize your leftovers!

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