Chicken Tinga Quesadilla
by KS84 · 42 things on Twos
- Source
- Each of the components can be made ahead of time and kept in separate containers — ready to be assembled into a quick meal or single-serving snack.
- Ingredients
- Chicken Tinga
- 2 chicken breasts, thinned for quick cooking
- Salt
- Drizzle of oil
- Tinga Sauce
- 1 can (800 g) of whole tomatoes
- 1/4 of an onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 chipotles in adobo & their liquid
- Sprinkle of cumin
- Sprinkle of oregano
- Salt to taste
- Quesadilla Dipping Sauce
- Sour cream
- Poblano hot sauce
- Lime juice
- Quesadilla Components
- Corn tortilla
- Cheese of choice, grated
- Prepped Chicken Tinga
- Lettuce, thinly sliced
- Tomato, diced
- Pickled onions
- Instructions
- Prep the chicken: Sprinkle each chicken piece with salt. Grill or sear in a pan until just cooked through. Shred the chicken with a fork, hands, or stand mixer until pulled into pieces. Set aside.
- Start the tinga sauce: Add all tinga sauce except the bay leaf ingredients to a blender, and process until smooth.
- Cook & combine the sauce: Set pan over medium-high heat. Add a little oil, then pour in the sauce. The sauce will sputter and start to fry — simmer for a couple of minutes or until the sauce has darkened a shade.
- Add the reserved shredded chicken. Lower the heat and gently simmer for at least 10-15 minutes to reduce and meld the flavors.
- Make the dipping sauce: Meanwhile, mix together sour cream with a hot sauce of choice and lime juice to taste. Add the hot sauce and citrus little by little, until you’ve reached your ideal flavor.
- Finish the chicken tinga: Once the tinga sauce has thickened and coats the chicken, turn off the heat. Taste and adjust with salt.
- Assemble & toast a quesadilla: Add a tortilla with/ a layer of grated cheese to a pan over medium heat. As the cheese begins to melt, fill it with a portion of chicken tinga and toppings of choice.
- Fold the tortilla over to enclose. Flip and continue cooking until both sides are browned, and the cheese has melted.
- Notes & Variations
- Use any toppings you want on the quesadilla.
- Flour tortillas would also work
- If using a different kind of meat, like pork or beef, make sure to use something that can be shredded into tender pieces and integrated into the tinga sauce.
- Leftover braised meat would be a great candidate.