My version of Chicken Tinga
Almost three years ago I decided to become an Au Pair in Madrid, Spain. It was such a wonderful experience full of adventure, self-discovery and amazing food! I lived with a family who had three little girls and two awesome parents who were so fun and inviting. The mother, Maria, was also an AMAZING cook! She taught me so many skills in the kitchen that I never expected to learn as an au pair. While living in Spain, Maria would whip up the most amazing dinners full of fresh local ingredients bursting with flavor! Spending time with her was a once in lifetime experience and I cherished it so much. In fact, I wanted to make sure I would never forget the tips, tricks and love she put into her cooking. So, I journaled about my time with her every day. I wrote down the recipes she would make so I could bring them home to share with others. Among those recipes was her Chicken Tinga, which was one of my personal favorites. It not only tastes amazing but it’s also super easy to make (not to mention it’s full of wholesome ingredients like lime, black beans, peppers and cilantro). All you do is throw the ingredients into a crock pot and let cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours. Then you take out the chicken, shred it with two forks, mix the shredded chicken back into the crock pot and let marinate for a tad longer. You can mix it with rice, dip it with tortilla chips or wrap it up in a tortilla. Whichever way you choose is a WIN.
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. Olive oil
2-3 organic chicken breasts
1 lime
2 Tbs. Red Hot Cayenne Pepper sauce
2 tsp. Chili powder (one for chicken one for veggies)
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. garlic salt (one for chicken one for veggies)
1 can of organic corn (you can also sub for 2 cups fresh or frozen)
1 can black beans
1 can organic diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 red pepper diced
1 orange or yellow pepper diced
½ red onion diced
2 cups of spinach
Toppings: (optional but highly recommended! )
6-8 slices of pickled jalapeños
Fresh cilantro
Avocado
Shredded blend of Mexican cheese
Red Cayenne hot sauce
Extra lime juice
Directions: Turn on crock pot and coat the bottom with the 1 Tbs. Olive oil. Place the chicken breast on the bottom of the pot and squeeze half of a lime over top marinating the chicken in lime juice followed by the 2 Tbs. red hot cayenne pepper sauce. Sprinkle chicken with 1tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. of cumin and 1 tsp. of garlic salt. Cover the pot and cut up the peppers and onions. Evenly sprinkle the spinach, onions and peppers on top of the chicken followed by the can of diced tomatoes with chilies. Next, sprinkle the other tsp. of chili powder and garlic salt on top of the tomatoes. Cover the pot and open the can of corn and black beans and rinse thoroughly. Poor both the corn and black beans over the veggies and diced tomatoes. (Optional: I like to throw some sliced Galapagos on top for a little extra flavor but it’s not required). Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. After chicken is cooked remove from pot to a cutting board. Using two forks, shred each piece of chicken and mix back into the crock pot.
Enjoy with rice, corn tortilla chips or in a tortilla shell. I HIGHLY recommend topping it with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and avocado. However, my husband doesn’t like cilantro so he tops his with shredded cheese, extra hot sauce and avocado. Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy this easy flavorful dinner packed with fiber and nutritious ingredients.
Until next time, #staysweet.