Chicken tinga in the instant pot is a juicy chicken with a smoky chipotle sauce that is amazingly delicious and is all you need if you want everyone’s new favorite meal in your home.

Let me ask you this!
Have you ever had a recipe you want to memorize?
I’m telling you this chicken tinga instant pot recipe is one of those recipes you’ll want to memorize to make it every time to impress your guest or to have it for taco Tuesday with
Chicken tinga tent to be spicy, but I adjusted the amount of heat to make this recipe kid-friendly, so we can serve this chicken tinga to everyone in our table.
Maybe you’re wondering what chicken tinga is?
Well, Chicken tinga is a Mexican shredded chicken dish that is made with chipotle in adobo sauce, onion, and tomatoes. Many people love chicken tinga because it has a rich, smokey, and spicy sauce (don’t worry, this one isn’t spicy). Chicken tinga is the perfect meat for taco or tostadas.
How to make chicken tinga instant pot
To make this chicken tinga recipe in the instant pot is so easy, just follow these simple steps, and you’ll have the most delicious instant pot chicken tinga for your taco Tuesday.
If you need to watch the tutorial, the video is on the recipe card as well.
STEP 1. In a blender, add roasted tomatoes and the chipotle peppers and blend until smooth, set aside.
STEP 2. Seasoned chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.

STEP 3. Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté setting. Add the olive oil when hot (when reading HOT) add onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano, cook for 2 minutes.
STEP 4. Add the chicken breast, the tomato chipotle peppers puree along with the 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce. Place the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
I do have an ultra if you have an ultra or newest models, DON’T press the release knob.
STEP 5. Cancel the Sauté setting and then press the Pressure Cook/Manual button (or dial) and the + or – button (or dial) to choose 12 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to build up the pressure before the timer starts.
STEP 6. When the cooking cycle has finished and the chicken
STEP 7. When the metal pin in the lid drops down, you can open the lid facing away from you. Transfer chicken to a clean cutting board; shred the chicken with two forks into bite pieces.
STEP 8. Return the chicken breasts to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce, season with salt and pepper if you need it. Turn saute setting to make it thicker before serving with your choice from the list above in this post.
While you’re using the saute setting don’t use the lid.
What to serve with chicken tinga?
- Tacos with cilantro, raw onion, and lime
- Tostadas with avocado, fresh onion, and cheese.
- Mexican rice or Spanish rice
- Cabbage
- Guacamole
- Avocado
- Lime
- Black Beans or refried beans
- Corn tortilla
- A veggie bowl, like this one
- Since this one isn’t hot at all, I recommend you to have a bottle of hot sauce around for those that like spicy food.
Recipe notes:
- Add more chipotle peppers if you want to add more heat, especially if you don’t have small kids.
- For this instant pot recipe is very important that there is no steam coming out of your pot, so make sure your sealing ring is correct, and your steam release knob is turned to the sealing position.
- The natural release time for this recipe is 11 minutes in case you want to wait the extra minute.
So now, let jump to some frequently asked questions about chicken Tinga instant pot.
Some FAQs
Can I freeze chicken tinga?
Yes, you can freeze chicken tinga if you’re not planning on eating your chicken tinga in the next four days.
How to freeze chicken tinga?
Place the chicken tinga in a freezer bag, remove all the air and keep it frozen up to three months.
How to reheat chicken tinga in the instant pot?
- Remove the chicken from the bag and place it in the instant pot.
- Add ⅓ or ½ cup of chicken stock or broth
- Lock the lid and turn on the pressure function on the instant pot (or pressure cooker) on manual for 0-minute high pressure.
Can I make instant pot chicken tinga with frozen chicken?
Yes, you can make this recipe with frozen chicken, but you’ll need ½ cup of chicken broth instead of the ⅓ cup the recipe is calling for.

How to double this chicken tinga instant pot recipe?
If you want to add more chicken to the recipe, you can add a small chicken breast without adjusting the ingredients. But if you want to add more than one or a large one, I really recommend you to double all the ingredients with the exception of the chicken broth, which means ⅓ cup for fresh chicken breast and ½ cup for frozen chicken breast.
Other Instant Pot Chicken recipes
Healthy Instant Pot Chicken Piccata
Healthy Instant Pot Mediterranean Chicken
Al
I hope you enjoy this Mexican instant pot chicken tinga and make it part of your taco Tuesday menu or include it on your meal planning for the week.
If you loved this Mexican chicken tinga instant pot recipe, don’t forget to rate it and share with us your creation; tag me on Instagram. I would love to hear how you liked it.

EASY INSTANT POT CHICKEN TINGA
Chicken tinga in the instant pot is a juicy chicken with a smoky chipotle sauce that is amazingly delicious and is all you need if you want everyone's new favorite meal in your home.
Ingredients
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can unsalted roasted tomatoes
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. (Add more if you want it spicy)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 bay leave
- ⅓ cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon of adobo sauce
Instructions
- In a blender add roasted tomatoes and the chipotle peppers and blend until smooth, set aside.
- Seasoned chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, set aside
- Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté setting. Add the olive oil when hot (when reading HOT) add onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano, cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and deglaze.
- Add the chicken breast, the tomato chipotle peppers puree along with the 1 tablespoons of adobo sauce. Place the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
( I do have an ultra if you have an ultra or newest models, DON'T press the release knob). - Cancel the Sauté setting and then press the Pressure Cook/Manual button (or dial) and the + or - button (or dial) to choose 8 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to build up the pressure before the timer starts.
- When the cooking cycle has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then do a Quick Release of the pressure by turning (or pressing) the knob towards the Venting position
- When the pin in the lid drops down, you can open the lid facing away from you. Transfer chicken to a clean cutting board, remove the bay leave; shred the chicken with two forks into bite pieces.
- Return the chicken breasts to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce, season with salt and pepper if you need it. Turn saute setting to make it thicker before serving with your choice from the list above in this post.
(While you're using the saute setting don't use the lid)
Notes
- Add more chipotle peppers if you want to add more heat.
- For this instant pot recipe is very important that there is no steam coming out of your pot, so make sure your sealing ring is correct, and your steam release knob is turned to the sealing position.
- The natural release time for this recipe is 11 minutes in case you want to wait the extra minute.
- To buy the products used in this recipe click on the ingredients names.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 188Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 20g
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is calculated using a nutrition facts calculator. It is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
What is the approximate weight of the chicken used? I’m unclear since a chicken breast can vary in size drastically.
My chicken breasts were around 10 oz each.