Description
Turkey tinga tacos are the perfect way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey but we love them so much we make them year-round. They’re smoky, tangy, a little bit spicy and so good it’s hard to believe how quick and easy they are to make. And don’t worry if you don’t have a can of chipotles in adobo sauce (a key ingredient for making tinga tacos), we have a 2-minute DIY adobo sauce that won’t leave you with 3/4 of a can of chilis you don’t know what to do with.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups cooked turkey (450g) (sub cooked chicken, beef, pork, or vegan meat alternative)
- 1 to 2 chilis in adobo sauce (sub our delicious DIY version)
- 1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes (210g)
- 1 cup chopped onions (1 medium onion) (150g)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (14g)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (0.5g)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (2g)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (1g)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (sub fresh oregano to taste)
- 1/4 cup turkey or chicken stock (sub water)
Optional Taco Garnishes
- salsa
- pineapple-cilantro salsa
- avocado-lime crema
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- smoky quick pickled red onions
- smoky fire-roasted bell peppers
- caramelized onions
- freshly lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté vegetables & toast the spices. In a small bowl, measure the onion powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano. Over medium-high heat, add the smashed garlic cloves, olive oil, and measured spices to a skillet and toast for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped onion, season with a little salt, and sauté until tender and soft, or about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle chilis (or DIY adobo sauce substitute) and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Purée the tinga sauce. Using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor, purée 1/2 cup tomatoes and the sautéed onion and spice mixture until smooth and well combined.
- Finish the tinga sauce. Add the tinga sauce to the skillet, increase the temperature to high and bring it to a rolling simmer. Adjust seasonings, stir in the turkey, and continue cooking uncovered, stirring occasionally until the turkey has absorbed most of the sauce or about 10 minutes. Serve with crunchy or warmed fresh tortillas and your favorite taco toppings and a wedge of fresh lime. Enjoy!
Notes
- How to adjust the spice level. Chipotles in adobo sauce pack a lot of flavor and are pretty spicy. Add 1 chili pepper for medium-spicy, 2 chili peppers for spicy, and 3 if you want it really hot. Obviously, use fewer chilis if you have difficulties with spicy food. The same goes if you’re using our DIY chipotle in adobo substitute.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them in an airtight container for one month or more.
- If you use a can of chipotles in adobo sauce for this recipe, portion and freeze any remaining chilis in sauce that you don’t use. This way they don’t go bad sitting in the back of your fridge and you can easily pull out just what you need whenever you feel like making a batch of tinga tacos.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Meat + Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tacos
