Tacos de Tinga de Res (Chipotle Shredded Beef Tacos)
Tender shredded beef coated in smoky chipotle tomato sauce, piled into tortillas with creamy guacamole.
Made with Classic guacamole and Chipotle tinga sauce and Corn tortillas from masa harina. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time2 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £2.92 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the beef, the halved onion, bay leaves and salt in a large pot and cover with water by 3 cm. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then cover and simmer gently for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes until the beef shreds easily.
135 min - 2
Lift out the beef and shred it with two forks. Keep a mug of the cooking liquid and discard the onion and bay.
- 3
Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and cook the sliced onion for 6 minutes until soft.
6 min - 4
Add the shredded beef and your ready made tinga sauce (see the base recipe). Simmer gently for 10 minutes, adding a splash of the cooking liquid if it looks dry, until steaming hot all the way through and well coated.
10 min - 5
Warm your ready made corn tortillas (see the base recipe) in a dry pan for 20 to 30 seconds a side.
- 6
Fill with the beef tinga, top with lettuce and spoon over the guacamole.
Tips
- Brisket gives the best strands, but chuck steak works well. Both need a long, gentle simmer.
- Save the cooking liquid, strain and freeze it as a beef stock for soup.
- Chipotles are smoky and fairly hot. Add a splash of the stock if the tinga is too strong.
- Use leftover tinga on tostadas or in a quesadilla.
Storing and freezing
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cool within 1 to 2 hours, freeze for up to 3 months and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. Make guacamole fresh on the day.
Questions
Is tinga normally made with beef?
Tinga from Puebla is usually chicken, but beef and pork are used too. The sauce suits any shredded meat.
Can I use a pressure cooker?
Yes. Cook the beef with the onion and bay for 45 to 50 minutes at high pressure, release the pressure naturally, then shred and finish with the sauce.
Are these tacos gluten free and dairy free?
Yes. Beef, tinga sauce, guacamole and masa harina tortillas contain no gluten, dairy, egg or nuts. Check the chipotles tin if you did not make your own sauce.
More made with classic guacamole
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.