Chipotle tinga sauce
A smoky chipotle and tomato sauce with onion and garlic for shredded chicken, beef or mushroom tinga.
Make this once, then cook it into 29 different dishes.
- Time40 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.59 a head
- Makesabout 750 ml of smoky tomato sauce, enough for 2 batches of tinga for 4
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Put the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a large pan with water to half cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the skins split. Drain, keeping a mug of the water.
11 min - 2
Tip the tomatoes, onion and garlic into a blender with the chipotles and adobo sauce. Blend until completely smooth, adding a splash of the cooking water if needed. Pass through a sieve if you want a very smooth sauce.
- 3
Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium high heat. Pour in the puree (it will spit) and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes until darker and thicker.
5 min - 4
Add the oregano, bay leaves and stock and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and rich.
15 min - 5
Season with the salt, and the sugar if needed, and taste. It should be smoky, a little tangy and savoury. Remove the bay leaves.
- 6
Cool quickly if you are not using it straight away. To use, simmer with cooked shredded chicken, beef, jackfruit or mushrooms and sliced onion for 10 minutes.
About chipotle tinga sauce
Chipotle tinga sauce is a smoky, savoury Mexican sauce made from tomatoes, onion, garlic and chipotle chillies in adobo. It is the sauce used in tinga, a dish of shredded meat or vegetables in a red chipotle sauce that is strongly associated with Puebla and is served on tostadas, in tacos or in tortas.
It tastes smoky, a little sweet from the tomatoes and moderately hot, with a tang from the adobo. The sauce is boiled and blended, then fried and simmered so it is thick enough to cling to shredded food.
Stir it into shredded chicken (tinga de pollo), beef, pork, jackfruit, mushrooms or potatoes. Chipotles in adobo come in small tins in the world foods aisle and are the key: they are smoked, dried jalapenos in a vinegary red sauce. Start with 2 chillies if you are cautious, because they vary in heat.
Tips
- Start with 3 chipotles and taste. Each tin differs in heat. Seeds and the adobo sauce carry the fire, so scrape out the seeds for a milder sauce.
- Ripe tomatoes matter. If yours are pale, add 1 tbsp of tomato puree and 1 tsp of sugar or the sauce will taste sharp and thin.
- Fry the blended sauce for a few minutes before adding stock. This concentrates the flavour and makes it deep red, not pink.
- Leftover chipotles in adobo freeze well. Spoon them into a small container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- For gluten free cooking check the tin label, since some brands of chipotles in adobo contain wheat flour or soy sauce, and use gluten free stock.
- Add sliced onion and cooked shredded meat to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. The meat soaks it up and thickens it further.
Storing and freezing
Cool quickly and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze in 300 ml portions for up to 3 months. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Dishes you can make with chipotle tinga sauce
Tacos de Tinga de Hongos (Smoky Chipotle Mushroom Tacos)
GFDFEFTostadas de Tinga de Setas (Mushroom Tinga Tostadas)
VEFNFTacos de Tinga de Pollo (Chicken Tinga Tacos)
GFEFNFTostadas de Hongos en Tinga (Mushroom Tinga Tostadas)
GFDFEFTortas de Tinga (Chipotle Chicken Sandwiches)
NFTinga de Res con Arroz Rojo (Beef Tinga with Mexican Rice)
GFDFEFTacos de Papa con Tinga (Potato Tinga Tacos)
GFDFEFTinga de Yaca Rice Bowls (Jackfruit Tinga with Black Beans)
GFDFEFHuevos Ahogados en Tinga (Eggs Poached in Chipotle Tinga Sauce)
NFChilaquiles de Tinga con Pollo (Chicken Tinga Chilaquiles)
GFEFNFQuesadillas de Tinga con Queso Oaxaca (Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas)
EFNFSopes de Tinga (Thick Masa Cakes with Chipotle Chicken)
GFEFNFQuestions
What is tinga?
Tinga is a Mexican dish of shredded meat, most often chicken, in a smoky chipotle and tomato sauce, strongly associated with Puebla. It is served on crisp tostadas, in tacos and in tortas, topped with crema and avocado.
How hot is it?
Medium to hot, depending on how many chipotles you use. Three chipotles in a batch this size is medium. Use 2 for milder, and scrape out the seeds. You can add more adobo sauce at the end to turn up the heat.
Can I use it for vegan tinga?
Yes. The sauce is vegan and gluten free with vegetable stock and a gluten free tin of chipotles. Stir it through shredded jackfruit, king oyster mushrooms or cooked potatoes.
What if I cannot find chipotles in adobo?
Use 1 to 2 tsp of chipotle paste or smoked paprika with a pinch of chilli flakes, plus 1 tbsp of tomato puree and 1 tsp of vinegar. It will not have the same fruity smoke, but it works.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, it improves overnight. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
More base recipes
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.