Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Tostadas

So you've never heard of chicken tinga? You're not alone. This was me about 3.5 weeks ago when I experienced the best Mexican food of my life at this not-so-hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Tenino, WA: Don Juan's.  

If you've also never heard of Tenino, WA before, I'm not surprised! With a tiny population of a little over 1,700 people and practically in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of Olympia, you could almost miss it. Which was why I was completely surprised to not only hear buzz about this Mexican restaurant but taste the best Mexican food like I've ever had from this place.

As if the chunky, fresh guacamole, freshly made, thick-cut tortilla chips and swift margaritas weren't enough, I got to experience dishes like chile Colorado, pork chile verde and chicken Tinga for the first time ever. If you're also a noob to these dishes, imagine the most succulent, tender braised meats stewed away for hours in flavorful sauces with a variety of chiles. All of them were to die. 

But the real takeaway for me was, while I probably couldn't nearly replicate my experience at Don Juan's, these saucy, braised meats felt like they could be quite doable at home! So you know what's about to happen next. 

After some intensive Pinteresting and Googling, I improvised my own tasty method of making chicken Tinga at home. It turns out that restaurant-quality chicken Tinga can be made quite simply and quickly by pureeing a few ingredients and prepping your slow cooker for hours of TLC. Just leave that baby to do its thing during the day and you'll come home to a whirlwind of spicy, Mexican aromas wafting through your house. 

I served my chicken Tinga up on tostada shells with refried black beans, lots of cold, crispy iceberg, some radish slices for crunch and to cool down the spice, and of course lots of cotija crumbles or, as I like to call it, Mexican Parmesan. It was an easy to prep weeknight dinner and, honestly, came pretty darn close to my delectable experience at Don Juan's. 

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tinga Tostadas

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced

• Kosher salt

Directions

Puree crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, garlic cloves and chipotle peppers in a blender or right in the bottom of a slow cooker using a hand blender (this is what I did!) Generously season chicken breasts with Kosher salt and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with sauce (or place them directly in it if you went the hand blender route) and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken in the sauce and serve on tostada shells with refried beans, crisp shredded lettuce, radish slices and cotija cheese.