Slow-Cooker Chicken Tinga Recipe

Chicken tinga is a mexican stew of chicken, tomato, onion, and chipotle peppers. The dish is savory, smoky, tangy, and as satisfying as any comfort food. It's incredibly versatile and makes a nice filling for tacos, burritos, huaraches, enchiladas, and even nachos. Like most stews, it also keeps well, and may even taste best on the second or third day as the flavors marry. This recipe calls for a slow cooker, but you can easily make it on a stovetop. Simply cook in a covered pot on the lowest flame until the chicken softens into tender shreds. Don't skip the browning of the chicken or the charring of the tomatoes, as these steps deepen the flavor and bring out the wonderful smoky notes of the chipotle. We like bay leaf with our tinga, but it's good with oregano as well. And though we prefer dried chipotles, you may use canned.