Chicken Tinga Rice Bowl

Chef Elia Herrera of Toronto brings a classic Mexican dish from her kitchen at Tecolote restaurant. The complex flavours of Tinga sauce are bold and smokey. Try a garnish of rustic salsa or pickled onions to elevate a family favourite.





Yield
2 Servings


Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp of oil, divided
  • ½ of a large white onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 5 medium sized Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig of fresh oregano
  • 2 ½ tbsp of Tecolote Chipotle sauce
  • 3 large pieces of chicken thighs, skin on
  • ½ cup of U.S. long grain white rice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. In a medium-sized pot, over medium heat, add 3 tbsp of oil. Next, add onion and cook until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook until soft, do not brown. After that, add the tomato and cook until soft. Add sprigs of thyme and oregano. Turn the heat to low and let the mixture simmer, until soft and broken down. Add Tecolote’s chipotle sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Remove mixture from heat and blend until smooth. Return sauce to pot and simmer.
  3. Meanwhile, season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat, add remaining oil. Add chicken thighs to pan, skin side down. Let the chicken cook 3⁄4 of the way through until the skin is nice and crispy, turning once. About 10 minutes.
  4. Remove chicken from the frying pan and cut into cubes. Add cubed chicken to the simmering Tinga sauce to finish cooking, approximately 10 minutes.
  5. In a medium-sized pot add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Lower heat to a simmer and add rice. Cover pot and let cook according to package instructions, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for five minutes. Fluff with fork.
  6. Taste Chicken Tinga mixture and adjust salt before serving. Serve Chicken Tinga over rice. Buen provecho!

Recipe by Chef Elia Herrera