Beef Tinga
This beef tinga features tender shredded beef in a smoky chipotle sauce made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot for an easy weeknight meal!
Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large 4-inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 3 chipotles in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
- 1 large white onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
For serving
- Warm corn or flour tortillas
- Queso fresco or cotija cheese
- Diced red onion
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
Slow Cooker Method
- Generously season the beef with 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef chunks on all sides until browned. Transfer it to a slow cooker.
- Blend the tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, onion, garlic, dried oregano, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in a large blender until smooth.
- Pour the tinga sauce into the slow cooker and gently stir to coat the beef. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
- Transfer the beef to a bowl, shred it with two forks, then add it back into the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Serve with warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas, queso fresco, diced onion, and chopped cilantro.
Instant Pot Method
- Generously season the beef with 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the Sauté function. Working in batches, sear the beef chunks on all sides until browned. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Blend the tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, onion, garlic, dried oregano, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in a large blender until smooth.
- Pour the tinga sauce into the Instant Pot, close the lid, and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- Transfer the beef to a bowl, shred it with two forks, then add it back into the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Serve with warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas, queso fresco, diced onion, and chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Sear the meat. Take the time to sear the beef before adding it to the slow cooker or Instant Pot. This step adds depth of flavor and helps to lock in juices.
- Adjust the spice level. Customize the heat by adjusting the amount of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Start with a smaller amount and add more to taste.
- Blend the sauce well. Ensure your sauce is well-blended to create a smooth, cohesive flavor. You don’t want any chunks of tomato in there.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 335mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg