Mexican Sheet-Pan Chicken Tinga Tacos with Chipotle, Onion and Lime

Heat the oven to 450F and set a rack in the upper third. Toss the tomatoes, onion wedges and unpeeled garlic with 1 tablespoon of the oil on a large rimmed sheet pan.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pound plum tomatoes, halved
• 1 large white onion, cut into thick wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450F and set a rack in the upper third. Toss the tomatoes, onion wedges and unpeeled garlic with 1 tablespoon of the oil on a large rimmed sheet pan.
2. Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining oil, the oregano, cumin and salt, and nestle them among the vegetables in a single layer.
3. Roast for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the tomato skins are blistered and beginning to char at the edges.
4. Move the chicken to a board. Squeeze the softened garlic out of its skins into a blender and add the roasted tomatoes, half the onion, the chipotles, adobo sauce and broth. Blend until smooth.
5. Shred the chicken with two forks, return it to the sheet pan with the remaining onion wedges and pour the tinga sauce over the top, tossing to coat.
6. Slide the pan back into the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and clings and the edges of the chicken catch a little color.
7. Warm the tortillas directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet for 20 seconds per side, stacking them under a clean towel to steam.
8. Build the tacos at the table with queso fresco, cilantro and a hard squeeze of lime, and refrigerate leftover tinga for rice bowls or quesadillas later in the week.
9. Tinga hails from Puebla, where it is traditionally simmered slowly in a clay pot until the chipotle smoke works its way through the meat. Moving it to a sheet pan borrows the same flavor logic with a fraction of the attention: roasting the tomatoes, onion and garlic first builds the sweetness that long simmering would have coaxed out, which is what makes this a genuine weeknight dinner rather than a compromise.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 540 kcal
• Protein: 42g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Fiber: 7g
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 890mg