Description
Chicken tinga cheese fries make a spicy, cheesy game day dream come true with crispy potatoes smothered in zesty shredded chicken and melted cheese. Grab your friends, get some napkins ready, and prepare for serious flavor that’ll have everyone reaching for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2–3 tablespoons chipotle chilies with adobo
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cheese Sauce and Fries:
- 2 pounds frozen french fries
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 ½ cups Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings:
- Favorite salsa
- Green onions
- Mexican crema
- Avocados
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a medium pot at medium temperature. Sauté 1 cup diced onions, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 2-3 tablespoons chipotle chilies until your onions turn translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place 2 pounds chicken breast into the pot and cover completely with 3 cups chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Extract chicken from liquid and roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Set chopped chicken aside.
- Pulverize remaining vegetable mixture using an immersion blender until completely smooth. Return sauce to the pot.
- Reintroduce chopped chicken to the sauce. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, allowing liquid to reduce significantly.
- Shred chicken thoroughly with two forks into fine, tender pieces.
- Prepare 2 pounds frozen french fries according to package instructions, ensuring they become golden and crisp.
- Create cheese sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Whisk in 2 tablespoons flour, then gradually add 2 cups milk. Cook on low heat until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
- Incorporate 2 ½ cups Mexican cheese blend into sauce. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 2 teaspoons chili powder. Stir until cheese melts completely.
- Construct dish by layering crispy fries with shredded chicken tinga. Drizzle generously with cheese sauce. Top with your favorite salsa, chopped green onions, sliced avocado, and Mexican crema.
Notes
- Select a high-quality, thick-cut french fry that can handle the weight of the toppings without becoming soggy.
- When shredding chicken, ensure it’s pulled into small, uniform pieces for even distribution across the fries.
- Making the sauce slightly thicker helps it cling better to the fries and prevents sliding off.
- For a gluten-free version, replace wheat flour with cornstarch in the cheese sauce and use gluten-free fries.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 720 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg