Best Vegan Tinga (Quick, Easy, and Authentic Recipe)
Traditional tinga is a spicy, chipotle spiced stew made with chicken and cabbage, but in this vegan tinga recipe we’re giving it a plant-based twist that will blow your mind. You’ll want to have it on repeat.
What is Tinga
Tinga is a dish traditionally made with shredded chicken that’s cooked in a spicy chipotle salsa. It comes from the Mexican state of Puebla.
Most often it’s served on top of crispy corn tostadas that have a layer of refried beans, the tinga, and then topped with Mexican crema, crumbled cheese, and avocado slices.
Tinga is truly a treat for your tastebuds and belly. It will really blow your mind just how scrumptious it tastes.
This spicy, smokey, savory, hearty stew has been one of my favorite dishes since I was a little girl. In fact it was one of the very first meals I learned to cook from my older sister.
After I gave up meat, it was also one of the very first dishes that I created a meatless version for. At first serving it with dairy toppings and in the last year making it with dairy-free condiments for a completely plant-based meal.
Is Tinga Vegan?
No, traditionally tinga is not a vegan dish because it’s made with chicken. However…there are versions with just cabbage.
Don’t worry about this vegan tinga not having a delicious flavor, it does and you’ll never miss the meat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• It’s a budget friendly dish to feed a lot of people.
• Tinga is a delicious way to use up cabbage.
• You can make it into tostadas, a burrito or quesadilla filling, or you can also make tinga tacos.
• This is a perfect dish for meal prepping.
Ingredients
Plant Protein: I’ve used one of my favorite plant proteins to substitute shredded meat, oyster mushroom. You can also use jackfruit or soy curls instead.
White Cabbage & White Onion: This is added for extra flavor, texture, and to bulk up the tinga and make it go further.
Salsa Ingredients: You’ll need roma tomato, garlic cloves, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Seasonings: The salsa has so much flavor that only salt is needed.
Oil: To cook the cabbage and onion and mushrooms.
Vegan Tinga Tostadas Ingredients: You’ll need corn tostadas, refried beans, sour cream, cotija queso, avocado, and radishes.
How to Make Vegan Tinga
If you’re using jackfruit follow these instructions to prep it before you begin. If using soy curls follow these instructions.
Step One:
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Once hot add the oil and let it heat through then add the sliced onion, sprinkle with a little salt, and sauté until it’s soft and translucent.
Step Two:
Mix in the shredded oyster mushrooms (or jackfruit or soy curls) to the skillet and cook until they have softened and are a little crispy.
Step Three:
Add the shredded cabbage to the skillet, mix well, cover the skillet, and allow to cook until it has softened.
Step Four:
While the cabbage is cooking make the salsa in a blender with the roughly chopped roma tomatoes, garlic, salt, and the chipotle in adobo sauce. Blend until it’s completely smooth, you can add a splash of water if needed to the the blender going.
Step Five:
Pour the salsa over the softened cabbage mixture and stir to well combine. Cover the skillet and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Step Six:
Uncover the skillet and let the tinga simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and thickened up. Taste and if needed adjust the seasoning. Now you’re ready to serve as desired.
To Make Vegan Tinga Tostadas
My favorite way to eat vegan tinga is on top of crispy tostadas.
Take a tostada and spread a couple tablespoons of refried beans, then add some of the tinga, drizzle with crema, top with avocado slices, and sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese.
I also love to top with sliced radishes, but it’s up to you.
That’s it, now you can did in!
How to Serve
If tostadas isn’t your thing than you can make tinga tacos with corn tortillas. You could also use it as a filling for burritos, quesadillas, gorditas, and to top sopes.
Serve with your favorite agua fresca like watermelon, pineapple, cucumber, jamaica, or pitahaya. All pair wonderfully.
Taste
Tinga tastes savory, smokey, spicy, and these flavors pair perfectly with the creamy sour cream and salty vegan cotija cheese.
For me the refried beans and crispy corn tostadas raised the level of yumminess even more.
You’ve got to give this recipe a try, it won’t disappoint.
How to Store and Reheat
Allow leftovers to come to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to a week.
You could also place in freezer safe container or bags and freeze for up to a couple of months.
To reheat you can do so on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nancy’s Tips for Perfect Tacos de Papa
• Juicy Salsa: Use ripe, soft tomatoes to make a smoother juicy salsa. Unripe tomatoes will make it thicker and you’ll need to add some water to blend the salsa.
• Spicy or Mild: This tinga is a mild spicy level but you can add more chipotles to make it spicier. To make it mild skip the whole chipotles and just use the adobo sauce from the can.
• Crunchy Tostadas: Prepare only the tostadas you’re going to eat at the time otherwise the tostadas will get soggy and break.
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
More Recipes to Try
Vegan Tinga
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ small white onion thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 oz white cabbage thinly sliced
- ½ lb. oyster mushrooms* shredded
- 3 whole large roma tomatoes roughly chopped
- 3 whole large garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
- 3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce adjust to taste
To Serve The Tostadas
- 16 whole corn tostadas
- 2.5 cups refried beans
- 1 cup sour cream I used my vegan crema
- 1 cup queso I used my vegan cotija cheese
- 10 whole radishes sliced
- 1 large avocado sliced
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan and once hot add the oil and heat for a minute then add the onion and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon over it. Sauté until it softens.
- Now add the shredded oyster mushrooms and mix well. Sauté for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown a little.
- Mix in the shredded cabbage, place a lid on the pan and cook until the cabbage has softened, about 8 minutes.
- While the cabbage is softening make the tinga sauce by blending the tomato, garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and chipotles until you have a smooth salsa.
- Carefully pour the chipotle salsa over the vegetables. Mix until well combined. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
- Uncover and simmer until the sauce has thickened and there's no extra liquid. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
Assemble The Tinga Tostadas
- Spread a couple Tablespoons of refried beans over a tostada. Then add a couple heaping Tablespoons of the tinga mixture on top of the beans.
- Drizzle the tostada with sour cream, top with a few slices of avocado and sliced radish, then sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese over the tostada. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
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Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
