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Tinga Tacos with Oyster Mushrooms

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Vegetarian
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Why we love it:

Tinga is usually accompanied with shredded chicken but it’s a tomato and chipotle-based simmer sauce that makes a super delicious taco filling. If you can find them, oyster mushrooms are particularly excellent for replacing the chicken because they have a stringy, meat consistency. Check substitutions if you can’t find them.
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Ingredients

  • 1 Red Onion (divided)
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 2 Chipotle Peppers In Adobos
  • 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 15-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes (try the fire-roasted type)
  • 1 pound Oyster Mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons Unsalted Butter
  • 8 Corn Tortillas
  • 1 Avocado
  • 6 ounces Queso Fresco
  • 4 cups Spring Mix Salad Greens
  • 4 Tablespoons Salad Dressing
  • 1 Lime

Cooking Instructions

  • 1. SAUCE

    Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Reserve about a ¼ of the diced onion for topping. Remove the chilies out of the chipotle sauce and mince them too.

    Heat a large skillet over medium; add the oil and onion. Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the chipotles, a ½ teaspoon or so of the chipotle sauce, oregano, and cumin, and stir for 1 minute. Add in the can of tomatoes, and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes.

  • 2. MUSHROOMS

    Meanwhile, trim the stem ends of the mushrooms and gently break them apart and even tear larger pieces in ½. Dust with a clean towel if necessary. Melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt over medium-high heat, for about 3 - 4 minutes. They’ll be browned at the edges and just a bit wilted. Don’t overcook this type of mushroom.

  • 3. OPTIONAL BLENDING

    If desired, place the tomato mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Or you can use a stick blender and process until it’s smooth. If you don’t want to, you can leave the sauce chunky or mash a little bit with a potato masher or fork.

  • 4. ADD MUSHROOMS

    Add the mushrooms into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.

  • 5. TACOS

    Warm the tortillas in the oven or over a gas flame for about 60 second until pliable. Fill with mushrooms and sauce, top with sliced avocado and crumbled cheese.

  • 6. SALAD

    Wash and dry lettuce. Toss with salad dressing to taste.

  • 7. SERVING

    Serve tacos with sliced lime and salad on the side.

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Substitutions

  • GLUTEN FREE:
    make sure your tortillas are 100% corn
  • VEGAN:
    omit cheese
  • PESCATARIAN:
    if you make the sauce and grill some fish or sauté shrimp, flake that into the tortillas and spoon the sauce over top
  • OYSTER MUSHROOMS:
    use any mushrooms you have an enjoy, but most mushrooms should sauté longer before adding to the tinga sauce
  • JACKFRUIT:
    have you been wanting to try this as a meat replacer? This is a great place to start!
  • QUESO FRESCO:
    any shredded or crumbled cheese of choice is great - jack, cheddar, blends
  • CHIPOTLE:
    you can omit if it’s a pain to get the jar, try adding a few dashes of hot sauce for heat and a ½ teaspoon of Worcestershire or soy sauce for the depth of flavor
  • TOPPINGS:
    whatever you enjoy
  • TORTILLAS:
    flour and crunchy also work

Kid Friendly Version

Big Kids Plate
Toddler Plate

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

  • Chipotle can be spicy, so you can reduce the amount or omit until after removing the kids’ mushrooms and sauce portion, then stir it in for the grownups
  • Assemble tacos with things they like inside!
  • If they like beans, a can of black or pinto beans is a great thing to stir into the sauce with or without the mushrooms too

For Toddlers

  • Slice the tortilla or wrap it with avocado
  • Add fruit or raw veggies
  • Don’t serve queso fresco, since it’s a fresh cheese it’s better to wait until after 1 year old, you can add shredded or diced cheddar

For Choosy Eaters

  • If they prefer, make a quesadilla in the toaster oven or sauté pan with cheese and tortillas
  • Add some avocado, mashed, for dipping if preferred
  • Keep some of the mushrooms, serve in or out of a taco or quesadilla
  • If they aren’t vegetarian, add shredded chicken or shrimp
  • Add fruit or raw veggies on the side

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

  1. Make the sauce
  2. Cook the mushrooms and add to the sauce – or you can add them after reheating the sauce to serve the meal

Culinary Skills

Don’t waste the chipotle! After you open the can, divide the chilis and sauce up into tablespoon or so sized bundles. Wrap in plastic wrap or silicone bags, or ice cube trays and freeze for later. 

Double the sauce and remove half before adding the mushrooms. Freeze it for next time and it will be a very fast and easy meal.

Rate this recipe:
3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 53 votes, average: 4.33 out of 53 votes, average: 4.33 out of 53 votes, average: 4.33 out of 53 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5 (3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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