Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken Wings

Feb 04, 2022

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Tangy, smoky, and a little spicy with fall off the bone tender meat that is juicy and full of flavor – chicken tinga wings are a delicious twist on chicken wings right from your slow cooker! Perfect for the big game, tailgating, parties, or picnics!

picture of tinga chicken wings on a white plate in front of a slow cooker

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Chicken Wings
Tips For The Best Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken Wings & FAQs
What to Serve With Chicken Tinga Wings
Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken Wings Recipe

Slow Cooker Chicken Tinga Chicken Wings

Chicken wings in the slow cooker are delicious and easy – they are incredibly soft and tender, and you can pop them under the broiler at the end of cook time using our method to give a bit of crispy crunch, making them the perfect texture for the best easy chicken wings!

Tinga sauce is one of my favorite sauces to serve with chicken – it is tangy and zippy, but rich – full of flavor thanks to a rich base from tomatoes, chipotle chilis in adobo, and sliced onions.

Tinga is a traditional Mexican sauce from Puebla, and also has lots of oregano, Bay leaf, and thyme – as well as piloncillo sugar, if it is made traditionally. For this recipe, you can use your own favorite tinga sauce preparation (I use my friend Yvette’s chicken tinga recipe to make my own sauce), or use a pre-made tinga sauce.

If you’re looking for other delicious, easy chicken wing recipes that are perfect in the slow cooker, check out our Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken Wings, and our Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings Recipe, too! Or be sure to visit our The Best Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Ever, and Air Fryer Honey Mustard Chicken Wings.

Be sure to bookmark our Easy Homemade Blue Cheese Dip Recipe to whip up to serve with these wings!

How To Make Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken Wings

Cooking chicken wings in the slow cooker couldn’t be easier – simply pop into the crockpot, add sauce and toss to coat, and cook on high for four hours until meat is tender, soft, and pulls easily from the bone.

picture of chicken wings, olive oil, and chicken tinga sauce on a table next to a slow cooker

picture of chicken wings in a slow cooker

picture of chicken wings in tinga sauce in a slow cooker

Add a bit of olive oil to the bottom of a slow cooker.
Place wings in slow cooker.
Add tinga sauce and toss to cover wings completely.
Place lid on slow cooker and set to high, cook for two hours (cook four hours on low, or if your wings are still frozen).
When chicken is done, remove from slow cooker and place on baking sheet lined with nonstick foil or parchment paper and place under broiler set to high for 4-5 minutes, then flip and broil other side, to give a light crunch.
Serve with crema, guacamole, ranch, blue cheese, and vegetables.

Tips For The Best Slow Cooker Tinga Chicken Wings & FAQs

You can make these wings with still-frozen chicken – while I prefer to make this recipe with fresh chicken wings, if you’ve forgotten to thaw, simply toss the frozen wings in the slow cooker, toss in sauce, and double the cooktime (so four hours total, on high) until the wing meat is fall off the bone tender.

To trim your own chicken wings from the grocery store, use a heavy knife to cut wings into three pieces – the flat, the drummette, and the tip. You’ll want to feel for the joint of the wing with your knife, and press into the joint with weight, and it will easily cut through. I discard the wing tips, as they do not provide much meat.

FAQs

What is tinga sauce?

Tinga is a Mexican sauce made from tomatoes, chipotle chilis in adobo, and sliced onions. It is lightly acidic and a bit tart from the tomatoes, a little smoky from the adobo, a little spicy from the chipotle chilis, and rich and balanced with umami from the onion.

I like using this recipe for tinga sauce – or you can buy tinga sauce pre-made.

When are chicken wings cooked?

Chicken wings are cooked when the internal temperature is over 175 degrees. We will be cooking these chicken wings in the slow cooker past 175 degrees, and will instead aim for four hours, when the chicken meat is tender, pulls easily from the bone, and has reduced in size.

What setting to cook chicken wings in slow cooker?

We prefer cooking chicken wings on high for two hours.

Can I use frozen chicken?

You can use frozen chicken in slow cooker chicken wing recipes – simply double the cook-time.

How can I make slow cooker wings crunchy?

I like to pop slow cooker wings under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking to crisp them up for the best texture. Be careful to not burn the wings, but also broil at the highest temperature possible to let the skin crisp.

What to Serve With Chicken Tinga Wings

We love to serve wings with other game day appetizers like Chili Cheese Frito Cheese Ball; spicy, tangy, and delicious Green Chile Guacamole; salty and savory Vegan Carrot Bacon;

For more of our easy appetizers, click here.