Tinga de Setas — Smoky Chipotle Mushroom and Bean Tacos

Other Fast With Oil Published June 13, 2026

Tinga is one of the great street foods of Puebla — strands of meat braised in a smoky, sweet-sour sauce of tomato, onion, and chipotle, then piled onto tortillas. Swap the meat for meaty oyster or cremini mushrooms and pinto beans and you lose nothing: the mushrooms drink up the chipotle and adobo, the beans make it stick to your ribs, and the whole thing has that deep, lacquered smokiness that makes you reach for a third taco. This is a fast-day dinner that feels like a celebration.

On oil days, frying the mushrooms hard at the start is what builds the flavor, so don't crowd the pan. For strict no-oil days, dry-sear the mushrooms in a hot nonstick pan until they release and reabsorb their liquid, then build the sauce with a splash of broth instead of oil — you still get the smoke, just a lighter body.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (adaptable for strict days — see notes)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 500g (about 6 cups) mixed mushrooms (oyster, cremini, or shiitake), torn into strips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (omit for strict days)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
- 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes (or 4 fresh tomatoes, blended)
- 1 can (400g) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican if you have it)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 12 small corn tortillas, warmed
- To serve: sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime wedges

METHOD

1. If using oil: heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and let them sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, then stir and cook until deeply browned and shrunken, about 8 minutes total. (For strict days: dry-sear in a hot nonstick pan; they will weep liquid, then reabsorb it and brown — about 10 minutes.)

2. Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to caramelize, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. Stir in the chopped chipotles and adobo sauce, oregano, and cumin. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, and vinegar. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the mushrooms.

5. Fold in the pinto beans and warm through, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, and vinegar — tinga should be smoky, a little sweet, and a little sharp.

6. Pile into warm tortillas and top with avocado, cabbage, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

NOTES

- No chipotles in adobo? Use 2 teaspoons smoked paprika plus a pinch of cayenne and a teaspoon of tomato paste.
- For strict no-oil days, skip the oil entirely and dry-sear; finish with a splash of vegetable broth in step 4 if the pan looks dry.
- Black beans work just as well as pinto. For more protein, stir in a handful of toasted pepitas at the end.
- The tinga filling keeps for 4 days and freezes well; reheat with a splash of water.