Smokey Chicken Tinga Street Gorditas

Ingredients

Chicken Tinga:
1 package Martha White® Cotton Country Cornbread Mix &
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped pineapple, fresh or canned (well drained, if canned)
16 ounce bottle chipotle salsa
15 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes, with the liquid
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken (or 1 rotisserie chicken, skinned, boned, and shredded)

Gorditas:
6 ounce package Martha White Cotton Country Cornbread Mix
½ cup water
1 large egg, beaten

Diced avocado
Crumbled queso fresco, queso anejo, or Romano cheese
Lime wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray Lodge® Cast Iron Drop Biscuit Pan with no stick spray and place in hot oven.

Make the chicken:
1. Heat a large (10 ¼” or 12″ Lodge® Cast Iron skillet over medium-high heat and heat the oil. Saute onion and pineapple about 5 minutes, or until just beginning to brown.
2. Add the salsa, tomatoes, and vinegar, and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in shredded chicken and adjust seasoning to taste. Keep chicken warm while frying the gorditas.

Make the gorditas:
4. Preheat oven to 200° F.
5. Heat a large Lodge® Cast Iron skillet over medium high heat.
6. Combine cornmeal mix, water, and egg in a bowl until completely combined.
7. Film skillet lightly with vegetable oil and pour batter by the ¼ cupful into the skillet without crowding the pan. Cook until golden on each side, flipping once. Drain cooked gorditas briefly on paper towels, transfer to a baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm. Continue frying, adding small amounts of oil as necessary, until all the batter is used.

Assemble the gorditas:
8. Carefully cut around the circumference of each gordita, splitting in half. Top each with a generous helping of chicken tinga. Sprinkle with avocado and cheese, replace tops, and serve immediately with lime wedges.

Serves 4