Prepare the slow cooker base: Pour the tinned tomatoes, chicken stock, and tomato paste into the bottom of your slow cooker. Whisk them together until the paste dissolves completely — you should see a smooth, deep red liquid with no lumps remaining.

Build the flavour layer: Stir in the chopped chipotle peppers, diced onion, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, lime juice, salt, and pepper. The aroma at this stage is sharp and earthy, with a gentle warmth from the spices.

Add the chicken: Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce, ensuring each piece is partially submerged. The raw chicken will look pale and slightly translucent against the dark red sauce.

Cook low and slow: Cover the slow cooker and set it to low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. During cooking, your kitchen will fill with a rich, savoury scent that hints at the meal ahead. The sauce will deepen in colour to a mahogany red as it reduces.

Check for doneness: After the minimum cooking time, test a thigh with two forks. The meat should pull apart effortlessly, with no pinkness remaining. If it resists, cook for another 30 minutes and test again.

Shred the chicken: Remove the thighs to a cutting board. Use two forks to pull the meat apart into bite-sized shreds. You’ll see thin, juicy strands of chicken that have absorbed the deep red colour of the sauce.

Return to the sauce: Tip the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and stir to coat every piece. Let it sit in the warm sauce for 10 minutes — the shreds will absorb the liquid, becoming tender and glossy.

Serve immediately: Spoon the chicken into warm tortillas. The filling should be moist but not swimming in liquid, with visible flecks of oregano and onion throughout.