This recipe is a combination of several slow cooker chicken tinga recipes I have used. Most of the seasoning is coming from the chipotle peppers, so to control the heat, you have to increase or reduce the amount of peppers you are using from the can. You can also vacuum seal and freeze pepper and sauce portions once you open a can. Small and large cans of chipotles are available. The small can is enough for about 6 pounds of chicken.

Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place in in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker - multiple layers is fine - I've done as much as 6 pounds of chicken in a large slow cooker overnight.

Heat some oil in a medium skillet or spray with non-stick - don't really need a lot of oil. Brown onions until translucent.

Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, stir to combine and allow to toast the spices.

Add tomatoes, chipotle peppers with adobo sauce and tomato paste and stir until combined and heated through. Doesn't need to be too liquid (some recipes say bring to a boil, that's really not necessary - I think you're just trying to get the flavors all activated), it is going to release more moisture and the chicken will also when it cooks in the slow cooker.

Pour the onion-spice mixture over the chicken

Cover and cook on low - from 4 to 8 hours - until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

In last hour, add fresh corn cut off cob. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice.

If you go as long as 8 or more hours, the chicken will pretty much break apart with stirring and you don't need to remove and shred. If you go only 4 hours or shorter on high, the chicken will still be pretty firm and will need to be shredded.

If you remove the chicken to shred, then return it to the crock pot and stir.