Mexican Tamales
User Reviews
4.8
136 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs
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Total Time
5 hrs 30 mins
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Servings
45 tamales
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Calories
212 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Mexican Tamales
Report
Mexican Tamales are a traditional dish where seasoned pork shoulder is mixed with a chile sauce and wrapped in corn husks with masa dough made from masa harina and broth. The combination of the rich, savory pork filling and the soft, flavorful masa dough produces tamales with a tender, slightly firm texture, steamed until cooked through. This recipe involves a thorough preparation, including soaking husks, making sauce, and dough, making it suitable for larger gatherings.
Description
This Mexican Tamales recipe involves soaking corn husks to soften, preparing a filling of seasoned pork shoulder cooked with guajillo and ancho chilies blended into a smooth sauce, and mixing masa dough from masa harina with salt, baking powder, oil or lard, and broth. The pork is simmered with spices before being shredded and combined with the chile sauce. The masa dough is prepared to achieve a soft, spreadable consistency.
The tamales are assembled by spreading masa dough on softened husks, adding the pork filling, then folding and steaming the packages in a large steamer pot for about 90 minutes. The steaming process cooks the dough through and melds the flavors together. The final tamales are moist with a tender cornmeal texture surrounding the savory pork filling, accented by the mild smoky heat of the chilies.
These tamales yield a large batch, typically 45 to 50 pieces, suitable for parties or holiday meals. They are often served as a main dish or with sides like beans or salsa. Preparing the masa with lard enhances richness and texture but vegetable oil can also be used for a lighter option.
Both the masa dough and red chile pork filling can be made up to three days in advance and refrigerated, which helps to streamline assembly and cooking on serving day. Using a large 16-quart steamer or bigger is necessary to hold the amount of tamales produced by this recipe.
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Ingredients
For the filling
- 3 ounces guajillo chiles rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
- 3 ounces ancho chile rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
- water as needed
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon cumin ground
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½ pounds pork shoulder cut into large 4-inch chunks, boneless
- 1 bay leaf
For the masa dough
- 8 ¼ cups masa harina (about half of a 4.4 lb bag of Maseca)
- 1 ¾ tablespoons salt fine
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups canola oil see Notes for making masa with lard, or avocado oil
- 7 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable, plus more as needed)
- 50 corn husk about ½-¾ pound bag
- water as needed, hot
Instructions
- Prep the corn husks. Add the corn husks to a large bowl or pot. Pour enough hot water over the corn husks to cover them completely. Cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and let them soak for 1 hour to soften them up. Meanwhile, make the filling and masa dough.
- Make the chile sauce. Add the guajillo chiles, chiles, and enough water to completely cover them in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes to soften.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a large blender. Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked water, 1 ½ cups of fresh water, garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ground cumin. Blend until completely smooth. If the sauce is not smooth, pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any solids.
- Cook the pork. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt, then working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned.
- Add all the seared meat back to the pot. Carefully pour in the blended red chile sauce and stir in the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 ½ hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Make the masa dough. (See Notes for how to make masa with lard.) In a very large mixing bowl or pot, add the masa harina, salt, and baking powder. Stir together to combine.
- Add the oil and mix it together using your hands. Work the dough through your fingers until everything is well combined and incorporated. The dough should feel a little crumbly, almost like wet sand, and should lightly hold its shape when pressed together.
- Add the broth and mix for about 3-5 minutes until the dough is fairly wet and well-saturated. The dough should be soft and spreadable like thick hummus. If the dough is too dry, add more broth. If it's too wet, add more masa harina.
- Finish prepping the corn husks. Drain the water from the corn husks and pat them dry. Lay them flat onto a baking sheet for easy access.
- Spread the masa onto corn husks. Grab a corn husk and identify which is the smooth side and which is the side with ridges. Place the smooth side face up onto the palm of your hand or on a plate. Grab a heaping spoonful of masa and place it in the middle of the corn husk. Spread it in a thin layer using the back of the spoon to create a large square shape, leaving the top ⅓ of the corn husk empty. (See post above for step-by-step photos)
- Add the filling. Place a spoonful of the filling in a line down the center of the dough. You only need a little bit, about 1-2 tablespoons. Try not to overstuff it, or the filling will ooze out when you fold it.
- Fold. Fold together the long edges of the corn husk like a book, and then fold it once more. Fold the pointy edge up so that only one side of the corn husk is open and exposed. Set aside and continue assembling all of the tamales until you’ve used up all the dough.
- Prepare the steamer pot. Fill the bottom of a large steamer pot with water. Add a penny or coin to the bottom of the pot, then cover with the steamer insert. Place the tamales in the steamer pot with the open end facing up. Lean them against the side of the pot so they don't fall down.
- Steam. Cover tightly with the lid and place the steamer over high heat. Bring the water to a boil. You’ll know it’s boiling when you hear the coin rattle in the pot! Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 ½ hours or until the masa is fully cooked. (See notes on cooking time if making masa with lard.)
- Check for doneness. Remove 1 tamal from the steamer pot. Let it sit for 10 minutes. If the husk peels away easily from the masa, then it’s done. If the masa is still gooey or sticks to the husk, steam it for 15 more minutes, then check again.
- Serve. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them cool for 10 minutes before serving to help them firm up and make them easier to unwrap.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 45-50 tamales, fitting in a 16-quart steamer pot, which is a tight fit but workable.
- To use lard in the masa dough, whip 2 cups lard until fluffy, then mix with masa harina, salt, baking powder, and about 8 cups broth to achieve a fluffy dough similar to thick hummus texture.
- When using lard, tamales cook in about 90 minutes steaming time.
- Make the red chile pork filling and masa up to 3 days ahead. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1tamal
Calories
212kcal
(11%)
Carbohydrates
18g
(6%)
Protein
7g
(14%)
Fat
13g
(20%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
(18%)
Monounsaturated Fat
6g
(30%)
Trans Fat
0g
(0%)
Cholesterol
15mg
(5%)
Sodium
188mg
(8%)
Potassium
74mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
450IU
(9%)
Vitamin C
0mg
(0%)
Calcium
200mg
(20%)
Iron
0.8mg
(4%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 45tamales
Amount Per Serving
Calories 212 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1tamal | |
| Calories | 212kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 188mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 74mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 450IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 200mg | 20% |
| Iron | 0.8mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
136 reviews
Excellent
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