Making tamales isn’t about the end result; it’s about the process. Typically, the whole family comes together for a special occasion like Dia de los Muertos or Christmas. This is an intensive recipe, so the more cooks in the kitchen, the better.
Someone’s soaking the corn husks, someone else is whipping up the masa, and there’s always that one relative in charge of taste-testing the filling (you know who you are). It’s messy, loud, and takes all day, but that’s part of the fun. The kitchen turns into a kind of organized chaos filled with the smell of masa, cumin, and chile filling the air.
Tamales are food you make when you’ve got time to slow down. When you’re not just cooking dinner, but doing something together. And at the end of it all, when the tamales finally come out of the steamer and you unwrap one, that first bite always tastes better knowing how much teamwork went into it.
Tamales Recipe
Prep Time
1.5 hours
Cook Time
2.5 hours
Serves
12
Ingredients
Masa
- 4 cups masa harina for tamales
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup manteca (lard)
- 4 cups broth (or until desired consistency)
- 1 package corn husks
Bean and Cheese Filling
- 2 cans black beans
- 1 cup
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 white onion
- Salt to taste
- Cumin
- 1 cup shredded oaxaca cheese
Rotisserie Chicken and Salsa Verde Filling
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- Salsa verde
Steps
Bean and Cheese Filling
1
Sautee onion, jalapeno and garlic until fragrant. Add 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, one cup vegetable broth, salt, and cumin
2
Lightly mash with the back of a spoon or potato masher
3
Grate oaxaca cheese
4
Set black beans and cheese aside
Rotisserie Chicken and Salsa Verde Filling
1
Shred chicken from 1 rotisserie chicken
2
Put chicken and salsa verde in a pot and let simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes
Prepare the Masa
2
Soak corn husks in warm water for 30 minutes to an hour until soft and pliable
3
Combine masa, salt, baking powder, and melted manteca until crumbly
4
Add 4 cups vegetable broth, mix until your masa becomes soft and spreadable like a thick hummus
5
Spread the masa: On the smooth side of each husk, spread about 2 tablespoons of masa into a thin rectangle, leaving about an inch at the top and bottom.
6
Spoon 1–2 tablespoons of your chosen filling down the center
7
Fold the sides of the husk inward, then fold the bottom up to seal. You can tie them with thin strips of husk if you like
8
Arrange the tamales upright in a steamer or pot with a steaming rack. Steam for about 2–2½ hours, or until the masa is soft but holds its shape
9
Let tamales rest for 10 minutes before checking to see if they are done (You will know when the masa easily separated from the husk after cooling)