Mexican

Serving

Tamales

Name: Tamales
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups masa harina for tamales; 1.5 cups whipped lard or vegetable shortening; 4 cups warm meat broth (pork or chicken); 1 package dried corn husks; 3 cups cooked, shredded pork or chicken; 1.5 cups red or green chili sauce

Masa dough filled with meats, cheeses, or fruits, wrapped in corn husks and steamed.

180 minutes

Serves 4

63 min prep

99 min cook

No common allergens detected

Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.

Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

6 steps

1
Soak Husks: Submerge the dried corn husks in a large bowl of very hot water for at least 1 hour until pliable. Drain and pat dry before use.
2
Mix Masa: In a large bowl, beat the lard with 1 tbsp of salt until fluffy. Alternately add the masa harina and warm broth, mixing with your hands until it forms a soft, spreadable dough (like thick hummus).
3
Prepare Filling: Toss the shredded cooked meat with the red or green chili sauce until well coated and flavorful.
4
Spread Masa: Lay a softened corn husk flat. Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of the masa dough onto the top half of the husk, leaving a border on the edges.
5
Fill and Fold: Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the meat filling in the center of the masa. Fold the sides of the husk together so the masa completely encases the filling, then fold the bottom tail up.
6
Steam: Stand the tamales upright in a large steamer basket. Cover with leftover husks and a damp towel. Steam over boiling water for 1.5 to 2 hours until the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk.

Tamales — plated and served — Serving moment. How Tamales looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 100

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 25

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

1285

Calories

19 g

Protein

111 g

Carbs

86 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Tamales are among the oldest dishes in the Americas, with steamed corn-dough parcels documented thousands of years before the Spanish arrival. Making them is traditionally communal work, a tamalada where families gather to spread masa and fill husks together, especially around the holidays. The wrapped, portable form made them a staple food for travelers and workers long before lunchboxes existed.

Listahan note

This version focuses on getting the masa right, since a light, well-beaten dough is what separates a tender tamal from a dense one. It uses a classic red-chile pork filling as the example.

Technique cues

Beat the masa with fat until a small spoonful floats in cool water; this aeration is what makes the tamal light rather than gummy.
Spread the masa thin and leave a border so it can expand and seal around the filling as it steams.
Keep the steamer at a steady simmer and do not let it run dry; tamales need consistent gentle steam to set, usually an hour or more.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Soak the husks and braise the filling a day ahead, then beat the masa and assemble in one session like a small tamalada.
Make-ahead: Assembled raw tamales freeze beautifully; steam from frozen, adding extra time, for a fast future meal.
Leftover move: Pan-fry leftover steamed tamales until crisp, or unwrap and crumble them into a breakfast scramble.
Cleanup rhythm: Set up an assembly line of masa, filling, and husks to contain the mess, and steam in one big batch so you only clean the pot once.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

masa harina or fresh masa

the dough

Purpose: Nixtamalized corn dough is the body and defining flavor of the tamal.

Handling: Hydrate masa harina with warm broth, or use fresh masa for the best texture.

Adaptation: Fresh masa from a tortilleria gives a superior result if you can source it.

lard or vegetable shortening

fat for tenderness

Purpose: Whipped fat lightens the masa so it steams up fluffy instead of dense.

Handling: Beat until fluffy before mixing into the masa.

Adaptation: Vegetable shortening keeps it vegetarian; coconut oil works but adds a faint flavor.

corn husks

wrapper

Purpose: They hold the tamal in shape and impart a subtle corn aroma during steaming.

Handling: Soak in warm water until pliable, then pat dry before filling.

Adaptation: Banana leaves give a different aroma and are traditional in southern Mexico.

pork in red chile

filling

Purpose: Tender chile-braised pork is a classic savory center.

Handling: Braise pork until shreddable and toss with a thick red-chile sauce.

Adaptation: Chicken, rajas with cheese, or beans make easy vegetarian and lighter fillings.

Technique notes

Test masa readiness with the float test in cold water before assembling; under-beaten masa makes heavy tamales no amount of steaming will fix.
Stand the tamales upright with the open end facing up so the filling does not leak as the masa sets.
Let them rest five to ten minutes after steaming so the masa firms up and peels cleanly from the husk.

Ingredient swaps

Vegetarian direction: Fill with cheese and roasted poblano strips and use vegetable shortening in the masa.
Gluten-free direction: Masa is naturally gluten-free; confirm the broth and any seasoning blends are too.
Dairy-free option: Use a savory bean or chile-pork filling and shortening rather than any cheese.

Serve alongside

Mexican red rice
Refried beans
Salsa verde
Curtido or pickled jalapenos
Atole or champurrado
Mexican hot chocolate
Cafe de olla

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate steamed tamales in their husks for up to 5 days; resteam or pan-fry to reheat. Raw assembled tamales freeze for up to 3 months and steam directly from frozen. Avoid the microwave alone, which dries the masa unless you wrap it in a damp towel.

Equipment

Large steamer pot with a rack
Stand or hand mixer for beating masa
Spatula or spoon for spreading masa
Tongs for lifting hot tamales

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