Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Tamales
Corn masa spread on husks, filled with chicken in salsa verde and steamed, the fragrant parcels made in big batches for Dia de los Muertos and set on the ofrenda to feed returning souls.
Mexican · advanced · serves 8
prep 60 min · cook 75 min
~334 cal · 20g protein · 52g carbs · 6g fat · 4g fiber · 3g sugars · 1g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Tamales are among the oldest foods of the Americas, corn wrapped in husks or leaves and steamed, and they sit at the heart of Dia de los Muertos. Families gather to make them in big batches in the days before November 1 and 2, an assembly line of spreading , spooning filling and folding husks, then set them warm on the ofrenda; their rising steam is said to help guide the spirits home.
There are hundreds of versions across Mexico, from Oaxacan tamales of wrapped in banana leaves to sweet pink tamales for the angelitos. This is a classic central-Mexican one: light beaten with lard until fluffy, filled with shredded chicken in a bright salsa verde, wrapped in soaked corn husks and steamed until they pull cleanly away from the wrapper.
Making tamales is a group effort and a slow one, but the reward is a stack of fragrant parcels to share with family and to remember those who came before.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and nut-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 8
30, soaked in warm water dried corn husks
500 g harina
200 g lard
about 600 ml chicken or vegetable broth, warm
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
400 g cooked shredded chicken
500 g , husked
2 to 3 green chiles (serrano or jalapeno)
1/2 onion, 2 cloves white onion and garlic
a small bunch fresh coriander
Instructions
1
Soak the corn husks in warm water until pliable, at least 30 minutes.
2
For the salsa verde, simmer the tomatillos, chiles, onion and garlic until soft, then blend with the coriander and salt. Toss with the shredded chicken (or beans/rajas).
3
Beat the lard until fluffy, then beat in the masa harina, baking powder and salt, adding warm broth a little at a time until you have a light, spreadable dough that holds together.
✎ Chef’s note
A small spoon of the masa dropped in cold water should float when it is beaten light enough.
4
Spread a few tablespoons of masa over the smooth side of each husk, add a line of filling, then fold the sides over to enclose and fold up the bottom.
5
Stand the tamales upright, folded-end down, in a steamer. Steam over simmering water for 60 to 75 minutes, until the masa is set and peels cleanly from the husk. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Mexican Dia de los Muertos tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Michoacán. The UNESCO inscription of 2010 is specifically titled the Michoacan paradigm: traditional Mexican cuisine described as an ancestral and ongoing community culture, taking this state as the case study rather than the country as a whole.
🗺️
Mexico. Underneath almost everything is nixtamalization: dried maize simmered and steeped in lime water, then hulled and ground. It softens the kernels into a masa that will hold together as a tortilla, adds calcium, and releases the tryptophan the body turns into niacin, which is why maize-eating Mesoamerica escaped the pellagra that later maize cultures suffered.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Mexico
Cochinita PibilPork marinated blaze-orange in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and roasted until it shreds itself.
EnfrijoladasCorn tortillas bathed in silky black-bean sauce, folded and finished with cheese, crema, and onion.
BirriaJalisco’s chile-marinated slow braise, served as a rich consomé with tortillas, or griddled into dripping quesabirria tacos.
Browse all Mexico recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Steamer, Blender.
Storing it: Keeps 2 to 3 days refrigerated. Resteam or warm through gently to serve.
Make it a Mexico meal
HorchataDrink
Calabaza en TachaDessert
Tlayuda OaxaqueñaLunch
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Frequently asked questions
What is Tamales?
Corn masa spread on husks, filled with chicken in salsa verde and steamed, the fragrant parcels made in big batches for Dia de los Muertos and set on the ofrenda to feed returning souls.
Where does Tamales come from?
Tamales is a Mexican dish from Michoacán, Mexico.
Can Tamales be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Tamales recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Tamales safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Tamales take to make?
About 135 minutes total (60 minutes prep, 75 minutes cooking), serving 8.
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