Mexican Tamale Masa Recipe (Red Chile Pork Tamales)
Mexican tamale masa recipe with fluffy whipped masa, red chile pork filling and corn husks. Steamed tamales step by step, plus how to say tamales.
This Mexican tamale masa recipe gives you light, fluffy masa wrapped around tender pork in a red chile sauce, steamed inside corn husks until the dough pulls cleanly away. Tamales take time, which is exactly why families in Mexico make them together in big batches for Christmas, birthdays and Candelaria on 2 February.
The word tamal comes from the Nahuatl word tamalli, meaning wrapped. Tamales were eaten in Mesoamerica thousands of years before the Spanish arrived, as portable food for travellers, hunters and armies. Today almost every region has its own style, from banana-leaf tamales in Oaxaca to small sweet tamales in the north. Tamales rojos, filled with pork in guajillo and ancho chile sauce, are among the most loved.
The secret is the masa. Masa harina is corn flour made from nixtamalised corn, which is soaked in an alkaline solution so it can form a dough. Beat the lard first until it is white and fluffy, then add the masa harina, baking powder, salt and warm stock a little at a time. Whipping air into the fat is what makes tamales soft instead of heavy. Test it by dropping a small piece into a glass of cold water: if it floats, it is ready. Season the masa well, because steaming dulls the salt.
For the filling, pork shoulder is simmered with garlic and onion until it shreds easily, then cooked in a smooth sauce of toasted dried chiles. Save the cooking broth for the masa, which adds flavour. If you prefer, use shredded chicken, or make vegetarian rajas con queso with roasted poblano strips and cheese and vegetable shortening instead of lard. Fresh masa from a tortilleria also works and needs less liquid.
Serve the tamales hot, still in their husks so everyone can unwrap their own, topped with Mexican crema, crumbled queso fresco or cotija and a little cilantro. Champurrado or a mug of atole is the classic drink alongside. Tamales freeze very well, so make the full batch.
Watch how it is made on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/shorts/t4dSp3dHXhA
Watch how it is made
Ingredients
- 24 dried corn husks
- 900 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into large chunksSubstitute: chicken thighs
- 1 white onion, halved
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled (3 for the pork, 3 for the sauce)
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp lard or oil (for the sauce)
- 300 g pork lard, at room temperatureSubstitute: vegetable shortening
- 500 g masa harina for tamales
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt (for the masa)
- 700 ml warm pork broth from cooking the meatSubstitute: chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt (for the pork), or to taste
- 120 ml Mexican crema, to serveSubstitute: sour cream thinned with lime juice
- 60 g cotija or queso fresco, crumbled, to serve
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, to serve
Method
- Soak the husks. Put the corn husks in a large bowl, cover with very hot water and weigh them down with a plate. Leave them for at least 1 hour until soft and bendable.
- Simmer the pork. Put the pork in a pot with the halved onion, 3 garlic cloves, bay leaves and the pork salt, cover with water and simmer gently for about 2 hours until it falls apart. Strain and keep the broth, then shred the meat with two forks.
- Make the red chile sauce. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry pan for 20 to 30 seconds per side until fragrant, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend with the 3 remaining garlic cloves, cumin, oregano and about 250 ml of the soaking water until very smooth, then strain.
- Cook the filling. Heat the tablespoon of lard in a pan, pour in the chile sauce and fry it for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens. Stir in the shredded pork and simmer for 10 minutes until thick and glossy. Taste for salt and let it cool.
- Whip the lard. Beat the 300 g lard with an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes until it is white, fluffy and doubled in volume.
- Make the masa. Mix the masa harina, baking powder and salt, then add it to the lard in three parts, alternating with the warm broth, beating well each time. Beat for another 5 minutes until it is soft like thick hummus and a small ball floats in cold water. If it sinks, beat longer.
- Fill the husks. Pat a husk dry and lay it smooth side up, wide end towards you. Spread about 3 tbsp of masa in a thin layer over the wide half, leaving a border at the sides. Add a spoonful of pork down the middle.
- Fold the tamales. Fold one long side over the filling, then the other, and fold the narrow end up underneath. Tie with a thin strip of husk if they will not stay closed.
- Steam the tamales. Stand the tamales upright, open end up, in a steamer basket over simmering water, cover with extra husks and a damp towel, then the lid. Steam for 75 to 90 minutes, topping up with boiling water as needed. They are done when the husk peels away cleanly from the masa.
- Rest and serve. Turn off the heat and leave the tamales covered for 15 minutes so the masa firms up. Serve in the husks, topped with crema, cotija and cilantro.
Make the filling a day ahead so tamale day is only about the masa and folding. Do not skip the float test, because under-whipped masa makes dense, heavy tamales. Season the masa until it tastes slightly too salty raw, since steaming softens the flavour. To check doneness, take one tamal out, let it rest 5 minutes and unwrap it: if the masa sticks to the husk, steam 15 minutes more. Cooked tamales keep 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer; re-steam them from frozen for about 25 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce tamales?
Say tah-MAH-lehs. The singular in Spanish is tamal (tah-MAHL), not tamale, though tamale is common in English.
How do I know when tamale masa is ready?
Drop a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water. If it floats, enough air has been beaten in and the masa is ready. If it sinks, beat it for a few more minutes and test again.
Can I make tamale masa without lard?
Yes. Vegetable shortening is the most common swap and also whips up light. Butter or oil can work, but the tamales will be denser and taste different.
How long do you steam tamales?
Usually 75 to 90 minutes in a covered steamer. They are ready when the husk peels away from the masa cleanly after the tamales rest for a few minutes.
Can I use masa harina instead of fresh masa?
Yes. This recipe uses masa harina mixed with warm broth. Look for one labelled for tamales, which is ground a little coarser. Fresh masa from a tortilleria needs less liquid.
Are tamales gluten-free?
Tamales made with corn masa are naturally gluten-free. Check that your masa harina, baking powder and stock are labelled gluten-free if you need to avoid gluten strictly.
