Description
This traditional Mexican tamales recipe guides you through making classic pork-filled tamales with a rich, flavorful chile sauce and a soft, fluffy masa dough. Using pork shoulder simmered until tender, dried chiles for a smoky sauce, and masa mixed with lard for the perfect texture, these tamales are steamed to perfection, producing approximately 40-50 tamales ideal for celebrations or family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Broth
- 3–4 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in (or 2½–3 pounds boneless)
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 6 cups reserved pork broth (or chicken broth)
Chiles and Seasonings
- 6 dried guajillo chiles
- 4 dried ancho chiles
- 1–2 dried pasilla chiles
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- Fine sea salt, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
Masa Dough
- 4 cups (480g) Maseca Para Tamal
- 2 cups lard
- 4½–5 cups warm pork broth
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Additional
- 40–50 dried corn husks
- Hot water for soaking corn husks and chiles
Instructions
- Soak Corn Husks. Place the dried corn husks in a large bowl and cover them with very hot water. Weigh them down with a plate and let soak for 30–60 minutes until pliable. Drain and pat dry, reserving the largest husks for wrapping the tamales.
- Cook Pork. In a large pot, add the pork shoulder, quartered onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons fine sea salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1½ to 2 hours until the pork is very tender. Remove pork and let cool slightly; reserve at least 6 cups of the broth. Shred the pork finely.
- Prepare Chiles. Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Lightly toast them in a dry skillet, about 10–15 seconds per side, until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes.
- Make Chile Sauce. Drain soaked chiles and add them to a blender with ground cumin, Mexican oregano, paprika, 1½–2 cups warm pork broth, and optionally the cooked onion and garlic from the pork pot. Blend until very smooth and strain for a silky texture. Taste and adjust salt generously (about 2 teaspoons fine sea salt).
- Simmer Sauce with Pork. Heat 1 tablespoon of lard in the empty pot over medium heat. Add the chile sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the shredded pork, and mix until the pork is thoroughly coated. The filling should be thick and juicy but not soupy. Set aside to cool.
- Whip Lard. Place the 2 cups of lard in a stand mixer and whip on medium-high speed for 4–6 minutes until pale, fluffy, and airy.
- Mix Dry Masa Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Maseca Para Tamal, 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- Combine Masa Dough. With the mixer running on low, alternate adding spoonfuls of the dry masa mixture and splashes of warm pork broth. Use between 4½–5 cups broth total, stopping when the masa is soft, creamy, spreadable, and similar in texture to soft hummus. Increase mixer speed briefly to lighten the texture.
- Rest Masa Dough. Let the masa rest for 20–30 minutes to hydrate fully. If it thickens, add a splash of warm broth and whip briefly to loosen.
- Test Masa Floatation. Drop a pea-sized ball of masa into cold water. If it floats, the dough is ready. If it sinks, add more lard or broth and mix again.
- Assemble Tamales. Lay a softened corn husk smooth-side up. Spread about 3 tablespoons of masa into a ¼-inch layer in the middle, leaving ¼-inch space at the bottom. Add 2 tablespoons of pork filling down the center. Fold the husk sides so masa edges meet, fold up the bottom flap, leave the top open, and tie with a husk strip if desired. Repeat for remaining tamales.
- Prepare Steamer. Line the bottom of a steamer with a few husks and add water just below the insert level.
- Steam Tamales. Stand tamales upright with open ends facing up. For stovetop steaming, cook for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, adding water as necessary. For Instant Pot steaming (vent open), steam for 50–60 minutes, preheating water on Sauté recommended.
- Check Doneness. Tamales are done when the husk peels away cleanly and the masa is set and no longer sticky. If needed, steam an additional 10–15 minutes.
- Rest and Serve. Let the tamales rest off heat for 10–15 minutes so the masa firms and fluffs. Serve warm with extra red chile sauce.
Notes
- Soaking corn husks is essential to make them pliable and prevent breaking during wrapping.
- Removing stems and seeds from the chiles ensures a smooth sauce without bitterness.
- Whipping the lard creates a lighter masa texture, helping tamales stay fluffy.
- The masa float test is a traditional way to check if the dough is ready for steaming.
- Steaming times vary slightly depending on the steamer size and tamale thickness; always check for set masa.
- If you do not have pork broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth can be used as alternatives.
- Leftover tamales can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
