Have you ever wanted to know how to make tamales? It's easier than you might think, especially when you use quality ingredients like HERDEZ® sauces and chiles. Today I am sharing TWO tamale recipes: Green Chile Easy Chicken Tamales and Red Pork Tamales.
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We celebrate Las Posadas loosely in my family. We make food and visit and share stories but there is no formal pattern that we follow. There's a nativity scene, tamales, and capirotada but I think it is the distance that has made the celebration more of something that we do as we can get together, not according to a strict schedule. This is why tamales are such a common dish for us at this time of year. They're easy to heat and serve no matter what time of day family comes over. And who doesn't like to go home with a bag of fresh tamales after visiting grandma?
The first part of our tradition centers around making the tamales together. The family comes together, usually at my mom's house, and we make tamales, talk, share stories, and snack. The process is like a quilting bee in the kitchen! We set up a spread with all the supplies needed for making tamales – fresh prepared masa, pork and red chile, chicken and greem chile, spoons, soaked corn husks, and a large bowl to place the finished tamales in. Then everyone gathers around and makes tamales while talking and sharing.
Preparing the Corn Husks for Tamales
The prep for tamales starts usually the night before. First we soak the corn husks in water to soften them. You can find dry corn husks at the local grocery store.
Be sure to wash them (sometimes they have bugs in them) and then soak them completely under water.
We put ours in a large pot and then weigh them down with a plate to keep them under water. The water softens the corns husks so they can be bent to wrap the tamale. Soak until pliable, at least an hour.
Click the NEXT BUTTON to see how to prepare the meat and fill the tamales:
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Nothing says Christmas like tamales! It took a few years, but my sister and I finally perfected the process that we learned from my dad and my grandma. The family gets together, and it’s the entire experience that means the most.
I have always made green tamales using Herdez. It’s bomb.
I can only imagine these are amazing I loved reading your post
come read one of ours at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
I LOVE tamales but Jacob doesn’t and I always thought they were so hard to make. This made it look so easy I am going to try it for sure maybe next week so I can freeze them and have them anytime I want. Thanks for the amazing recipes!
I’d love to know how they come out!
I have a instant pot can this be achieved by using it? I love tamales.. never have I made any.but love them!!.
I think you’d have to do some adjusting – I don’t have an Instant Pot but from what I read, you can probably do it!
My friend just shared this on FB and I am sooo excited. I love tamales, can’t find any good ones locally, and thought they were too hard to make. I am looking forward to trying your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Oh good!! yes, the trick it to make the masa thin in the corn husk 🙂 They’re better that way!! Let me know how they turn out 🙂
I want to try to make them. But was wondering Can you freeze them?
Yeah, totally! Put them in a freezer bag once they are cool, get all the air out, and then put in the freezer.
when i order tamales at the Mexican Restaurant, they always come with a red “gravy” or some kind of sauce on them. What is that? Chili?
thanks for your easy to follow tutorial. I have my pork in the crockpot ready to try my first tamale attempt. Wish me luck!!
Yes, it’s like a chile or chili sauce 🙂
Do you buy the chili sauce in a can or do I make it from scratch. Do u have a recipe? I’m having trouble keeping my hubby out of the pork. Your recipe is so delicious!
LOL too funny! Okay you can use a can of chili beans if you like or chile rojo in a can. I’d add some extra spices and stuff to it. Or even the Herdez salsas or chiles I shared above – those would all work.
How many dozen does the meat mixtures yield?
It depends on how thick you make the tamales.
Good morning…
Do I freeze the tamales before or after I steam them?
Thanks…Lisa
It looks like you are NOT putting the red chili enchilada sauce in the crockpot while you are cooking the pork. Are you adding the red chili enchilada sauce to the COOKED pork after it comes out of the crockpot but before you start to assemble your tamales to make sure they are super juicy?
Wondering if water only goes in the cup in the steam pot like recipe shows or in the bottom of the whole pot? Please let me know as my daughter and I will be making this come December! Thanx for this recipe!
You can put a little water in the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking but you don’t want much because it can make the tamales soggy. Let me know how they turn out!
Ooooh I Will! Thank you
My mom and I plan on trying these out next week! It will be our first attempt ever at tamales 😊 About how many tamales do you get from each kind of meat?
It depends on how thick you make the masa and how much meat you put in each tamale. Typically we get about 3 dozen tamales from one “batch”.
So I’m cooking the chicken recipe. Do you shread it with the salsa liquid mix then assemble, or take chicken out and shread and assemble?
Yum! I love Tamales! Your recipe looks great. I learned to make Tamales after we moved to New Mexico. Last year I bought a Masa Spreader and it was the best thing ever! Makes spreading all that masa so much faster. I’ve never tried the premade salsas for tamales. They look good, I’ll have to give them a try! Thanks for the recipe!
Sorry but how do you make or where do you get masa.