Tamales are old (in a good way), dating back to before the Aztecs ruled central America. Their inception also dates back to before the domestication of the corn in which they’re wrapped. While the filling is a flexible and adaptable component, the outside of tamales has stood the test of time. It is corn masa (dough) wrapped and steamed inside a corn husk (sometimes banana leaves). Warning: making tamales can be a lot of work! Especially for a first-timer. Be patient, and be prepared to make a few mistakes along the way. They’ll be well-worth the reward. 

Where the Word Tamale Comes From

The name came to Spanish from Nahuatl, the most widely spoken language of the Aztec Empire. There are a ton of other common Spanish words of Nahuatl origins, as well. In Nahuatl many of these words end in the suffix -tl, which changes to a -te in Spanish (think xocolātl versus chocolate). Most of these words also translate directly to English. Here are a few other Spanish words of Nahuatl origin:

• tomate - tomato

• tequila - tequila

• guacamole - guacamole

• coyote - coyote

• chocolate - chocolate

However, the word tamale is not universal. It is still referred to by different names in the many languages that are spoken in Central America. In Mayan, they are called uah. In Veracruz, they are called zacahuil.  in the Yucatan, they are called pibs. In Venezuela, they are called hallaquitas, while in the rest of South America, they are often called humitas. The variation in name speaks to the linguistic diversity of Latin America as a whole. For more history about Tamales check out this fascinating write-up on history.com.

If you missed out on our Instagram LIVE workshop in collaboration with Time Out New York that shows you step-by-step how to make tamales, no worries! You’re in for a treat, courtesy of our guest chefs Antonio and Ananda from @listo.vamos.

The Chefs: Antonio and Anada

“We are Antonio from Mexico City and Ananda from Rio de Janeiro. We travel and cook all around the world, vlogging and sharing all our trips, recipes, destinations, and best tips so you can travel and cook along with us from home... or if you are into the road, you can replicate our itinerary. We want to meet you and cook with you at your place #NextCityKitchen. You can find our Spanish speaking channel on YouTube and follow us on Instagram with more content also in Portuguese.”

En Español: Somos Antonio de la Ciudad de México y Ananda de Rio de Janeiro. Nosotros viajamos y cocinamos por el mundo. De paso, te mostramos todo en video: las recetas, los destinos y nuestras recomendaciones para que cocines o viajes con nosotros desde casa o si te animas puedas replicar las aventuras. Queremos conocerte y cocinar contigo en tu ciudad #NextCityKitchen  Encuentranos nuestro canal en español en YouTube y contenido adicional en portugués y en español en nuestro Instagram

Tamale Recipes

For Meat Eaters: Tamales Verde de Pollo (Chicken Tamales Verdes)

Rendimiento (Yield): 12 tamales, Tiempo de preparación (Preparation time): 25 minutes, Tiempo de cocción (Cooking time): 30 minutes

Ingredients for the Masa (Dough):

• 1 cup lard

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp salt

• 1 kilo corn masa flour (tamale insta masa flour)

• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock or water

  Prepare the Masa:

• Mix lard, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; whisk until lard turns white and fluffy.

• Add the flour and 1 cup of stock; beat until dough comes together.

• If dough is too dry add more stock until it looks smooth and shiny.

• Knead for 4 minutes. If masa doesn’t stick in the palm of your hand dough is ready.

Ingredients for the Relleno (Filling):

• 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

• 6 large tomatillos, husk removed, rinsed

• ½ white onion

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 3 jalapenos, seeded and halved

• 1 poblano chile, seeded and sliced

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt and ground black pepper

• ¼ tsp dry oregano

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 2 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

  Prepare the Relleno:

• Toss tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeños and poblano chile in a bowl with olive oil.

• Place them into a pan over medium heat and cook until the vegetables are soft and browned.

• Transfer to your blender, add salt, pepper, oregano and cumin. Purée until smooth.

• Put the green onions and chicken breast in the same bowl and pour the sauce over; mix well to incorporate.

The Armado (Assembly):

• Use 16 dry corn husks, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes; 12 for tamales, 4 for cooking

• Working one at a time, place husk on a clean surface and gently stretch out wide end. Arrange husk so wide end is close to you. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of masa about 4” from the bottom. Using the back of a spoon spread masa in a thin, even layer, covering width of husk and going about 5” up the sides Keeping wide end closest to you, place 3 tablespoons of cold chicken filling in the center of masa, forming a long that runs down the center.

• Fold 1 side of husk over filling, then fold other side over to cover. Holding tamale seam side up, fold narrow, pointed end of husk away from you and tuck under tamale. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining masa and husks.

• You are going to use a steamer pot to cook the tamales. Line bottom of the steamer insert with husk scraps and add enough water (about 3 cups) into pot carefully not to let the water touch the steamer insert. Arrange tamales at the center of the steamer insert, with the hole toward, and place it into pot.

• Bring liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low. Cover pot and simmer tamales, adding more hot water as needed to keep some liquid in the pot; about 30 minutes.

• Remove 1 tamale, let cool a couple of minutes, remove a little portion of folded husks; if masa sticks to husk, it’s not ready. If is easily removed, your tamales are fully cooked.

• Remove from heat and let sit undercover 10 minutes.

• You can serve tamales with salsa, cream and fresh cilantro.

  * TIP To add more flavor to dough you can reserve and then add ¼ of the salsa verde, reducing the amount of liquid added to dough.

For Vegans: Tamales veganos dulces y salados
(Vegan tamales, sweet and savory)

Rendimiento (Yield) 6 tamales de tu elección: 6 tamales of your choice, Tiempo de preparación (Preparation time): 25 minutes, Tiempo de cocción (Cooking time): 30 minutes

Ingredients for the Masa (Dough):

• 220g shortening

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 pinch of salt

• 500g fresh corn masa for tamales

• 1 cup amaranth or oats flour (optional)

• 1/4 - 1/2 cup of water or vegetable stock if you are making only savory tamales

• (For sweet tamales): 2/3 cup of refined sugar

  Receta básica de masa para tamales veganos (Standard plain vegan tamale dough)

• Mix shortening, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; whisk until lard turns white and fluffy.

• Add fresh corn masa, amaranth flour if used (it’s going to enrich the dough with good source protein) and ¼ cup liquid. Knead for about
  4 minutes until dough comes together.

• If dough is too dry add more stock until it looks smooth and shiny. If masa doesn’t stick in the palm of your hand dough is ready.

  Masa para tamales dulces veganos (Sweet vegan tamale dough)

• Follow the same instruction to make the dough but add sugar into the shortening mix.

Relleno Para Tamales Salados (Filling for Savory Tamales):

• 1 cup of salsa verde

• 200g sautéed mushrooms (whichever kind of mushrooms you prefer)

• 1 green onion, sliced (white and green parts)

Relleno Para Tamales Dulces (Filling for Sweet Tamales):

• 1 cup of fresh fruit like pineapple, apples, pear, peach: chopped

• 1 cup of dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, blueberries, golden berries or nuts

The Armado (Assembly):

• 10 dry corn husks, soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes (6mins for tamales, 4mins for cooking).

• Whether you choose to make savory, sweet or both types of tamales, mix all the ingredients for each flavor into a bowl and follow the next steps

• Working one at a time, place husk on a clean surface and gently stretch out wide end. Arrange husk so wide end is close to you. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of masa about 4” from the bottom. Using the back of a spoon spread masa in a thin, even layer, covering width of husk and going about 5” up the sides. Keeping wide end closest to you, place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of masa, forming a line the runs down the center.

• Fold 1 side of husk over filling, then fold other side over to cover. Holding tamale seam side up, fold narrow, pointed end of husk away from you and tuck under tamale. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining masa and husks.

• Use a steamer pot to cook the tamales. Line bottom of the steamer then insert the husk scraps.

• Add enough water (about 3 cups) into pot carefully not to let the water touch the steamer insert.

• Arrange tamales at the center of the steamer insert and place into pot. Bring liquid to a boil over hight heat, then reduce to medium low. Cover pot and simmer tamales, adding more broth as needed to keep some liquid in the pot; about 30 minutes.

• Remove 1 tamale, let cool for a few minutes, remove a little portion of folded husks. If masa sticks to the husk, it’s not ready. If it is easily removed, your tamales are fully cooked.

• Remove from heat and let sit covered for 20 minutes.

  *TIP - to add more flavor to the dough, you can reserve and then add 1/4 of the salsa verde, reducing the amount of liquid added to the dough.

Buen Provecho!

We hope you enjoy these delicious and authentic Tamale recipes! Don’t forget to share your handmade creations with us by emailing your photos to info@jplinguistics.com or by sending us a DM on our @JPLinguistics Instagram account. We will share our favorites with the community with a shoutout to you. Special thanks to Antonio and Anada from @Listo.vamos for sharing these incredible recipes with our community. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to follow them on Instagram for more delicious recipes and travel adventures! If you’re looking to brush up on your Spanish Language Skills, be sure to check out our Spanish Online Group Classes and Private Lessons, all taught by Native Instructors.