Tamales are a staple New Mexican food that you’ll find as part of many families’ holiday meals. There are many different ways to make them, and they are always so satisfying!
While there are store-bought options, nothing beats fresh, home-made tamales. The task may seem daunting, but here is a straightforward recipe to get you started. You may even be able to start a new family tradition! As with many things, your speed and technique will improve with practice, but these will taste good no matter how messy they look.
Yield 28-36 tamales, depending on preferred thickness.
Ingredients
- 4 cups corn flour (masa harina)
- 3-4 cups of broth or stock of your choice (you can also use the liquid leftover from cooking the meat; this liquid will be the base flavor for your masa)
- 1 tsp fine salt (regular table salt is fine)
- 1 cup oil (your choice, but I’ve used both vegetable oil and olive oil)
- corn husks (you can buy pre-softened ones, soak dry husks overnight in cold water, or soak dry husks in hot water until soft and pliable)
Directions
- Mix the corn flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Add the oil and about 2-3 cups of the broth. Mix to moisten the flour and let soak for about 15 minutes.
- Stir and add the rest of the broth until the masa reaches an easily spreadable consistency.
Lay a corn husk down on a flat surface (smooth side up) and spread a spoonful of masa as evenly as possible on a section of the husk.- Add a scoop of filling (more or less according to your preference and experience) in the center of the masa.
- Fold each side into the center one at a time, then fold in half from the bottom upwards.
- Set the folded tamales aside until you have enough to fill your pot. I use a large steamer pot.
- Time to fill the pot! Fill the bottom with water, just below the bottom of the steamer insert. Place the tamales in the pot, open side up. Cover with the lid.
Place the pot on the stove on high heat and steam for 1.5-2 hours (mine cooked in about 1 hour and 45 minutes). Make sure to check the water every 30 minutes or so to make sure it doesn’t dry out and refill as necessary.- The tamales are done when the masa easily peels away from the husk. If they’re still sticky, continue steaming until they peel easily. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before unwrapping.
- Repeat steps as necessary until you’ve used all of your ingredients, and enjoy your fresh home-made tamales!
A Note on Fillings:
There are endless ways to fill your tamales! For this batch, I used beef and made a kid-friendly, chili-free tamale. Here’s a quick rundown of my easy filling recipe.
Ingredients
- Beef roast
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 an onion
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
Directions
- Place beef roast into crockpot.
- Mix the minced garlic into the beef broth. Add to crockpot.
- Roughly chop half an onion and place on top of the roast.
- Cover and cook on low overnight.
- When done, shred and season with spices to taste.
This is a hands-on recipe that is great to make with the kids or as a family. I hope you have fun making memories and creating your own family staple food!
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