🫔 Pork Tamales

Name: Pork Tamales
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 500 g masa harina (nixtamalised corn); 600 ml warm stock or water; 80 ml neutral oil; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking powder; 500 g pork shoulder; 300 ml red chili sauce; 18 dried corn husks

Origin: Mexico

460kcal

per serving · 200 g

230kcal

per 100 g

18 gProtein9 g / 100 g

20 gFat10 g / 100 g

52 gCarbs26 g / 100 g

Tamales are parcels of corn masa dough wrapped around a filling and steamed inside dried corn husks. This classic version is filled with tender shredded pork simmered in red chili sauce. The masa turns soft and fluffy while the filling stays juicy and gently spicy. They are unwrapped at the table and eaten warm, often at breakfast, holidays and family gatherings.

Diets

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

Not vegetarianbecause of: pork

Not veganbecause of: pork

Contains porkbecause of: pork

Not keto26 g carbs per 100 g

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.

What it is made of

corn masaporkchili saucecorn husk

Recipe

6 servings150 min

Ingredients

500 g masa harina (nixtamalised corn)
600 ml warm stock or water
80 ml neutral oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
500 g pork shoulder
300 ml red chili sauce
18 dried corn husks

Method

Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until pliable.
Simmer the pork in salted water for about 1.5 hours until tender, then shred it and mix with the chili sauce.
Beat the masa harina with oil, salt, baking powder and warm stock into a soft, spreadable dough.
Spread 2–3 tbsp of masa on each husk, add a spoonful of pork, fold the sides in and the bottom up.
Stand the tamales upright in a steamer and steam for 60–75 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the husk.

How to make it lighter

Trim visible fat from the pork before simmering to keep the filling leaner.
Use less oil in the masa: 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
Pair one or two tamales with a fresh salad or salsa instead of rice and beans.

History

Tamales date back to pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, where corn dough cooked in leaves was eaten long before the Spanish arrived. Pork became a common filling after the conquest, and today tamales are a festive staple across Mexico, especially around Christmas and Candelaria in early February.

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Similar dishes

Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →