How to Make Real Homemade Tamales - A Step-by-Step Guide

Real homemade tamales are a labor of love that combines tradition, skill, and delicious flavors. These tender, flavorful bundles of masa dough filled with savory meat or vegetables have been a staple of Mexican cuisine for centuries. Tamales are often enjoyed during special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, or other celebrations, and are a beloved comfort food for many families.

Making tamales from scratch is a time-honored tradition that has been passed down through generations...

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Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ pounds pork loin
  • 1 large onion, halved
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 dried chile peppers
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 (8 ounce) package dried corn husks
  • ⅔ cup lard
  • 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth, or as needed
  • 2 cups masa harina
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour cream

Information

  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hrs
  • Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins
  • Servings: 16
  • Yield: 16 tamales

  • Make the filling: Place pork, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until pork is cooked through, about 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, make chile sauce: Use rubber gloves to remove stems and seeds from chiles. Place chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
  • Transfer chiles and cooking water to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain mixture into a bowl and stir in salt. Set aside.
  • Shred cooked pork and mix in 1 cup chile sauce. Reserve remaining sauce for serving.
  • Prepare husks and dough: Soak corn husks in a bowl of warm water until softened, about 30 minutes.
  • While the husks are soaking, beat lard with 1 tablespoon broth until fluffy. Combine masa harina, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into the lard mixture, adding more broth as needed to form a spongy dough.
  • Remove husks from water and pat dry. Spread dough out over husks to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick.
  • Place 1 tablespoon pork filling over center of each. Fold the sides, top, and bottom of each husk in toward the center to enclose dough.
  • Arrange tamales in a steamer basket. Place over simmering water and steam for 1 hour.
  • Remove tamales from husks. Drizzle with remaining chile sauce and top with sour cream, or mix sour cream into chile sauce first for a creamy sauce.
  • Nutrition

    246 cal.

    • Total Fat: 15g
    • Saturated Fat: 6g
    • Cholesterol: 45mg
    • Sodium: 387mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 16g
    • Dietary Fiber: 2g
    • Total Sugars: 2g
    • Protein: 12g
    • Vitamin C: 1mg
    • Calcium: 61mg
    • Iron: 2mg
    • Potassium: 242mg