Homemade Chicken Tamales

These homemade tamales are stuffed with tender, spiced shredded chicken and melty cheese, wrapped in soft masa and corn husks, then steamed until fluffy. Top them with a quick homemade red sauce for a from-scratch Mexican favorite worth the effort.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword tamales

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 3

Total Time 4

Servings servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Jason Decker

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
2 tomatoes quartered
2 stalks celery cut in large chunks
2 carrots cut in large chunks
2 limes skin removed, halved
1/2 bunch cilantro roughly chopped
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 small can tomato sauce
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 onion large chopped
3 tablespoons paprika divided
3 tablespoons ground cumin divided
8 ounces Colby jack cheese shredded
masa harina prepared per package directions
corn husks soaked
1 tablespoon cornstarch for the sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the whole chicken in a large pot with the tomatoes, celery, carrots, limes, cilantro, peppercorns, tomato sauce, bay leaves, onion, 2 tablespoons paprika, and 2 tablespoons cumin. Cover with water and simmer about 2 hours.
Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool. Strain the remaining ingredients, keeping the tomatoes and saving all of the cooking liquid to cool.
Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred all of the meat. Mix it with 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, the shredded Colby jack cheese, 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid, and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the masa dough according to the package directions, using the reserved cooking liquid in place of water or stock. Add a little extra masa harina if needed so it is soft but not runny.
Soak the corn husks in warm water for about an hour until pliable.
Spread a 1/4 inch thick layer of masa on each husk, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling, and wrap so the masa fully covers the filling. Repeat until everything is used up.
Place the wrapped tamales upright in a steamer and steam for 1 hour. Remove them carefully with tongs, as they will be very hot.
Boil the remaining reserved liquid with the saved tomatoes until reduced by about two-thirds. Blend smooth with an immersion blender, season with extra paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper, and thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
Unwrap the tamales and serve them hot with the red sauce spooned over the top.

Notes

Soak the corn husks in warm water for at least an hour so they are pliable and easy to fold.
The masa should be soft and spreadable; if it seems dry, add a little more of the reserved chicken stock.
Spread the masa in a thin, even layer so the filling stays wrapped and the tamales cook through evenly.
Tamales freeze beautifully. Reheat from frozen in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes, or re-steam until hot.
Use the reserved cooking liquid for both the masa and the sauce; it is packed with flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal