The colder seasons bring colorful leafs, holiday cheer, and of course the opportunity to make some nice hot tamales! However, don't be fooled because you can make a big batch, freeze them, then enjoy them throughout the year!

So get your hoya ready because today you will learn how to make tamales! This tamales recipe shows you how to make red beef tamales and green chicken tamales.

If you're ready to learn how to make tamales you can either watch my video below or keep on reading for a straightforward yummy tamales recipe!

Note. In my recipe video I made only one batch of masa and had about half the amount of both meats leftover. If you're making both tamales double the masa recipe or cut the meat recipes in half. Otherwise one batch of masa should be sufficient for either the beef OR the chicken recipe.

Beef Tamale Recipe

How To Cook The Beef

• 3lbs Beef Chuck
• 1/4 Onion Chunk
• 4 Whole Garlic Cloves
• Salt & Pepper

1. Add all the contents to a large pot and cover with water. Let it reach a boil then slightly close with a lid and allow it to simmer on medium-low heat for 2 hours or until very soft and tender.

Optional

Peel and chop 2-3 potatoes into cubes.

Prepare Red Salsa & Beef Mixture

• 6 Tomatoes
• 4 California Chiles
• 3 Pasilla Chiles (substitute ancho or guajillo)
• 4-8 Chiles de Arbol (depending on how spicy you like them)
• 2 Whole Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• Salt to taste
• Water
• Beef Broth *Optional

1. Remove stems and seeds from the chiles California and pasilla chiles.
2. Place peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in a pot fill with water just enough to cover the contents. Boil on low-medium heat with a lid slightly covering until tomatoes are soft when poked with a fork. About 15 minutes.
3. Blend tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cumin, salt, with some of the pepper juice. You can also add beef broth (but be sure to save broth for the masa). Give it a small pour of the juice and add more if needed after blending and tasting.
4. Pour 1 tbsp of oil to a pan over medium-low heat. Once hot add red salsa and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. Mix in shredded beef and optional cubed potatoes. Turn Off.

Green Chicken Tamales

How To Cook The Chicken

• 3-4 Pieces Of Chicken (I used chicken breasts and thighs)
• 1/4 onion
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• Small Handful Cilantro
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

1. Boil chicken with onion, cilantro, and salt/pepper until soft. About 2 hours.

Prepare Green Salsa

• 14 tomatillos (I used 3 salsa verde cans because I couldn't find tomatillos)
• 1 Small Tomato
• Small Piece Of Onion
• 1 Garlic
• 3 Serrano Peppers
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• Salt To Taste
• Water

1. Boil the tomatillos, tomatoe, garlic, and serrano peppers with water just enough to cover the them until tomatillos softened.
2. Blend with some of the pepper juice water and add cumin, cilantro, and salt & pepper to taste.
3. Pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil on a pan over medium-low heat and once hot pour in green salsa and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add shredded chicken. You do not need to add all the chicken. Adding too much can dry up the mixture.

Prepare Corn Husks

Soak corn husks in a large bowl, pot, or sink for 40 minutes. Then rinse them out.

Prepare Masa

• 5 cups masa flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups shortening
• 3-4 1/2 Cups Beef broth

1. Mix masa flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening and distribute evenly with fingers until it looks crumbly.
3. Add in small amounts of lukewarm broth until it reaches a soft smooth consistency.*

*If you leave masa out throughout the preparation and it drys out, add more broth before preparing tamales.

Put Together Tamales

1. Cut strips of a corn husks to use to tie tamales. Fill bottom of steamer pot with water.
2. Spread a layer of masa on upper half of corn husk.
3. Pour some meat mixture in the middle.
4. Fold over one half of the corn husks, fold over the other half, then fold up the bottom half of the corn husks.
5. Tie a strip of corn husks and stand up on steamer pot.
6. Continue on until all tamales are prepared.

Cook Tamales

1. Cover tamales with empty corn husks, cover with lid, and steam tamales over low-medium heat for 3-4 hours until fully cooked.
2. You will know they're cooked when masa doesn't look mushy and is not stuck to the corn husks.

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Print Recipe

Red Beef Tamales/Green Chicken Tamales

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Mexican

Prep Time

40 minutes

Cook Time

6 Hours

Servings

Tamales

Ingredients

Beef

• 3 Pounds Beef Chuck
• 1/4 Onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

Red Salsa

• 6 Tomatoes
• 4 California Chiles
• 3 Pasilla Chiles Substitute Ancho or Guajillo
• 4-8 Chiles de Arbol Depending on how spicy you want
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• Salt & Pepper To Taste
• water Optional Beef Broth
• 1 TBSP Cooking Oil

Chicken

• 3-4 Chicken Pieces I used chicken breast and thighs
• 1/4 Onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• Small Handful Cilantro
• Salt & Pepper To Taste

Green Salsa

• 14 tomatillos (I used 3 salsa verde cans because I couldn't find tomatillos)
• 1 Small Tomato
• Small Of Onion
• 1 garlic
• 3 Serrano Peppers
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• Salt To Taste
• water

Masa (ingredients for only beef 0R chicken tamales. Double recipe if you're making both type of tamales)

• 5 Cups Masa Flour
• 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 Cups Shortening
• 3-4 1/2 Cups Beef Broth from cooked beef above
• Corn Husks

Course Main Dish Cuisine Mexican Prep Time 40 minutes Cook Time 6 Hours Servings Tamales Ingredients Beef 3 Pounds Beef Chuck 1/4 Onion 4 garlic cloves Salt & Pepper To Taste Red Salsa 6 Tomatoes 4 California Chiles 3 Pasilla Chiles Substitute Ancho or Guajillo 4-8 Chiles de Arbol Depending on how spicy you want 2 garlic cloves 1/2 Tsp Cumin Salt & Pepper To Taste water Optional Beef Broth 1 TBSP Cooking Oil Chicken 3-4 Chicken Pieces I used chicken breast and thighs 1/4 Onion 4 garlic cloves Small Handful Cilantro Salt & Pepper To Taste Green Salsa 14 tomatillos (I used 3 salsa verde cans because I couldn't find tomatillos) 1 Small Tomato Small Of Onion 1 garlic 3 Serrano Peppers 1/2 Tsp Cumin Salt To Taste water Masa (ingredients for only beef 0R chicken tamales. Double recipe if you're making both type of tamales) 5 Cups Masa Flour 2 Tbsp Baking Powder 1 1/2 Cups Shortening 3-4 1/2 Cups Beef Broth from cooked beef above Corn Husks

Instructions

Cook Beef

1. Add all the contents to a large pot and cover with water. Let it reach a boil then slightly close with a lid and allow it to simmer on medium-low heat for 2 hours or until very soft and tender.

Prepare Red Salsa

1. Remove stems and seeds from the chiles California and pasilla chiles.
2. Place peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in a pot fill with water just enough to cover the contents. Boil on low-medium heat with a lid slightly covering until tomatoes are soft when poked with a fork. About 15 minutes.
3. Blend tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cumin, salt, with some of the pepper juice. You can also add beef broth (but be sure to save broth for the masa). Give it a small pour of the juice and add more if needed after blending and tasting.
4. Pour 1 tbsp of oil to a pan over medium-low heat. Once hot add red salsa and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. Mix in shredded beef and optional cubed potatoes. Turn Off.

Cook Chicken

1. Boil chicken with onion, cilantro, and salt/pepper until soft. About 2 hours.

Prepare Green Salsa

1. Boil the tomatillos, tomato, garlic, and serrano peppers with water just enough to cover the them until tomatillos softened.
2. Blend with some of the pepper juice water and add cumin, cilantro, and salt & pepper to taste.
3. Pour 1 tbsp of cooking oil on a pan over medium-low heat and once hot pour in green salsa and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add shredded chicken. You do not need to add all the chicken. Adding too much can dry up the mixture. Turn off.

Masa

1. Mix masa flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening and distribute evenly with fingers until it looks crumbly.
3. Add in small amounts of lukewarm broth until it reaches a soft smooth consistency.*

Corn Husks

1. Soak corn husks in warm water for 40 minutes.

Prepare/Cook Tamales

1. Cut strips of a corn husks to use to tie tamales. Fill bottom of steamer pot with water.
2. Spread a layer of masa on upper half of corn husk.
3. Pour some meat mixture in the middle.
4. Fold over one half of the corn husks, fold over the other half, then fold up the bottom half of the corn husks. Tie a strip of corn husks and stand up on steamer pot. Continue on until all tamales are prepared.
5. Cover tamales with empty corn husks, cover with lid, and steam tamales over low-medium heat for 3-4 hours until fully cooked. You will know they're cooked when masa doesn't look mushy and is not stuck to the corn husks.