Traditional Mexican Dishes
The best recipe for Mexican-style tamales
Prepare green chicken tamales in the Mexican style, with soft and spongy dough, juicy filling, and homemade green sauce made from tomatillo and serrano pepper. A traditional recipe to share at breakfasts, gatherings, and celebrations.
These green tamales combine tender steamed dough with chicken in green sauce. The preparation includes tips for correctly hydrating the leaves, aerating the lard, and achieving a light texture.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓12 large dry corn husks
- ✓4 cups of nixtamalized corn dough for tamales
- ✓1 1/2 cups of warm chicken broth
- ✓180 g of pork lard at room temperature
- ✓1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ✓1 teaspoon of salt
- ✓350 g of cooked and shredded chicken breast
- ✓3/4 cup of green sauce
- ✓8 green tomatillos
- ✓2 serrano peppers
- ✓1/4 of a white onion
- ✓1 clove of garlic
- ✓1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of salt for the sauce
- ✓1/2 cup of water
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Place the corn husks in a large container, cover them with hot water and let them rest for 30 minutes.
Place the corn husks in a large container, cover them with hot water and let them rest for 30 minutes. Put a plate on top to keep them submerged. When they are flexible, rinse them and dry them lightly with a clean cloth.
- 02
Remove the skin from the tomatillos, wash them and place them in a pot with the serrano peppers, onion, and garlic.
Remove the skin from the tomatillos, wash them and place them in a pot with the serrano peppers, onion, and garlic. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tomatillos are soft and have a duller green color.
- 03
Blend the cooked tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic with the cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, until you get a smooth sauce.
Blend the cooked tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic with the cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, until you get a smooth sauce. To reduce the spiciness, remove the seeds from the serrano peppers before cooking them.
- 04
Pour the sauce into a saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Pour the sauce into a saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the shredded chicken, mix and turn off the heat. Reserve the filling, making sure it is juicy but not liquid.
- 05
Beat the pork lard for several minutes, until it looks clearer and more aerated.
Beat the pork lard for several minutes, until it looks clearer and more aerated. Add the corn dough, baking powder, and salt.
- 06
Gradually incorporate the warm chicken broth while kneading, until you get a smooth, moist, and slightly spongy mixture.
Gradually incorporate the warm chicken broth while kneading, until you get a smooth, moist, and slightly spongy mixture. If the dough dries out and cracks, add one or two more tablespoons of broth. If it becomes too liquid, knead for a few more minutes and, if necessary, incorporate a small amount of additional dough.
- 07
Check the texture by placing a teaspoon of dough in a glass with water.
Check the texture by placing a teaspoon of dough in a glass with water. If it floats, it is ready; if it sinks, beat or knead for a few more minutes.
- 08
Prepare a steamer with water without the level reaching the grill.
Prepare a steamer with water without the level reaching the grill. Place some corn husks on the bottom to prevent the steam from hitting the tamales directly.
- 09
Take a husk with the smooth side up and place in the center, near the wide part, approximately 2 tablespoons of dough.
Take a husk with the smooth side up and place in the center, near the wide part, approximately 2 tablespoons of dough. Spread it out in a thin rectangle, leaving the edges and tip free.
- 10
Add 1 tablespoon of chicken in green sauce in the center of the dough.
Add 1 tablespoon of chicken in green sauce in the center of the dough. Fold the sides of the husk towards the center to cover the filling and fold the narrow part upwards. Do not press the tamale too much, because the dough needs space to expand.
- 11
Place the tamales upright in the steamer, with the folded part facing down and the opening facing up.
Place the tamales upright in the steamer, with the folded part facing down and the opening facing up. Arrange them together, but without crushing them. Cover the top with damp corn husks and cover the steamer.
- 12
Cook over medium heat for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Cook over medium heat for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Occasionally check that the pot has hot water and, if necessary, add more water from one side, without directly wetting the tamales.
- 13
Check that they are ready when the dough comes off easily from the husk.
Check that they are ready when the dough comes off easily from the husk. Turn off the heat and let the tamales rest for 10 minutes. If the dough still sticks a lot, cover and cook for 15 minutes more.
- 14
Serve the tamales hot, freshly opened, with green sauce.
Serve the tamales hot, freshly opened, with green sauce. You can accompany them with coffee, atole or another hot drink.
- Hydrate the corn husks well so they are flexible and do not break.
- Beat the lard before incorporating it into the dough to help the tamales be light and spongy.
- Do not overfill the tamales: the dough increases in volume during cooking.
- If you use nixtamalized corn dough from a tortilleria, adjust the broth gradually according to the texture.
- For a less spicy flavor, remove the seeds from the serrano peppers.
- The filling should be juicy but not liquid, so the tamales can be closed correctly.
- If a husk is broken, use another one on the outside to reinforce it.