Discover Your Creative Kitchen AI Companion
Let our assistant inspire your next meal!
Simply provide a recipe idea or the ingredients you have, and ScrummyChef will instantly come up with a new recipe just for you.

Oaxacan Chicken Tamales

4.5
Save
Rate
Tap to rate
PREP TIME
60 min
COOKING TIME
105 min
TOTAL TIME
180 min
SERVINGS
36 servings
Dinner Mexican
Oaxacan Chicken Tamales
Ingredients
  • 11 ounces lard, divided
  • salt to taste
  • 9 cups masa harina
  • 1 cup warm chicken broth, divided
  • 3 fresh tomatillos, husks removed
  • 1 ancho chile pepper - stems, seeds, and veins removed
  • 1 mulato chile pepper - stems, seeds, and veins removed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 1 pinch crushed dried oregano
  • 1 pound shredded cooked chicken
  • 36 banana leaves, softened
Instructions
1
Combine the lard in a large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer until it reaches a smooth, creamy texture. Add salt to the mixture and continue beating for several minutes. Next, incorporate the masa harina into the bowl, blending it well until everything is fully combined.
2
Gradually add chicken broth to the mixture, a quarter cup at a time, beating continuously until the dough has achieved a smooth and workable consistency, similar to that of cookie dough. The total amount of broth added should be approximately three-quarters cup.
3
To verify the readiness of the dough, create a small ball and drop it into a glass of cold water. If the ball floats to the surface, the dough is ready; if not, continue beating it for a short while longer.
4
In a separate blender, combine tomatillos, ancho chile pepper, mulato chile pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency.
5
Heat the remaining lard in a skillet over low heat and cook the tomatillo sauce until it has thickened slightly, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and a small amount of the remaining chicken broth to the skillet, then continue cooking over low heat until the filling has thickened, about 10 minutes.
6
Using your hands or a spoon, spread a small amount of the dough mixture onto one banana leaf, filling it up to two-thirds of the way down and leaving a small border around the edges. Place one tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the dough mixture, then fold the sides of the banana leaf over one another. Fold the bottom edge of the leaf up over the seam, and tie it together with kitchen string using a knot. Repeat this process with the remaining banana leaves.
7
To cook the tamales, place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill it with water to just below the bottom of the insert. Bring the water to a boil, then carefully place the tamales with their open sides up into the steamer. Cook until the filling is heated through and separates from the leaf, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Let the tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving