Chicken and Vegetable Verde Tamales
Tamales are a time honored dish served in homes across Mexico and beyond for generations. For all celebrations including Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Christmas and family gatherings, the making of the tamales is just as much a tradition as eating them.
24 Tamales
1 hour, 45 minutes
1 hour, 30 minutes
4 hours
Ingredients
For Masa
- 36 corn husk
- ¾ cup pork lard or vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons chile ancho powder
- 3 cups masa harina, dried corn flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
For Chicken Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup carrots, finely diced
- 1 cup russet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup pickled jalapeño, minced
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1/3 cup vinegar from pickled jalapeños
- 2 (16 ounce) jars HERDEZ® Mild Salsa Verde
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons of cilantro
Directions
- In large storage container, place corn husks. Add hot water to completely cover; weighing down with a heavy bowl.
- In stand mixer, beat lard until smooth. Mix in salt and baking power. Gradually add masa harina and 3 cups chicken broth. Beat on low speed 5 minutes. Cover.
- In a deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil at medium. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes. and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for about 6 minutes.
- Mix in pickled jalapeño, chicken, vinegar from jalapeños, one jar of HERDEZ® Salsa Verde, chicken broth, cumin and cilantro. Bring up to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Taste for salt. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool completely.
Assemble Tamales:
- Shake off excess water from corn husk and transfer to a plate.
- Lay corn husks flat and spread 4 tablespoons of prepared corn masa, starting in the center and spreading out masa into a 3×3 square, leaving a little gap on each side of the corn husk.
- Next add 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken filling to the center, vertically. Fold in two sides as tightly as possible, then fold flap up. Transfer to stage container. Yield is 24 tamales.
- In steamer pot, fill bottom with water and add steamer insert. Arrange filled tamales, open side up. Cover tamales with remaining corn husk. Cover pot with lid and heat on high.
- When rapid steam appears, reduce heat to medium. Set timer for 45 minutes. Keep warm water ready to add.
- After 45 minutes, carefully remove lid from pot and add about 1 cup of the reserved warm water into steamer pot. Cover with lid and continue steaming for another 45 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat. Let tamales cool, allowing masa to set.