Recipe for Yucatecan Tamales

Yucatecan tamales are one of the most authentic and festive expressions of the peninsula's cuisine, setting them apart from tamales in the rest of the country due to their preparation and flavor. Instead of corn husks, they're wrapped in banana leaves, which gives them an unmistakable aroma and taste.

More than a simple dish, tamales in Yucatán are a symbol of celebration and family unity. It's customary to prepare them in large quantities for parties, baptisms, and especially for the Janal Pixan (Day of the Dead) offering, where the monumental mukbilpollo or pib is the star. Whether it's the small vaporcitos, the smooth tamal colado, or the majestic pib, each type of tamal is a testament to the region's cultural richness and deep-rooted culinary traditions, a delicacy that brings the community together around the table.

No matter how they're cooked, tamales are wrapped in banana leaves and filled with whatever you can imagine: chicken, ground meat, eggs, chaya, cheese, pork rinds, etc. Here's a recipe for preparing delicious chicken tamales.

Yucatecan Tamal Recipe

Ingredients for the Dough

• 2 kg (about 4.4 lbs) nixtamalized corn dough for tortillas
• Cheesecloth
• 3 ½ cups (750 g) lard
• Salt

Ingredients for the Filling

• 1 large chicken
• 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) pork skirt meat, cut into pieces
• 2 kg (about 4.4 lbs) roasted tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 500 g (about 1.1 lbs) onion
• 1 head of garlic
• Epazote
• 200 g achiote paste, diluted in ½ cup of water
• 250 g of corn dough for the k'ool (sauce base)
• 1 pack of banana leaves
• Pepper
• Salt
• 2 habanero chilies, roasted, deveined, and chopped (optional)

Instructions for the Basic Dough

1. Dissolve the corn dough in 8 cups of cold water and strain it through a cheesecloth placed over a large strainer.
2. In a deep saucepan, combine the strained dough with the lard and salt.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 30 minutes, or until you can see the bottom of the pot.

Instructions for the Filling

1. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the chicken and pork along with 4 of the tomatoes, the onions, garlic, 2 sprigs of epazote, the achiote, 1 tablespoon of lard, salt, and pepper.
2. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it. Leave the rest of the ingredients on the heat until the pork is cooked through.
3. Remove the pork and strain the broth. Place the broth in a large saucepan and add the k'ool.
4. To prepare the k'ool, dissolve the 250 g of corn dough in cold water until you get a thick mixture.

Instructions for Assembling the Tamales

1. Cut the roasted banana leaves into squares of approximately 30 cm by 30 cm (about 12 inches by 12 inches).
2. Spread a large spoonful of dough in the center of each leaf.
3. Place a piece of chicken (or whatever you'd like for a filling), a piece of tomato, and a small epazote leaf on top.
4. If you want it spicy, add a bit of the chopped habanero chili.
5. Form the tamales by closing the banana leaf.
6. Steam them for 1 hour.

Explore the Multiverse of Yucatecan Tamales | Get to know the Pib, Brazo de Reina, and more.

Other delicious recipes from Yucatecan Cuisine: 

• Recipe for Papadzules
• Recipe for Sopa de Lima
• Recipe for Pollo en Escabeche
• Recipe for Relleno Negro
• Recipe for Cochinita Pibil
• Recipe for Frijol con Puerco
• Recipe for Queso Relleno
• Recipe for Tamales Yucatecos

Yucatecan Dessert Recipes:

• Recipe for Caballeros Pobres
• Recipe for Flan Yucateco
• Recipe for Pastel de Tres Leches
• Recipe for Dulce de Papaya