chicken tamales

Our Low FODMAP Tamales take advantage of prepared green enchilada sauce and rotisserie chicken to make the process easier.Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 20 tamales; 10 servings; 2 tamales per serving

Low FODMAP Tamales

cornhusks, (plus about 6 extra)

cilantro

½ cups (420 g) masa harina

(480 ml) hot water

(280 g) pork lard (or vegetable shortening), (softened)

salt

(120 ml) Low FODMAP Chicken Stock

Butcher’s twine

Preparing the Cornhusks: About 2 hours before assembling your tamales, place the cornhusks in a large bowl or stockpot, cover with very hot tap water and weigh down with another bowl, pot or plate to keep them submerged. They should be pliable. Choose 20 of the largest husks that are preferably free of tears or holes. Pat dry. Reserve the rest.

For the Chicken Filling: Place shredded chicken in a bowl and add ½ cup (120 ml) of the enchilada sauce to moisten. Stir in fresh cilantro; set aside.

For the Masa Harina Filling: Stir the masa harina and hot water together in a large bowl until very well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and allow to sit for 15 minutes or until cooled. You should be able to pick up a piece with your fingers without it sticking to them.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed beat the lard with salt and baking powder until light and fluffy. Add the masa mixture, a little bit at a time, continuing to beat with the mixer for about 1 minute. Beat in the low FODMAP Chicken Stock a little at a time or until the batter is thick, yet spreadable, and not overly sticky. You may not use all the stock.

Take a raisin sized bit of dough and drop it into a glass of cold water; it should float. If it doesn’t float, continue to beat and test again. This is a great way to test the ultimate lightness of your masa harina filling.

Forming the Tamales: Have your 20 cornhusks at the ready. From some of the other husks, cut long, narrow strips, which you will use to tie up the tamales (see images). You can also use Butcher’s twine (which I find easier) to tie up your tamales.

Take one of your reserved cornhusks and lay it on your work surface, tapered end pointing towards you and smooth side up (use your fingers to feel both sides to tell). Dollop about ¼ cup (60 ml) of the batter in the center of the corn husk.

Use a butter knife or a small offset spatula to spread masa filling into approximately a 3 to 4-inch (7.5 cm to 10 cm) square. Make sure to leave a border all the way around.

Spoon about a heaping tablespoon of chicken filling right on top of the masa filling, centered.

Leaving the tamale on the table, pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and bring them together to help bring the edges of the masa filling to touch, encasing the chicken. Now you should have basically a soft cylinder of masa filling, encasing your chicken filling. Tuck one side of the corn husk around the cylinder and then wrap the other side of the cornhusk around everything. Arrange seam side up.

Now bring the bottom, narrow end up and tie the tamale closed, using a strip of cornhusk or a piece of string; don’t tie too tightly.

Steaming the Tamales: Place a steamer insert in the bottom of a tall stockpot and add enough hot water to come right up to the bottom of the steamer. Place the tamales in the steamer, open side up, taking care not to pack them too closely in the steamer. They need room to expand. Tear up the last remaining extra corn husks and lightly drape them on top of the tamales. These will add flavor and help keep the steam a bit concentrated. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, adjust heat to low and simmer for about 1 ¼ hours, refilling pot with boiling water as needed.

Tamales are done when the husk peels away from the filling easily. Just check one of them to assess after letting it cool for a few minutes. Let tamales stand in the steamer off the heat for a several minutes to firm up before serving. Serve with extra enchilada sauce.

These chicken tamales are wrapped in a fluffy, sweet, and savory corn masa dough — a perfect match for the zesty chicken verde filling!

Green Chili Chicken Tamales (Tamales Verdes De Pollo)

corn husks

lbs cooked rotisserie chicken

lbs tomatillos

Anaheim green chiles

jalapeños

Serrano chiles

white onion

garlic

lard (room temperature)

tsp baking powder

tbsp kosher salt

Maseca – Instant corn masa mix ((2 pounds))

verde sauce

water stock

Peel the outer husks off the tomatillos, onion and garlic. Cut the stems off the peppers and slice in half lengthwise. Cut the onion in half.

In the Dutch oven or large stock pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the tomatillos, chiles and onion. Cook for 8 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers, tomatillos, onion and garlic to a food processor, blender or Vitamix, and process until smooth. Reserve 1 cup for masa, set aside.

Shred the cooked chicken (See Note 1).

In a bowl add the shredded chicken and balance of the chili verde sauce. Mix together to coat chicken and set aside.

Rule of thumb: 1 cup maseca to 1 cup liquid (sauce, broth, water or combination).

In a large bowl or mixer, whip the lard until it's light and airy for several minutes, almost like cake frosting. Add the baking powder and salt and mix again for 30 seconds.

Add 1 cup of the maseca and 1 cup of verde sauce and mix on low. Alternate 1 cup maseca to 1 cup liquid until all 8 cups are mixed together. Beat 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

You are looking for spreadable smooth consistency — think spreadable hummus. If the dough is too dry, add more liquid. If it's too wet, add more maseca.

Float Test: Grab a teaspoon of the mixed masa and drop it into a glass of cold water. If it floats it&#39;s mixed well and light. If it sinks, it needs more mixing.

Masa

Add the corn husks to a roasting pan or large bowl or pot. Cover the corn husks completely with hot water. Cover the bowl with a towel and let them soak for 1 hour to soften them up. When ready to make tamales, drain the water from the corn husks and pat them dry.

Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water and add a copper penny (See Note 2). Add the basket and cover with several husks. Set aside.

Take one corn husk with smooth side facing up and wide end closest to you into your palm or on a clean work surface. Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, smear 3-4 tablespoons of masa in the middle of the corn husk and spread the masa in a thin layer to create rectangle shape, leaving the narrow end of the corn husk uncovered. Practice makes perfect!

Spoon 3-4 tablespoons (more if you prefer) of the chicken verde filling in the center of the corn husk. Fold one side of the husk up and over the filling then the other, fold the narrow pointed end up.

Place the folded tamales in the steamer with the open end facing up, making sure to lean them against the side of the pot so they don’t fall down. Repeat until all tamales are in the pot.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat to low, cover and steam for 1 hour.

Test to see if it’s cooked. Using tongs, carefully remove a tamale and open it up. The masa should easily separate from the corn husks and the masa should be fairly firm. Serve immediately with salsa of choice.

To Freeze: Let cool completely and place in labeled/dated freezer bags, squeezing out excess air. Freeze for 3 months.

Tamales

Hi there , just a quick note to say Thanks for all your delicious recipes. I’ve made Tamales before , but this recipe sounds Great. My 34 year old Daughter really wants to make some Tamales , for the first time. I think this is the perfect recipe. I hope it will be a tradition for us. Keep those good recipes coming. 
Happy Fall 🍂🍁 Melody Wilkerson. Escalon CA

These Instant Pot Chicken Tamales cook in half the time compared to steaming them on the stove, and are filled with an easy salsa verde shredded chicken.

Instant Pot Chicken Tamale Recipe

Corn Husks (Rinsed)

Cups Fine Mexican Corn Flour (Masa)

Baking Powder

Salt ((taste the masa

½ Cup Avocado oil (Olive Oil, Bacon drippings,

Cups Warm Chicken Broth

Cups Salsa Verde Chicken

Cup Diced cooked potatoes ((optional))

Rinse corn husks and remove any dirt or debris. Toss any husks that have black spots on them. Smaller husks can be used by overlapping 2 together.

Heat a large pot of water, once warm turn off the heat and add the corn husks into the water. Rotate them to ensure they all get rehydrated. Allow the husks to soak for 20 minutes or until they are soft and pliable.

Remove the husks from the pot and allow to dry on a kitchen towel.

Corn Husks

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add corn flour, salt, baking powder, and avocado oil. Begin mixing on low speed to incorporate.

Gradually add in warm chicken broth as the mixer is still going on low speed. Once all the broth is added increase the speed to medium. Keep mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl every few minutes until a soft smooth dough forms.

Taste a little bit of masa for seasoning. If more salt is needed, add salt and mix the dough again. If making tamales right away then set aside, otherwise cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Take one dried corn husk and place on a work surface. If the husk is too small then overlap 2 together.

Spread an even layer of masa on the top half of the husk. Add shredded chicken filling to the middle. Fold one side over, then the other, and bring the bottom half up. If the tamale doesn&#39;t stay folded, tear a piece of husk and tie it around the tamale.

Assembling Tamales

Instant Pot Method: Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot and the steamer basket inside. If cooking multiple batches, add 1 cup of water each time. Layer the tamales standing up, with the opening on top.

Set the timer to high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then release the remaining pressure.

Remove the steamer basket and allow the tamales to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. The husk should easily remove from the tamal.

Cooking the Tamales

Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is delicious! I’ve used this recipe now for a couple years. My family loves tamales. I never made them before finding this recipe the avocado oil to make the MASA is perfect. I put a couple cups of broth in with the salsa, and I use the broth for the liquid in the masa for extra flavor.

Just made these tamales for the first time and this recipe was delicious!  Hubby said they tasted better than our favorite authentic Mexican restaurant!  Thank you!

Delicious! I’ve never made tamales but decided to try it - I used some hatch chili I have from NM and chicken thighs because we like dark meat better. Other than that I followed the recipe - so so yummy, and pretty foolproof! I made a mess of the masa dough as I was making the tamales but it all worked out fine anyway. 
Thank you for another delicious recipe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LryOF3xi4_4

Tamales made easier in the Instant Pot in half the time. Along with masa made with oil instead of lard and a 2 ingredient Salsa Verde Chicken. 

Full Recipe, Instructions, and option to Print: https://thaicaliente.com/easy-instant-pot-tamales/

*Note* on the video it shows 20 minutes on the timer. I've had some feedback that the masa is not cooked after 20 min. Mine was fine, but you can do 30 minutes of high pressure, and let them hang out for a few minutes before releasing the pressure and removing the lid.

Shredded Beef Tamales: https://youtu.be/sPGxrA8Yqho

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Easy Instant Pot Tamales with Salsa Verde Chicken

Chicken tamales made from tender pieces of chicken, green chile verde sauce and an easy masa tamale dough. Great for a crowd and freezing for later!

Chicken Tamales

corn husks ((about 1/2-3/4 pound))

water

tomatillos, (husked and rinsed)

jalapeno peppers, (stems removed)

poblano peppers, (stems removed)

serrano pepper, (stem removed (omit if you don't want it spicy))

onion, (chopped)

chicken

cooking oil

lime juice

masa harina ((half

baking powder

canola oil ((or corn, vegetable

chicken broth ((or vegetable

Prep the corn husks: Add the corn husks to a large bowl or pot. Pour enough hot water over the corn husks to cover them completely. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and let them soak for 1 hour to soften them up.

Roast the chiles: Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or grease with oil. Place the tomatillos, jalapenos, poblanos and serrano peppers on the baking sheet and place under broiler. Broil on high for 10 minutes, turning the tomatillos and peppers over halfway through.

Remove the skin: Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Uncover and remove as much of the skin from the peppers and tomatillos as you can. At this point, you can also remove the seeds from any of the peppers if you don&#x27;t want it too spicy. 

Make the green chile sauce: Add the roasted tomatillos, all the peppers, onions, garlic, salt and water to a large blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink.

Simmer the chicken: Add green chile sauce and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 more minutes. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. The chicken should be tender and cooked through. If it&#x27;s still a little tough, cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the lime juice. Set aside.

Mix the masa harina: In a very large mixing bowl or pot, add masa harina, salt and baking powder. Combine and mix with your hands.

Add the oil: Add canola oil and mix together, working the dough through your fingers until everything is well combined and incorporated. The dough should feel a little crumbly, almost like wet sand, and should lightly hold it&#x27;s shape when pressed together.

Add the broth: Add broth and mix for about 3-5 minutes until the dough is fairly wet and well saturated. The dough should be soft and spreadable like thick hummus. If the dough is too dry, add more broth. If it&#x27;s too wet, add more masa harina.

Finish prepping the corn husks: Drain the water from the corn husks and pat them dry. Lay them flat onto a baking sheet for easy access.

Spread the masa onto corn husks: Grab a corn husk and identify which is the smooth side and which is the side with ridges. Place the smooth side face up into your palm or on a plate. Using a large spoon, grab a heaping spoonful of masa and place it in the middle of the corn husk. Using the back of the spoon, spread the masa in a thin layer to create a rectangle shape, leaving the top 1/3 of the corn husk empty. (see post above for step-by-step photos)

Add the filling: Using a different spoon, place about one tablespoon or so of the green chile chicken into the center of the corn husk. Don&#x27;t put too much filling or it will overflow when you close it.

Fold: Fold together the long edges of the corn husk like a book, and then fold it once more. Fold the pointy edge over so that only one side of the corn husk is open and exposed, and secure the folded edge with thin strip of corn husk by tied a knot around the tamale. If you don&#x27;t want to go to the trouble of tying a knot around each tamale, you don&#x27;t have to.

Prepare the steamer pot: Fill the bottom of the steamer pot with water and cover with the steamer insert. Place the tamales in the steamer with the open end facing up, making sure to lean them against the side of the pot so they don&#x27;t fall down.

Steam: Cover tightly with the lid and place steamer over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 1/2 hours, or until the masa is fully cooked. To check and see if it&#x27;s cooked, carefully remove a tamale and open it up. The masa should easily separate from the corn husks and it should be fairly firm. When ready to eat, remove tamales from steamer, let sit for 3 minutes to cool, then serve.

We had our tamalada this evening.  The tamales, both chicken and bean/cheese were delicious.  Everyone had a fine time and delicious meal.  Thank you.

Hi, we’re going to have a small tamalada tomorrow.  I just wanted to check on something…most of your tamale recipes say to steam them for an hour and a half or so. This chicken one though states three and a half hours. I’m guessing that’s a typo since the chicken has been cooked.  Thanks for sharing your recipes!

Wow, you have an ingredient calculator, tha's a first and that's amazing

Absolutely loved! My husband is Hispanic and I’m trying to learn authentic Hispanic cooking. He loved these! We also had a wonderful time wrapping together! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Yum, making 50 for our Christmas Brunch, and for a bff’s family Christmas dinner. Not much pressure…. There recipes will make all a success!!!!

isabel, you are so wonderful, be so good forever, teaching our childrens how to cook the best foods is great//// you are the best!!!

HI Isabel! I am wondering something, and I hope you see this! I have used the same recipe from family friends in Mexico for over 25 years (for the dough). It is made with lard and oil, and sometimes I use half lard-half veg shortening and oil. Is your dough similar to the dough with lard? I see you say it does get fluffy, but will my older family members say it's too different from what they've had for 50 years? I live in a small town with only 2 groceries, and many times Tamal flour is sold out so I can't do an experiment! Thank you, Isabel, and thanks for sharing this recipe!

I made this recipe, it was awesome! My first attempt at tamales and everyone said they were perfect and authentic! I am just a mediocre at home cook, and these were really easy to make. Great tips, helped a bunch! Thank you!

We love this recipe, it is easy and flavorful. My husband and I have had many tamale making parties over our 50 year marriage.  We are older now and this recipe is easy for the 2 of us to make. Thank you for sharing it.🙂

This was first time making Tamales. They turned out perfect with this recipe. They were the best Tamales I have ever eaten. My family LOVED them.

40-50 corn husks

chicken breast

garlic cloves

bay leaves

black peppercorns

salt (divided)

onion

tomatillos (peeled and washed)

serrano peppers

oregano

olive oil

lard (1 1/4 cup)

corn flour for making tortillas (~4 cups)

chicken broth

Place chicken, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, half an onion in a pot, cover with approximately 4 cups of water, and place over high heat.

When the water starts to boil lower the temperature and simmer for 35-40 minutes until chicken is tender. Set aside.

Cook the Chicken

Place the corn husks in a large bowl or pot and cover with boiling water until soft, approximately 30-40 minutes. The husks tend to float in water, so place another pot filled with water on top of them to hold them underwater.

Soak the Corn Husks

Next, put tomatillos, 1/2 onion, 2 serrano peppers, 2 teaspoons salt, oregano, cilantro, 2 cooked garlic cloves from the chicken broth and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a blender, and mix until smooth.

Pour 1 tsp olive oil into a medium-size pot and add the salsa from the blender. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the salsa changes color from bright green to olive green.

Shred the cooked chicken, add to the pot with the salsa and mix with a spoon. Set aside.

Make the Chicken Filling

Place lard in a mixer bowl and beat until very soft and creamy, approximately 5-7 minutes.

In a separate bowl mix together corn flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the softened lard and keep beating at low speed until well integrated. (If you don’t have a mixer, you can mix by hand). Add the remaining dry ingredients and continue beating until integrated. The mixture will look like coarse sand.

Start by adding 1 cup of the chicken broth until well integrated. Add a second cup until well integrated. At this point, turn off the mixer, remove the bowl, and add another 1/2 cup of chicken broth and mix with your hands or a spoon but the hands are better.

Continue adding more liquid until you get a soft and spreadable creamy peanut butter-like consistency masa. Cover with a kitchen towel.

Make the Masa

Remove corn husks from the water and squeeze them to remove excess water, then dry them with a kitchen towel.

Next, take 2 or 3 of the husks, depending on their sizes, and separate them into strips 1/4 inch thick to use as ties for securing the tamales (See photos or video).

Now take a whole corn husk and spread 1-2 tablespoons of masa on half the corn husk, starting 1/2 inch from the top of the wider end and leaving 1 inch of the husk clear of masa to one side.

Add a teaspoon of the chicken filling in the middle of the masa. Fold both sides to cover the filling, the side with no masa will be on top. Then fold the tamal in half and tie. Continue until you’ve used all the masa.

Assembling the Tamales

Fill your tamalera or steamer with water, but make sure that the water does not touch the tamales when they are placed in it. Cover the bottom of the tamalera colander with a few corn husks and place your tamales inside vertically, with the open side up.

Place some corn husks on top of the tamales, then with a wet kitchen towel. Cover and, over high heat, steam for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Always carefully open your tamalera or steamer to avoid steam injury.

Make sure to check on the water level of the steamer a couple of times so it doesn’t run dry. After the 1 hour and 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let them rest for 10 minutes. Remove tamales with tongs.

Steaming the Tamales

Excellent recipe! I cooked the chicken as written but “cheated” with a store bought salsa verde. Can’t wait to try making it in the summer with tomatillos from the garden. The star of the show is the masa! It was my first time making tamales, I was using this recipe as a guide for chicken and another as the guide for pork. I’d asked friends for tips before starting and one said not to skimp on the lard. Out of the two recipes I was referencing, yours had the higher ratio of lard so I used it to prepare the masa for everything. Amazing, so delicious and everything I was hoping it would be. Thank you for sharing your lovely recipe.

I love tamales, but have never made them myself!! I love your step by step instructions, it makes it so easy to follow!!

I've never had tamales but have always wanted to. I've been cautious because I thought they were really difficult to make. But this recipe sounds quite doable, so definitely want to give it a go!

These chicken tamales are so delicious! I loved how fun they were to make!

I've never made my own tamales but I am excited to make these!  I LOVE tamales..thank you for this delicious recipe to try!

Just in time for La Candelaria! I love chicken tamales, especially with tomatillo sauce. Now I am hungry,

First time making tamales, these were delicious! Will definitely make again!

I love tomatillo salsa! These were so good! The tamales were easy to make once I got the hang of it and the chicken was delicious and tender.

These tamales were a hit! The chicken filling was perfectly spiced, and the masa dough came out super moist.

I made these yesterday and these were so good! They were also much easier than I thought they would be. Thank you for the clear instructions!

I've always wanted to try making tamales. These sound so good and your directions make it seem fairly straightforward. Can't wait to attempt this recipe soon!

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