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Chicken Tamales with Green Salsa

These Chicken Tamales with Green Salsa (salsa verde) are among the most popular tamales in Mexico.They are the perfect balance of flavors by using masa harina, stuffed with chicken filling and a homemade tangy tomatillo salsa to create the ideal meal.
Course Chicken
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chicken tamales recipe, easy chicken tamale recipe, how to make chicken in green salsa tamales, tamales verdes receta
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 30 - 36 Tamales
Calories 209kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 cups of dry masa harina for tamales
  • 13 ounces of lard 1 and ¾ cups
  • You can use shortening and even vegetable oil
  • About 6 cups of chicken broth of more in case dough is too dry
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Salt to taste

Filling:

  • 1 ½ pound of chicken breast to make about 4 cups of shredded chicken
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 thick slices of onion
  • water to cover

Sauce

  • 1 ½ pound of tomatillos green tomatoes husk removed
  • 6 serrano peppers or 4 jalapenos
  • 2 cloves of garlic peeled
  • Salt to taste
  • About 45 Corn husk for wrapping

Instructions

The sauce:

  • Cook the tomatillos, peppers, and garlic in a pot with water over medium heat until they are cooked and tender.This step will take about 15-18 minutes.
  • Place the tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in a blender, and process until you have a smooth salsa.

Chicken Tamale Filling

  • Place the chicken, white onion, garlic in a pot. Cover with water and cook over medium heat until meat is tender.
  • Let the chicken cool and shred the chicken.
  • Combine everything in a bowl and put it off to the side.

For the dough:

  • In a large bowl beat the lard until it changes to lighter color. This can be done with the help of your electric mixer or by hand. Slowly incorporate the corn masa harina, baking powder, and chicken broth. Mix well and taste to season with salt. Beat until all ingredients are well combined and the dough is light and spongy.

The corn husk:

  • Remove the husks from their package and place the husks to soak in a warm bath of water for 40 minutes. This could be done in a large pot or in your kitchen sink. This step will help to soften the husks and easily be pliable while wrapping the corn dough.

Assembling the tamales:

  • Remove the husks from their warm bath, dry them with a cloth or paper towels.
  • Place the corn husk on your work surface with the wide end facing toward you. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of dough in the center but closer to the bottom of the corn husk spreading evenly about ¼inch thick. Place 2 tablespoons of the chicken-green sauce filling in the center of the husk. Fold one side of the husk to the center and fold the other side to the center, too. Fold the bottom up towards the center. Repeat the process with the remaining husks and filling.
  • Line the tamales on a tray while you are finishing up with the rest of the assembly process. Getting your pot ready for steaming. Add 3 cups of hot water to the pot and place the steamer rack. Place a layer of corn husk on the steamer rack. (Note: you do not need to buy a tamal steamer pot if you don’t have it already. Just improvise with what you already have).
  • Place the tamales in a standing position.
  • Cover with a layer of the corn husks and a dish towel and the pot lid. Steam for about 60 minutes on medium heat or after taking one tamal and checking if the husk easily separates from the dough. Check during the steaming time in case the steamer needs more water. Be careful while removing the lid. Serve while still hot. When done wait for 10 minutes the dough will firm up after that.
  • To reheat a tamal I use the convenience of the microwave. It just needs 1 minute in high per tamal. You can also steam it again to warm it up and the other option is to place it on a hot griddle turning 2 or 3 times until warm.

Tamales keep well in your freezer for a couple of months.

    Video

    Notes

    Cooking Tips

      • Do a dough test to make sure your dough is good. To make sure your dough is light enough, place a small amount in a glass with water. It will float when it’s ready. If the dough doesn't float, do not worry- just make sure the dough is very airy.
      • Does your dough look dry? Add a little bit more chicken broth or water but not too much.
      • Make sure to check for the doneness of the tamale before pulling them out. To check if the green tamales are ready, remove one of the tamales from the pot. If the husk can easily be removed from the dough, they are ready. But, if the dough sticks to the husk, place them back into the pot and cook for 15 more minutes.
    • You can use vegetable shortening and even vegetable oil
    • Need a vegetarian option for the filling? Take a look at this tamale recipe that has a filling made with cheese and roasted peppers. It's very tasty!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1.7mg