By: Honey & Habaneros
Jump to RecipeMy no-fuss, steam-first, top-later tamale base — is easy to fill, easy to freeze, and endlessly customizable.
This is part of my “H&H’s House” series — a growing collection of versatile base recipes that I use as building blocks for tons of meals. If you love flexible, freezer-friendly food, check out the others too!
Tamales are like little edible gifts from the kitchen—don’t let a single one go to waste! Whether you freeze a batch or keep some in the fridge for the week, they’re always ready to be dressed up with your favorite toppings, served up for dinner, or stolen away during a late-night kitchen heist by the Midnight Marauder (you know who you are).
Tamales are one of those things we could eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. That tender, steamed masa works great with ANY mexican food dish. If you like/love tamales give this recipe a try and see what you think.
Why You’re Gonna Love This Recipe
These tamales are all about versatility. Instead of stuffing the filling inside like the traditional method, we keep the masa simple and let the toppings shine. Once they’re steamed, you can top them with anything—we’ve made them with chorizo and fried eggs for breakfast, grilled chicken with green chilies and corn, chili colorado, and of course my Green Chili w/Grilled Steak. It’s a no-fuss twist that opens the door to endless flavor combos, and trust me—you’ll never look at tamales the same way again.
Chorizo and Egg Tamale
Grilled Chicken w/Green Chili and Corn Tamale
For the full list of ingredients with measurements, see the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make H&Hs House Tamales:
There are usually two types of masa you can work with: wet (fresh) masa and dry (instant) masa. I say usually because wet masa isn’t available in all regions. Personally, I prefer working with wet masa—it’s ready to go and has a beautiful texture.
However, as you probably know by now, I live in a small community in the Pacific Northwest, and I haven’t been able to find wet masa anywhere nearby. A chef friend of mine recently mentioned a place about 40 minutes from here that might carry it, so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to track some down—maybe around tamale season (aka Christmas time). So far, no luck… not even during the holidays!
With a few small adjustments, I’ve made the switch to using dry masa, and honestly, I’ve found it to be equally delicious. If I do get my hands on some fresh masa, I’ll be sure to update with my experience.
I’ve found that the directions on the dry masa are not going to make a good, moist tamale so I’ve gone rogue and added shortening.
Gather your ingredients: For this version, I used dry masa, chicken stock, salt, baking powder, and shortening. If you want to keep your tamales ultra-versatile, swap the chicken stock for water—and BOOM—you’ve just opened the door for dessert tamales too. 😊
Note: Baking powder isn’t a must—personally, I think it’s optional. It gives the tamale a more cakey, slightly flaky texture. Skipping the baking powder results in a tamale that’s moist and a bit more dense. Honestly? I love them both. It just depends on my mood.
Note: I prefer to use shortening as the fat in the masa. Also, I whimp out and get it in the sticks. I’ll take the assist on that for sure. If you like to use lard that’s okay, you make it to your liking.
First thing, get the corn husks soaking in water. Soak times are different according to who your talking to. For me I’ll soak them until they are pliable and easy to work with, a couple hours at most.
Bonus Tip: I’ll take any extra soaked corn husks I have and put them in a freezer bag and throw them in the freezer until I’m ready to make tamales again, they freeze great!
Place the shortening/lard in a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer mix the shortening/lard until it becomes light and airy.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. I always just mix with my hand because, well, that’s just what I do.
Now to test the masa. You’ll know you have the right consistency when you can take a small pinch of masa and put it in water and it floats.
Once the masa is ready we can make the tamale.
Lay a corn hush out on your work space, and use a large spoon to spoon the masa on the corn husk. I like to center the masa on the husk and fold the husk over the masa, lightly press down, and pull the masa towards the edge of the husk.
Next fold the free edge of the husk over the masa. Bring the bottom of the husk up to create a seal on the bottom. Now working from the side of the tamale the husk is folded, in the picture below it will be the right side. Fold the tamale to just shy of the halfway point, then fold again to complete the tamale.
It’s much the same as making other tamales except we aren’t going to fill them with anything. Instead we’ll put the “filling” on top of the tamales once they’ve been steamed.
Once we’ve used up all the masa we can steam the tamales and enjoy every last one.
🌱 Making It Vegetarian or Vegan-Friendly
These tamales are super flexible, which makes them easy to convert for vegetarian or vegan diets. To keep it vegetarian, just use vegetable broth in place of chicken or meat-based broth when mixing the masa. To make them fully vegan, swap out the lard or shortening for refined coconut oil or vegetable shortening (like Earth Balance or Crisco). As for toppings or fillings, go wild with roasted vegetables, beans, corn, green chiles, caramelized onions—or even sweet versions with cinnamon, fruit, or chocolate for dessert tamales. Just because they’re plant-based doesn’t mean they can’t be rich, flavorful, and totally satisfying!
H&H’s House Tamales
Course: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy36-48
servings1
hour1
hourVaries
kcalIngredients
6 cups Masa de Harina
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sea salt
2 cups shortening, lard, coconut oil, or butter
About 5-6 cups chicken broth or warm water
Directions
- Sort through the corn husks, look for ones that are good size and free of blemishes. Smaller pieces of husk are fine but you’ll have to piece together two or more to make a husk big enough for the masa.
- Rinse the husks in cold water and add them to a large bowl of water. I like to weigh down the husks with a glass bowl to keep them submerged. While the husks are soaking prepare the masa.
- Combine masa harina, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
- In a separate, large bowl, beat the shortening (or fat of choice) until it’s light and fluffy—this usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes with a hand or stand mixer. Gradually add the dry masa mixture to the whipped fat. I like to switch to using my hands for this step because it’s easier to feel the texture as everything comes together. You’re looking for a dough that’s soft, pliable, and just a bit tacky—not sticky.
- Slowly add warm broth (or water), a little at a time, until the dough is soft and spreadable—but not too wet. You want a dough that’s the consistency of peanut butter.
- Do the float test: Drop a small ball of masa into cold water. If it floats, your dough is airy enough. If not, keep beating and adding a bit more liquid until it passes the float test.
- Once the corn husks have soaked and are pliable lay them on a dry dish towel and cover them with another dry dish towel, blot dry.
- 🌽 How to Spread Masa on a Soaked Corn Husk
- Lay the corn husk flat – Place the smooth side of the husk facing up (it feels less ridged than the rough side). Position the husk with the wide end at the top and the narrow end pointing toward you.
- Scoop some masa – Grab about 2 tablespoons of your prepared masa dough (a cookie scoop or small spoon works great).
- Spread it out – Using the back of the spoon, a small spatula, or your fingers, spread the masa into a thin layer about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Focus on the top half of the husk, leaving at least 1 to 2 inches clear at the bottom so you can fold it later. Try to create a rectangle about 4 inches wide.
- Don’t stress about perfection – some edges can be thinner or rougher. The goal is even coverage, not a perfect square.
- Repeat – Keep going until all your masa is used and your ready to steam the tamales.
- ♨️ How to Steam Tamales
- 🫔 In the Instant Pot
- Add water – Pour 1 to 1½ cups of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Insert the steaming rack or trivet – Place a steamer basket or the trivet inside. If you have a tamale steaming rack, even better!
- Stand tamales upright – Arrange the tamales standing up with the open end facing up. Pack them loosely so steam can circulate.
- Seal and cook Set the lid to Sealing.
- Use the Manual or Pressure Cook setting on High for 20–25 minutes (for small to medium tamales) or up to 30–35 minutes for larger/thicker ones.
- Natural release – Let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Check doneness – Open one tamale. If the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk, they’re done! If not, give them another 5 minutes.
- 🫔 On the Stovetop
- Set up your steamer – Fill the bottom of a large tamale steamer or stockpot with about 2 inches of water. Place a steamer rack in the bottom.
- Arrange tamales upright – Just like in the Instant Pot, stand the tamales with the open end up. You can use a ball of foil or an empty husk in the middle to help them stand if needed.
- Cover with extra husks or a damp towel – This helps trap the steam and keeps them moist.
- Steam over medium heat – Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 1½ to 2 hours, checking every 30–40 minutes to make sure there’s still water in the bottom (add more as needed).
- Test for doneness – Unwrap one tamale and check that the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk. If it still sticks, keep steaming and check again in 10–15 minutes.
- 🧊 To Freeze:
Cool completely – Let tamales cool fully to room temperature after steaming. This helps prevent sogginess when you reheat.
Wrap individually – Leave the corn husk on, then wrap each tamale tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent freezer burn.
Bag or box it up – Place wrapped tamales in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. Label with the date (they’ll keep well for up to 3 months). - 🔥 To Reheat:
From frozen (no need to thaw first):
Steamer Method (best for texture): Steam for 20–25 minutes until hot throughout.
Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water, place tamales on a steamer rack, and pressure cook for 10–15 minutes on high. Quick release.
Microwave (quick fix): Wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave on medium for 2–3 minutes. Flip and heat another 1–2 minutes until warmed through.
Oven: Wrap in foil and bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Notes
- 🌟 Tip from the H&H Kitchen: Let tamales rest for 10–15 minutes after steaming. They’ll finish firming up, and the flavor settles in beautifully. Plus, they’re easier to handle without burning your fingers!