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.
I know I'm going to be upsetting some people by making tamales without lard! Tamales, like most time-honored recipes have been passed down from generations and are large part of Mexican family traditions.
Tamales are a common dish eaten during the holidays and can range from savory to sweet. Families traditionally make large batches and an assembly type line is helpful to get the process moving quicker. The recipe I'm sharing with you is for a small batch, but of course can be doubled up as needed.
How to Make Easy Instant Pot Tamales
First, you need an Instant Pot, I'm using the 8 qt model. If you don't have one then the recipe can still be adapted to cook the chicken in a slow cooker or stove top, and steam the tamales on the stovetop.
Second, I mixed the masa in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. If you don't have one, then try using a handheld mixer or the traditional way of needing it with you hands. Fair warning, this will take you a good 15 minutes of mixing with you hands.
Also, we're making the masa with oil instead of lard. Don't get me wrong, tamales with lard are delicious, but after having masa made with oil for the past few years, I can honestly say that they taste just as good! The key is to season the masa with a good stock to build the flavor you would normally get with lard.
Third, you need a good flavorful filling. The filling combinations are endless, and can be adapted to what you prefer. For these easy tamales, I made my 2 Ingredient IP Salsa Chicken. I also had some leftover diced potatoes so I added those in as well.
Other filling options:
Sweet Potato and Black Beans (Vegan)
Prep The Corn Husks
Get a large Pot, place your corn husks in, and cover with hot water. You can also place a pot of water over the stove, bring to a boil, turn off the heat and add the corn husks. Soak them for at least 30 minutes.
Then drain out the water and lay them out to dry. If the husks are wet, the masa won't stick to it.
Assemble the Tamales
Use a cutting board for your work surface. Place a dried corn husk down, but if it's too small you can overlap 2 together.
Add a few spoons of masa and spread it over the middle of the corn husk.
Now place your filling in the middle of the masa. Fold both sides to meet, then fold it over, and bring the bottom part up.
I show all these steps in the Video.
You can also use shredded pieces of the corn husk to tie the tamale.
Once all your tamales are assembled, we can begin cooking them. I used my 8 qt Instant Pot with the trivet insert. If you have a steamer basket this would work better. Another option is to use the trivet and place a piece of foil on top will some holes for the steam to come through. You just want to make sure the tamales are not touching the water.
Additionally, you don't want the top of the tamales to reach the lid, because then it won't create a seal and the instant pot won't come up to pressure.
Set the timer for Manual, High Pressure, 20 minutes. I let the pressure release naturally for a few minutes, then released the remaining pressure.
Remove the tamales from the pot and check if the masa is cooked all the way. It will easily release from the corn husk once it's cooked. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
How to Store and Reheat tamales
Cooked/Cooled tamales can be stored in a container or zip top bag in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a couple of months.
To reheat, place a damp paper towel over them and microwave for 1.5-2 minutes until heated through. Keep the corn husk on the tamale while you reheat them to prevent them from drying out, then remove husk before eating.
Click on the image below for the YouTube video:
Instant Pot Chicken Tamales
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 16 Corn Husks Rinsed
- 3 Cups Fine Mexican Corn Flour (Masa)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt (taste the masa and see if more salt is needed)
- ½ Cup Avocado oil Olive Oil, Bacon drippings, or Lard (Manteca) can be used as well.
- 3 Cups Warm Chicken Broth
- 3 Cups Shredded Salsa Verde Chicken See notes for recipe
- 1 Cup Diced cooked potatoes (optional)
Instructions
Corn Husks
- Rinse corn husks or hojas and place in a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, once boiling turn off heat. Let corn husks soak for 20-30 minutes, or until they are soft and pliable. Remove from water and allow husks to dry off.
Masa
- 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 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 with plastic wrap or a towel and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Assembling the Tamales
- 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 in the middle of the husk and reaching to the sides. Leave a small edge on the husk. Add shredded chicken filling to the middle, I did about 2 spoonfuls.
- Fold both sides to meet in the middle, then fold the bottom end up to the top of the tamale. Place in a dish until all the tamales are assembled.
Steam the Tamales
- Instant Pot Method: Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot and place the trivet or a steam basket inside. If cooking multiple batches, add 1 cup of water each time.
- Place tamales standing up in the instant pot. If you are using the trivet, you can place a piece of foil with holes on top of the trivet so the tamales don't touch the water. If you are filling the entire instant pot, they will be more supported. Also make sure the tops of the tamales are not touching the lid, otherwise the pot won't come to pressure.
- Set the timer to high pressure for 30 minutes. I allowed the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then released remaining pressure.
- Remove a tamale from the pot and check if the masa is cooked all the way. It will easily release from the corn husk once it's cooked. The masa may still look under cooked when first removed from the pot. If the masa has not set, then add more water to the instant pot if needed, and cook for another 10 minutes on high pressure.
- Once cooked remove tamales from instant pot and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, this helps the masa to firm up.
- Stove Top Steamer:Place Water in the bottom of a steamer pot, place steamer insert and layer tamales standing up. Cover with a layer of foil and place lid. Bring water to a boil. Have water at a gentle boil for at least 1 hour. Periodically check to see that there is still water in the bottom of the pot.After an hour, remove a tamale from the pot and check if the masa is cooked all the way. It will easily release from the corn husk once it's cooked. If it does not, then continue cooking and check every 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove tamales from pot and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Storing the Tamales: Once the tamales are completely cooled, leftovers can be stored in a zip top bag in the fridge for 4 days or in the freezer for a couple months.
Notes
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Jen says
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!
Renee says
Thanks so much for the review and rating, Jen! Hatch chilies sound delicious, so happy you loved it!!