Tamales Salvadoreños

Name: Tamales Salvadoreños
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Ingredients: 12 oz dried corn husks, soaked; 4 cups masa harina (corn flour); 2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded; 8 tbsp unsalted butter; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 red bell pepper, finely diced; 1/2 cup green olives; 1/2 cup raisins; 2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp baking powder

Steamed corn dough pockets filled with chicken and vegetables, wrapped in corn husks. A beloved holiday and celebration classic served throughout Central America.

105 minMediumServes 12320 cal/serving

SalvadoranBreakfastStovetopStandard

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

12 oz dried corn husks, soaked
4 cups masa harina (corn flour)
2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded
8 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups chicken broth
1 onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1

Soak 12 oz dried corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
2

In a large bowl, beat 8 tbsp unsalted butter until fluffy. Gradually mix in 4 cups masa harina (corn flour), 2 tsp baking powder, and 2 tsp salt until the dough is light and spreadable.
3

Cook 2 lbs cooked and shredded chicken breast in 3 cups chicken broth with half the 1 finely diced onion and 1/2 tsp black pepper for 20 minutes. Remove chicken, shred, and reserve broth.
4

Sauté remaining 1 finely diced onion and 1 finely diced red bell pepper in a pan, then combine with shredded chicken, 1/2 cup green olives, and 1/2 cup raisins. Season with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
5

Spread 2 tablespoons of dough on each soaked husks, add 1 tablespoon of filling in the center, and fold edges to enclose.
6

Set up a steamer with water and a coin in the pot. Stand tamales upright, open end up, in the steamer. Steam for 45 to 50 minutes until dough is set and pulls away from the husk easily.
7

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with extra cooking broth on the side.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

Questions

What is Tamales Salvadoreños?

Steamed corn dough pockets filled with chicken and vegetables, wrapped in corn husks. A beloved holiday and celebration classic served throughout Central America. This reference files it under Salvadoran breakfast: made on the stovetop, rated medium and about 105 minutes start to finish.

What can I use instead of masa harina in Tamales Salvadoreños?

The entry for Tamales Salvadoreños calls for 4 cups masa harina (corn flour). In its place: There is no real substitute. Cornmeal and corn flour are not nixtamalized and will not form a dough.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in Tamales Salvadoreños?

Yes. Boneless thighs at the same weight are more forgiving and stay juicier. Give them two to four minutes longer; they are at their best around 175 F rather than 165 F. As written, the entry for Tamales Salvadoreños uses 2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded.

How many calories are in Tamales Salvadoreños?

One serving (the recipe makes 12) is about 320 calories, with 12 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate and 10 g fat, plus 2 g fiber and 580 mg sodium.

Can I make Tamales Salvadoreños ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. Refrigerate what is left of Tamales Salvadoreños within two hours and eat it within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.