Chicken tamales
Soft, tender corn masa wrapped around tangy shredded chicken verde, a weekend project that fills your freezer.
- 165 min total
- 75 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 6
- About $1.88 a serving
- 610 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1½ cups salsa verde, divided
- 3 cups masa harina
- ½ cup sour cream, for serving (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
Each serving has about 610 calories, 29 g protein, 48 g carbs and 35 g fat, and costs about $1.88 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the chicken and broth in a medium and over high heat.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Turn the heat to low, cover, and 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 20 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Move the chicken to a bowl and save the broth. the chicken with two forks and stir in 1 cup of the salsa verde and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
Shred. Shredding means making thin strips, either on the big holes of a grater or by pulling cooked meat apart with two forks. Shreds soak up sauce and mix evenly through a dish.
How you’ll know: Cooked chicken pulls apart into strands with little effort, and cheese comes off in long, loose strips.
Cut 18 rectangles of , about 8 by 10 inches each.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Dolly’s tip: No corn husks needed. Parchment holds the masa the same way and peels off clean.Stir the masa harina, baking powder and the rest of the salt in a large bowl. Add the oil and 2¾ cups of the warm broth and knead with your hand about 2 minutes, until smooth.
Dolly’s tip: It should spread like soft peanut butter. If it feels stiff, work in more broth a tablespoon at a time.Spread about ¼ cup of masa in the middle of a sheet into a 4-by-5-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick, leaving a wide border of paper all around.
Dolly’s tip: Use the back of a wet spoon. Thin and even cooks through; thick spots stay gummy.Spoon about 2 tablespoons of chicken down the middle. Lift one long side of the paper so the masa folds over the filling to meet the other edge, then roll it up in the paper and fold both ends under.
Dolly’s tip: Let the paper do the work: lift it and the masa follows. If a seam gapes, press it closed through the paper.Crumple three golf-ball-size balls of foil into a large pot, add water to just below their tops, and set a heatproof plate on them. Stack the tamales on the plate, seam side down, in loose layers.
Cover the pot tightly and bring the water over high heat. Turn to medium and 1 hour, pouring a cup of boiling water down the side every 20 minutes so it never runs dry.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Steam. Steaming means cooking food over or in a little simmering water with a lid on to trap the steam. It cooks gently and keeps vegetables bright and tender.
How you’ll know: The color turns vivid, and a fork goes in with just a little resistance.
Medium heatTimer: 60 min
Dolly’s tip: Listen for the bubbling. If the pot goes quiet, it needs water.Unwrap one to check: the masa should pull away from the paper cleanly. If it sticks, steam 10 minutes more.
Turn off the heat and let them 10 minutes with the lid on.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: Straight out of the pot they seem soft. Resting firms them up, so don’t skip it.Serve in their paper with the rest of the salsa verde and the sour cream.
Dolly’s tip: Freeze cooled tamales in a bag for up to 3 months and steam them from frozen for 20 to 25 minutes.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
