During the holiday season, one of the most frequently asked questions we hear at Masienda is, "can I make tamales with masa harina?"
The answer is yes, absolutely. And they're delicious. Making tamales using masa harina is a good way to make your tamalada (tamal-making party) just a bit easier. Our masa harina is a fine grind, so the texture of your finished tamales will be especially delicate and lovely. And good news: You can now score it at a grocery store near you.
Check out our video tutorial, the recipe at the bottom of the post, and read on for more helpful tips.
Tips & Tricks
Plan Ahead
Divide the project into two days. On day one, make a filling (or two). On day two, make your masa, then assemble and cook your tamales.
Whip It Good
Be sure to whip your fat (traditionally lard) until it's light and airy, almost like cake frosting, before sprinkling on the baking powder and adding your masa.
Make a Vegan Option
For plant-based tamales, swap the lard for vegan butter or coconut oil (refined if you prefer no coconut flavor), and use vegetable broth as your liquid.
Smooth Like Hummus
The texture of your masa for tamales is a personal preference, but we like it super smooth and spreadable — think hummus or cake batter.
The Penny Trick
To check your water level and avoid a scorched pot, place a penny below the steamer basket and fill with water. It should rattle while the tamales are cooking. If the sound stops, add more water.
FAQs About Tamales
How Will I Know My Tamales Are Done?
After steaming your tamales for about an hour, take one out of the steamer basket and let it cool for a minute or two. Unwrap it carefully. Does the masa separate from the husk? That's a good sign! The masa should also be slightly firm to the touch and not mushy. If the masa is still soft, you may want to cook them longer. Also, remember: the tamales will firm up once they cool down, especially after a day in the refrigerator.
What Color Masa Should I Use For Tamales?
At Masienda, we offer four colors of Heirloom Corn Masa Harina (white, yellow, blue and red), all of which are suitable for making tamales. (We do not recommend Masa Taquera for tamales, due to its high alkalinity.) White is the most traditional choice, because it is a nice blank canvas for really getting to see the colors of the fillings inside, but there are really no rules here. We like to select a masa color that will make the choice of filling pop (red chile chicken against yellow masa, or green poblano peppers and white cheese against red masa), or flavors that pair nicely (the earthiness of blue masa with sauteed mushrooms, drizzled with some crema for contrast).
Change the Texture of Your Masa for Tamales
To mimic the coarser textured masa typically used in fresh-ground tamal masa, our Hospitality Manager Rachel has tested a home-cook DIY hack. Her method uses mostly masa harina with a bit of nixtamalized corn ground in a food processor for some added texture (about 10 parts masa harina to 2 parts nixtamalized corn). For the recipe below, she suggests lowering the quantity of masa harina from 9 cups to 7.5, and then cooking 1 cup of whole kernel corn with a pinch of cal. After nixtamalizing the corn, grind it in your food processor and blend that coarse masa with the masa harina to incorporate before adding the masa mixture to your whipped lard. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.
How to Make Sweet Tamales
Want to make tamales for dessert? Feel free to sub the lard for coconut oil, butter, or your favorite fat, and fill them with fruit, nuts or chocolate (or mix any fruit or flavoring directly into the dough!). We especially love this Blackberry Cheesecake Tamal recipe.
18 comments
Hi Mariana! Thanks for reaching out! We’re excited you’re considering our masa harina for your tamales. For a vegan or vegetarian option, we recommend using 1.5 cups of refined coconut oil for every 4 cups of Heirloom White Corn Masa Harina. It has a neutral flavor and works great in tamales. We also suggest using a stand mixer for mixing the masa—it makes the process smoother and gives the best texture. Here’s the link to a tamal recipe using coconut oil: https://masienda.com/blogs/learn/vegan-tamales-with-cashew-crema.
Good luck with your class—we’d love to hear how it goes! Thanks again for giving our masa a try!
Hi Karen! Our masa harina is labeled with a best by date of one year from the production date, but with proper storage, we’ve found that it can last well beyond that. Because we produce on a rolling basis, the best by dates may vary, but we strive to ensure that there are at least 6 months of shelf life when you buy it. For the longest freshness, we recommend storing it in an airtight container in a cool place or freezing it.
A friend bought me your masa harina and I have used this for making corn bread. I have never used bagged masa for tamales. I have always used freshly ground masa. I grew up with using fresh masa. I have been using freshly ground masa from a local restaurant. They have used canola oil instead of lard. I could then, make tamales for my restaurant and provide vegan tamales or vegetarian tamale. I recently bought unprepared masa and used Avocado oil for the fat. Now, if I use your harina for tamales, how much oil would I mix for a bag of your harina? I am going to teach a tamale making class in about a month. I want to try your harina. Please let me know the amount of oil and what oil,not animal fat, would you all recommend? Thank you, I look forward to hearing your opinion and help. Thank you….Marina La Riva
How freshly ground is the masa if I buy it now?
Hi Johnnie, thanks for your question! The majority of our farmer partners are not commercial farmers but rather smallholder, subsistence growers (and not certified organic); we are not able to 100% guarantee that a specific product (i.e. pesticide) is not used within the network of 2,000 farmers. However, we always encourage and prioritize purchasing from growers that use regenerative organic practices. Our corn (and masa) is all certified non-GMO. The majority of these farmers use the traditional milpa system of growing corn, beans, and squash, which encourages soil health and weed suppression. Pesticides are not common, not only because the farmers don’t want to use them, but also because they’re not readily available nor a traditional growing/harvest practice. As far as post-harvest handling is concerned, we do not fumigate any product, rather, we use ultra hermetic storage for pest prevention. Let us know if you have any additional questions.
Is your masa organic and GMO-free?
Last year I made vegan masa w coconut oil and puréed guajillo chiles. Not only was it beautiful but they were so delicious!!!
I’m making some right now. I’m so excited to see how my blue maza tamales will be like!! Thanks for the recipe 😘 😋