Chicken Tamales
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 2-1/2 hours + soaking Cook: 45 min.
YIELD: 20 tamales.
I love making these homemade tamales. They take a little time to make but are so worth the effort. I usually make them for Christmas, but my family wants them more often, so I freeze a big batch. —Cindy Pruitt, Grove, Oklahoma
Ingredients
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24 dried corn husks
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1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut up
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1 medium onion, quartered
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2 teaspoons salt
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1 garlic clove, crushed
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3 quarts water
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DOUGH:
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1 cup shortening
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3 cups masa harina
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FILLING:
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6 tablespoons canola oil
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6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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3/4 cup chili powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
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2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
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Hot water
Directions
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1.
Cover corn husks with cold water; soak until softened, at least 2 hours.
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2.
Place chicken, onion, salt and garlic in a 6-qt. stockpot. Pour in 3 qt. water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, 45-60 minutes. Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove bones and skin; discard. Shred chicken. Strain cooking juices; skim off fat. Reserve 6 cups stock.
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3.
For dough, beat shortening until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in small amounts of masa harina alternately with small amounts of reserved stock, using no more than 2 cups stock. Drop a small amount of dough into a cup of cold water; dough should float. If not, continue beating, rechecking every 1-2 minutes.
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4.
For filling, heat oil in a Dutch oven; stir in flour until blended. Cook and stir over medium heat until lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Stir in seasonings, chicken and remaining stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.
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5.
Drain corn husks and pat dry; tear 4 husks to make 20 strips for tying tamales. (To prevent husks from drying out, cover with a damp towel until ready to use.) On wide end of each remaining husk, spread 3 tablespoons dough to within 1/2 in. of side edges; top each with 2 tablespoons chicken filling and 2 teaspoons olives. Fold long sides of husk over filling, overlapping slightly. Fold over narrow end of husk; tie with a strip of husk to secure.
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6.
Place a large steamer basket in the stockpot over water; place tamales upright in steamer. Bring to a boil; steam, covered, adding hot water as needed, until dough peels away from husk, about 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
2 tamales: 564 calories, 35g fat (7g saturated fat), 44mg cholesterol, 835mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 7g fiber), 20g protein.
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