Making amazing tasting green chile chicken tamales with fresh homemade ingredients. This guide will show how to prep & cook authentic green chile tamales with chicken, including making fresh masa complete with video, pictures and product links.

How To Make Authentic Green Chile Chicken Tamales - In 10 Steps

Estimated Quantity: 25 Tamales

1. Soak Husks 30-60 minutes until softened
2. Boil Chicken Breasts SAVE water for chicken broth to make the Masa
3. Boil Tomatillos, Jalapeños, Serranos, & White Onion
4. Make Masa
5. Make Chile
6. Prep Chicken
7. Dry Off Husks
8. Assemble Tamales
9. Steam Tamales
10. Cool & Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 Pounds Chicken Breasts (3-4 pieces)
• 1 Package Corn Husks (approx. 1 lb)
• 2 ½ Tablespoons Caldo con Sabor de Pollo (Knorr Brand Chicken Flavor Bouillon)
• 1 Tablespoons Adobo All Purpose Limón & Pimienta Seasoning (Goya Brand Lemon & Pepper)

Masa

• 4 Cups Instant Corn Masa Mix (Maseca Brand Tamal 4.4 pound bag)
• 4 Teaspoons Redmond ® Real Salt
• 1 ⅓ Cups Lard
• 2 ⅔ Cups Chicken Broth (broth from boiled chicken)
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Green Chile

• 6 Serrano Peppers
• 3 Jalapeños
• 18 Tomatillos
• 1 Medium White Onion
• 4 Sprigs of Cilantro

Recommended Equipment

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Flat Beater
• Imusa 40 Qt. Aluminum Steamer Pot Amazon Link
• Pyrex Mixing Bowls Amazon Link
• Ninja Blender Amazon Link
• Silicon Spatula Amazon Link

1. Step 1: Soak Husks
• Fill Imusa pot with HOT tap water, up to the steamer rack and place the husks in (about 35).
• Add husks one-by-one so husks soak evenly. Soak for 30-60 minutes, until softened.

2. Step 2: Boil Chicken Breasts
• Fill a large pot with about 2 gallons of water and bring to a boil.
• Add chicken breasts, 2 ½ Tablespoons of Caldo con Sabor de Pollo and 1 Tablespoons of Limón & Pimienta seasonings.
• Turn heat to medium/low for 30-45 minutes until chicken is cooked.
• Place chicken in a pyrex bowl and cover. Store in the refridgerator for 30 minutes until it's time to assemble tamales.

• TIP - SAVE the water. The water will be used as the chicken broth to make the fresh homemade masa.
3. Step 3: Boil Tomatillos, Jalapeños, Serranos, & White Onion
• In a large pot, fill with water halfway and bring to a boil.
• Add ingredients and boil for 20-25 mins or until you see the tomatillos turn a lighter green.

• Once ingredients are softened, strain and let cool for 15 minutes.

4. Step 4: Make Masa
• Mix corn flour, salt and baking powder in a Kitchenaid mixer using flat beater for a few seconds.

• Add lard and mix on low for 30 seconds.
• Continue at a low speed and slowly add chicken broth.
• TIP - Warm the broth before adding. This will produce more consistent masa and it will also be easier to spread on husks later..
• Once broth is added turn up speed to medium and mix for 30 seconds.

5. Step 5: Make Chile
• Once chile ingredients are cooled (from step 3), pour into Ninja Blender.
• OPTIONAL: Add cilantro and salt (~1 ½ teaspoons), to taste.

• Blend of medium for 5 seconds. Chile should appear chunky. Set aside in blender.

6. Step 6: Prep Chicken
• Remove cooled chicken from the fridge and 'clean' fat and other particles from each piece.
• Tear each piece into small strips so it will be easy to stuff Tamales and eat! (Picture for reference).

• Use a large Pyrex bowl and add chicken. Slowly add chile from the blender, just enough to coat chicken.
• TIP - Adding too much chile can result in uneven cooking times and consistency.
• TIP - Any extra chile can be used as salsa for chips, cooked tamales, etc..

7. Step 7: Dry Off Husks
• Drain all the water in Imusa pot and lay out the husks on a towel.
• Dry off each husk as best as you can. They can still be slightly wet.
• Take the smaller husks and tear small strips to use for tying tamales.

8. Step 8: Assemble Tamales
• Take a husk and with one hand hold the smaller end. With the other hand take a scoop of Masa and evenly spread on ¾ of the husk.

• Once Masa is spread, add the chicken-chile mixture. (Picture for reference) Amount will vary. Add an even amount of chicken and Masa.

• Take the end with the chicken and roll tightly to the other end of the husk. Tamale should be tightly rolled.

• Take one of the ties and tie it at the smaller end of the tamale. Double knot it.

9. Step 9: Steam Tamales
• Fill Imusa pot with water just below the steam rack. Place a coffee mug or non-breakable cup in the center of the steam rack. Bring water to a boil.
• Add each tamale one by one so each tamale is leaning upright and leaning towards the cup in the center.
• Lower heat from high to medium. Place the lid on the pot and keep it open just an inch. Steam for an hour to an hour and a half.

• TIP - Check a larger tamale to ensure batch is thoroughly cooked..
• Steam until all cooked. Should not take more than 2 hours. If it takes longer you may have added too much chile, masa or tamales are larger in size. No worries, just steam until masa is done.
10. Step 10: Cool & Enjoy

• Let tamales cool on wire rack for a few minutes.
• Untie, unroll and enjoy!

Watch each step in full detail in our YouTube video - Amazing Green Chile TAMALES Recipe - Fresh Tamales from Scratch!!!

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