Red Chili Pork Tamales Recipe
Red Chili Pork Tamales are a flavorful celebration of tradition, featuring tender masa wrapped around pork simmered in a smoky, spiced red chili sauce. Perfect for gatherings or meal prep, they bring bold, authentic flavors to any table.
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Calories: 334kcal
Servings: 36
Equipment
- Blender
- Stand Mixer
- Steamer
- Corn Husks
Ingredients
Meat
- 5 to 6 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 cube chicken bouillon crushed
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups water
Red Chili Sauce
- 4 dried ancho chiles Stems removed, seeded, and rinsed
- 1 small onion cut into 4 chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chiles Stems removed, seeded, and rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves
Masa
- 1 pound 2 cups pork lard
- ½ cup red chili sauce
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 4 cups pork broth
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 5 ½ cups Maseca Tamal Instant Corn Masa Mix
Everything Else
- 1 pound bag dried corn husks
Instructions
- Rinse corn husks, soak them in warm water for 2+ hours, and pat dry before use.
- Trim fat, cut into chunks, and pressure-cook with seasonings for 90 minutes. Shred pork and mix with some broth.
- Boil ancho and guajillo chilies with onion and garlic. Blend and strain into a smooth puree. Mix some sauce into the shredded pork.
- Beat lard until fluffy, then mix with pork broth, chili sauce, and masa harina until smooth and spreadable. Test by dropping dough in water—it should float.
- Separate husks into “usable” for wrapping and “unusable” for ties.
- Spread masa on a husk, add pork filling, fold, and tie with strips.
- Stand tamales upright in the steamer basket, open ends up.
- Cook for 35 minutes in the Instant Pot on High Pressure.
- Unwrap and enjoy with chili sauce, sour cream, and your favorite sides!
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 450mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 0.1g