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Red Chili Pork Tamales

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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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Anne Carter
Servings: 36

Equipment

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

  • Prepare Corn Husks: Rinse corn husks, soak them in warm water for 2+ hours, and pat dry before use.
    Preparing Corn Husks for Tamales
  • Cook Pork: Trim fat, cut into chunks, and pressure-cook with seasonings for 90 minutes. Shred pork and mix with some broth.
    Shredding the Pork for Tamales
  • Make Chili Sauce: Boil ancho and guajillo chilies with onion and garlic. Blend and strain into a smooth puree. Mix some sauce into the shredded pork.
    Mixing Chili Sauce into Shredded Pork for Tamales
  • Prepare Masa Dough: 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.
    Preparing Masa Dough for Tamales
  • Sort Corn Husks: Separate husks into “usable” for wrapping and “unusable” for ties.
    Assembling Tamales with Pork Filling
  • Assemble Tamales: Spread masa on a husk, add pork filling, fold, and tie with strips.
    Loading Steamer with Tamales
  • Load Steamer: Stand tamales upright in the steamer basket, open ends up.
  • Steam Tamales: Cook for 35 minutes in the Instant Pot on High Pressure.
    Steaming Tamales in Instant Pot
  • Cool Tamales: Let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Serve: Unwrap and enjoy with chili sauce, sour cream, and your favorite sides!
    Cooling Tamales After Steaming

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 450mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 0.1g