Tamales are a most to celebrate the holidays in Colombia. There are many different types of tamales in the country, this variation is popular in the Andean region of Colombia and my favorite tamal recipe because it’s the way my mom make them.
What are Tamales?
Tamal is a traditional dish in Many Latin American countries. Every cook, region and family has its own variation. They use different fillings, cooking methods, ways to wrap the tamales, but the principal is the same.
There are many variations of tamales in Colombia, but they all have something in common and is that Colombian Tamales are all wrapped in banana leaves. This is one of the most popular dishes to eat during the Christmas season in the country, but I also love making them all year round for breakfast with arepa and Colombian Ají.
I am going to post many types of tamales recipes in my blog but to start let me introduce you the Tamales Antioqueños, from the region Antioquia, my hometown. This tamales recipe is my mom’s and they are delicious. Nobody makes them as good as my mother, but these came pretty close :). It is a tradition in my family to make these tamales for Noche Buena, our traditional Christmas Eve celebration, although we eat them year round as well.
Tips to Make Tamales
I suggest making the marinade a couple of days before to make the process easier, then the next day marinade the meat and place it in fridge overnight for extra flavor.
Then the next day assemble the tamales and you can cook them the same day or keep them wrapped in the fridge and cook them the day after.
Colombian Tamales Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 4 scallions chopped
- 4 tablespoons ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons sazon Goya with azafran or Color
- Salt
- 2 cups water
Filling:
- 1 pound pork belly cut into 12 pieces
- 1 ½ pounds pork meat cut into 12 pieces
- 2 pounds bone in pork ribs cut into pieces
- 3 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
- 1 cup carrots peeled and diced
Masa
- 1 pound yellow precooked corn meal masarepa
- 5 cups water
- Salt
- ½ cup marinade
- 2 tablespoons sazon Goya with azafran or color
Wrapping:
- 2 pounds banana leaves cut into pieces about 15 inches long
- String
- Water and Salt to cook the tamales
Instructions
Marinade:
- Place all the marinade ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade to prepare the masa.
- In a large plastic bowl place all the meat, add 1 ½ cups of the marinade. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.
To prepare the masa:
- Place the masarepa in a large bowl, add the water, salt, sazon Goya or color and reserved marinade. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands.
To assemble the tamales:
- Wash the leaves well with hot water and set aside.
- Place 1 piece of the leaf on a work surface and place a second leaf on top, pointing in the opposite direction, like forming a cross.
- Spread ¾ cup of masa in the center of the banana leaves, at the point where they connect and form a cross. Place 1 piece of pork, 1 piece pork belly and 1 piece of rib on top of the masa and place about 1 tablespoon of peas, 1 tablespoon of carrots and 2 tablespoons of potatoes on top of the meat.
- Fold the banana leaves up, one of the four sides at the time, so that the leaves enclose all of the filling, like you’re making a package. Tie with butcher’s string. Continue the process until all the tamales are wrapped and tied.
- Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add the tamales and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove the tamales from the pot and let them sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Cut the string and serve in the leaves. Serve hogao on the side if desired.
Notes
- Banana leaves are sold in Latin and Asian markets.
- Colombian tamales are made with precooked corn meal. You can find it at Latin markets or Amazon.
- Tamales will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month in a zip lock bag.
- To reheat the tamales: Steam your tamales for about 30 minutes or 45 minutes if if they are frozen or use the microwave for a faster method place one tamal on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 10 minutes or until they are warm.
Nutrition
Some Colombian Tamales Variations
Tamales tolimenses, tamales Vallunos, tamales de pescado, tamales de pipian, tamales de Nariño, tamales Santandereanos and there are many more.
Juliana
Hey, just want to say that the recipes you post are always delicious 🙂 My husband is Colombian and whenever he misses the tastes of home we always come here to look for something to cook! 🙂
Thank you!
Heather
Looks fabulous! If I were to substitute chicken for the pork, do you have recommendations on which cuts and how much?
I am confused about using cut pork ribs if I should ever make those...and leaving the bone in during the prep? I don't follow...I am somewhat of a cooking novice, but I am stumped as to leaving bone in while preparing these.
Vicente perez
ud. corta la costilla en pedacitos de 5 cm con hueso y todo y cuando se los vaya a comer saca los huesos y se come el resto
Cory
Hi Erica,
First of all, thank you so much for sharing all these amazing recipes! Love them! this is my go-to website for Colombian recipes. Today I'm finally being brave enough to take on this tamales recipe. I love tamales, but the ones I find here in SoCal are only Mexican tamales which are totally different to ours. Wish me luck, I'll let you know how they turn out!
Alex Harris
I love Colombian tamales! One of my best friends is from Colombia and he used to cook them for us. I should ask them to him again!
Lita Waston
Can you give some tips to keep tamales in good condition to everyone? I think it is a good idea to improve your post.
Vicente perez
puede dejar enfriar los tamales y congelarlos e ir calentando al vapor cuando se necesiten
MaryLuz
Hola Erica,
Me considero paisa, soy Risaraldense!
Vivo en US. Y como tú, disfruto del placer de nuestra variada gastronomía colombiana justo aquí en casa, lo más parecido posible. Gracias por tu aporte, tus recetas me sirven mucho de base. Quería preguntarte: Será que se puede cocinar la carne cruda dentro del tamal? Es decir, no hay necesidad de precocinar? Espero tu respuesta, gracias!
Erica Dinho
No, yo la pongo cruda.
Carla S.
Is there any way you could make these tamales ahead of time and just reheat them? If so, what's the best way to reheat - steam again, oven, microwave?
Erica Dinho
Yes, steam.
Lucero Young
I just made these yesterday for the first time, and oh my goodness they're delicious! My mom's Colombian, but unfortunately she never taught us to speak english. I'm so grateful for your website! It allows me to stay connected to my Colombian heritage through all the amazing recipes that you have provided. Thank you! 🙂
Alison.
Do you cook the tamales inside of the water or only with the vapor?
Really looking forward to make them... YUM!
Erica Dinho
I cook them inside salted boiling water.
Eloise
Erica, donde consigues las hojas de banana en USA? walmart?
Erica Dinho
En mi supermercado. Marca Goya.
l crane
lo mejor de los tamales es la maza la maza se tiene que precocinar se hace como una mazamorra espeza se hace un licuado en la licuadora de sal cilantro ppimientoes verde rojo,y Amarillos cebolla hajos un jalapeno y el recado de puerto rico y un frasco pequeno de recao puerto riqueno goya yo lo divido de acuerdo a la cantidad de tamales qque haga mezclo la mitad de un talego de mazeca la que usan los mexicanos y la mezcll conmi licuado mas yo uso mi caldo de pollo no mucho y lo revuelo con la arina y mi licuado se agiegue mas caldo pero recuerde que cuando se revuelve tiene que se espezo pero no muy espezo yo cocino revolviendo continuamente la maza hase espese sin que sea un pegote recuerde si necesit mas caldo pongalo la maz tiene que quedar blanda y suave se hace lomismo con la aarina de maiz que se usa en colombia pero si se hace con la mazeca son mucho mejor pruebe la maza para el sabor y la sal se me olvido pongale sal cominos color y pimienta yo cocino la mia por 5 minutos pruevela y attiene que quedar de un sabor delicioso yo le pongo dos pedazos de papa y tambien alcaparras olivas y se me olvido a la maza hay que ponerle aseite dell que te guste mi esposo se come la maza cuando yo le doy la prueba y le gusta mucho yo cosino mi cerdo en mi horno lo dejo a 270 grados por toda la noche me queda delicioso mi pollo lo cosino con ootro licuado quisado y el guisado que me queda se lo pongo a lla maza luego los cocino por 45 minutos o una hora los pongo en la vaporera poniendo un penny en el fondo para saber cuando necessito mas agua el agua se tiene que empeza caliente y calintee se le agregua yo cuardo mis hojs usada las juago y las pongo en un talego plastico en el frizer y la uso la proxima vez que hago tamales cubriendo los con ellas pongo la tapa y los cocino buena suerte odio esta computadora yo prefiero escrbir a mano para las arepas la maza se precocina en el microondas un minuto o un minuto y medio se le pone el agua se revuelve la harina que quede un poco suelta cuando la maza como que se despega de los lados del plato se saca del microondas se cubre con papel de oplastico y se deja resposr po otro minuto luego se le agrega la que quieras y formas la arepa ya sabes mi e mail si quiere escribeme ya quisiera mandartetodos mis libros de cosina si tienes una direccion donde yo pueda te mandaria uno cada mes yo fuy profesora de espanol aqui y ya estoy retirada tengoartritis ya no hago lo que hacia antes mi ortografia es mala pero no la corrijo me duelen muchos mis dedos buena suerte yo te almiromucho eres una bella persona a si que si quieres mis libros dejame saber rachael rey esta consiguiendo persona que masden recetas para ponerlas en un libro ella hace muchas competencias mira el cannal l3 a la 9 de la manana con mujcho carina l crane
Erin
Hi,
I have avoided making tamales and arepas for my family the past few yrs because we avoid all products containing GMOs. All masarepa is made from Genetically Modified corn here in the US that is exported to South America. I am happy to report that I have finally found a way to make organic masarepa!!! You can find hard organic corn at most health food stores.
jenniferskitchen.com/2012/06/colombian-arepas
I have also used Bob's Red Mill Bobs Red Mill Masa Harina which comes very close, but the link above is by far the closest thing I have found. My mother-in-law says this is the way they made it when she was a girl growing up in the mountains in LaMerced.
gina
Hi,
I have frozen the tamales - any tips for how to re-heat?
Thx.
Gina
vicente perez
Pongalos al vapor por lo menos media hora
Priscilla
Does the meat have to be cooked before its added. And can you use wax paper or something so when you cook them doesnt get alot of water inside. And when you cook them water needs to boil
How much water do you add?
Erica Dinho
1. I don't cook the meat before.
2. Sometimes I use wax paper or foil to wrap them.
3. I cook them in salted boiling water.
Elizabeth
Estoy feliz de haber encontrado esta pagina con recetas de mi querida Colombia. Felicitaciones Erica a ti y a tu madre.
kitkat
I am making tamales right now. I found fresh cut banana leaves and the ready to use MASA at a latin super market in Atlanta. I am steaming them , because I don't like to boil them , the water gets kind of greasy.
I am using a steamer I got a the Asian supermarket, which is perfect for sticky rice and now Tamales 🙂
Maritza N Heg
Why does the water get to greasy? Thanks.
Luz Adriana
Hi Erika!! Thanks for the tamales recipe!! My mom used to made for Christmas eve and always were delicious. She used pork and chicken. My mom cooked tamales in water, not steamed.