This recipe for Tamales Rojos—or red chile tamales—highlights the rich, smoky flavors of chile colorado, blending tender shredded pork with a sauce made from earthy guajillo and spicy chile de árbol. Wrapped in light, fluffy homemade masa made from nixtamalized corn, these Mexican tamales are deeply savory with just the right kick of spice. For tamales with authentic, time-honored flavors, this recipe is a must-try.
Tamales rojos, with their rich, smoky chile colorado sauce and tender shredded pork, are one of the most popular and beloved tamales in Mexican households. From a young age, these tamales have been my favorite, full of bold and comforting flavors that take me back to my childhood. No matter what other types of tamales we made on Christmas Eve, whether they were tamales verdes or sweet ones, red tamales were always there, front and center.
These tamales are a family favorite for good reason. The blend of guajillo chiles and chile de árbol creates a flavorful sauce with just the right amount of heat to elevate the pork filling. Like all our tamales, my family follows the time-honored tradition of nixtamalizing the corn for the masa, adding an earthy, slightly nutty depth that you just can’t get from store-bought versions.
Learn to make these authentic tamales at home and enjoy the same flavors my family has cherished for generations.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Amazing Flavor: The rich combination of guajillo and chile de árbol creates a vibrant sauce that perfectly complements the tender pork. Nixtamalizing the corn results in a tender, fluffy masa, creating perfectly light and airy tamales.
- Authentic and Comforting: By following traditional methods, including nixtamalizing your own corn, you're ensuring that your tamales are truly authentic and full of flavor. This timeless dish evokes nostalgia and comfort, connecting you to cherished family traditions.
- Perfect for Celebrations: Red chile tamales are a classic choice for celebrations and gatherings, especially during the holidays.
For other traditional dishes served during the holidays or gatherings, check out Pozole Blanco, Slow Cooker Menudo and Enchiladas.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Masa for Tamales: For the best texture and flavor, I highly recommend using freshly made masa from nixtamalized corn. Check out my blog post to learn all the steps about how to nixtamalize corn for tamales. If you're short on time, pre-made masa from a local Mexican market is a good substitute, but it won’t have quite the same taste and texture as homemade.
- Shredded Pork: Prepare the meat ahead of time to speed up the cooking process. Follow my recipe for Mexican Shredded Pork, made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. This juicy, tender, and flavorful pork is the perfect complement to the red Chile sauce and tamales.
- Dried Chile Guajillo: Guajillo chiles are dried mirasol chiles with a balance of sweet and smoky flavors with a subtle heat. Find them in Latin American supermarkets or click here to buy online.
- Dried New Mexico Chile (optional): Dried New Mexico chiles have a fruity, earthy flavor. They are considered medium to hot. They tend to be a bit acidic, which is why this recipe doesn't use very many. However, in moderation they add a great taste to the sauce. I have found these at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Latin American supermarkets, and online.
- Dried Chile de Arbol: Small, thin red peppers with a fiery heat, dried chiles de arbol have a smoky, nutty flavor. Just a few of these peppers can add a lot of spice to any sauce. Find them in many grocery stores, Latin American grocery stores, and online.
- Ground Cumin: Avoid using too much cumin. Use a pinch of cumin to add depth to the sauce without overpowering the other flavors.
- Oregano: A little oregano can go a long way in adding flavor to the sauce.
- Dried Bay Leaf: A bay leaf adds a subtle sweetness and almost minty flavor that complements the oregano. Again, use too much and the flavor can overpower, so the key is to let all of these spices work together without any of them taking over.
- Broth: Pork or chicken broth adds extra flavor and is a better choice than plain water when blending the sauce.
- Oil: Use a high-heat, neutral-tasting oil like mild olive oil or avocado oil for cooking the sauce.
- Salt: I prefer using Kosher salt to season the pork and sauce for a cleaner, more balanced flavor.
- Corn Husks: Corn husks are the outer layers of corn cobs. Dried husks are used to wrap tamales, creating a natural casing that helps steam the tamales evenly, keeping the masa soft and moist. You can find dried corn husks at most grocery stores in the Latin American foods section or online.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chile Colorado Tamales
1. Make the Masa: Start by making homemade masa by following the instructions in my nixtamalizing corn for tamales post, but use half the quantity to yield enough masa for approximately 35 tamales.
2. Soak the Corn Husks: Soak the corn husks in a large bowl or pot of hot water for 30-45 minutes, or until softened. This will make them pliable and easier to work with. Drain the husks in a colander.
3. Cook and Shred the Pork: Cook and shred the meat. To speed up the prep time, cook the pork the night before or in the morning. For the chile colorado, you will need 4 cups of shredded pork. Follow my recipe for Mexican Shredded Pork, made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
4. Prepare the Chile Colorado Sauce: Boil the chiles until soft, then blend them with the spices and broth until smooth. Strain and cook the sauce in a pot over medium heat. Add the pork and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
5. Select a Corn Husk: Choose a medium-sized to large corn husk. Lay the husk on the palm of your hand with the smooth side facing up.
6. Spread the Masa: Add a generous tablespoon or two of masa to the center of the corn husk. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread the masa into an oval-shaped bed, avoiding the edges of the husk.
7. Add Filling: Spoon a generous teaspoon or two of the pork chile colorado into the center of the masa, creating a line down the middle.
8. Wrap the Tamales: Fold the sides of the husk over the filling, one on top of the other. Then, fold the narrow ends down toward the center. Lay the folded tamales seam side down on a flat surface until all tamales are filled and wrapped.
9. Prepare Pot: Add water and two pennies to the bottom of a tamal steamer pot (or a large pot with strainer). Ensure the water level remains below the steamer basket to prevent the tamales from getting wet. Line the steamer basket with soaked and drained corn husks.
10. Arrange Tamales: Stand the tamales upright on the rack, open end facing up. Arrange them comfortably, ensuring there’s enough space between each tamal for even steaming. If needed, steam the tamales in batches.
11. Steam Tamales: Cover the pot and bring to a boil. You should hear the pennies rattling at the bottom. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45-60 minutes. If the pennies stop rattling, add more hot water to the pot, being careful not to pour over the tamales.
12. Test for Doneness: Carefully remove a tamal from the pot and unwrap the husk. A fully cooked tamal will hold its shape and easily separate from the husk without sticking.
13. Set Tamales Aside: Once the tamales are cooked, carefully remove them from the pot to prevent overcooking from residual heat. Place them in a separate bowl or container.
Recommended for This Recipe
STEAMER POT WITH RACK
A large steamer pot is essential for cooking tamales. Its large size and tall shape allow tamales to steam evenly, ensuring perfectly cooked masa every time.
How to Serve
Tamales are delicious served by themselves. It's common to prepare a variety of tamales for special occasions. You might find a spread of red pork tamales, green chile and cheese tamales, bean tamales, mole tamales, and even sweet ones.
Other ways to enjoy tamales include:
- Breakfast with a side of scrambled eggs or fried eggs
- With side dishes like Mexican Refried Beans, Arroz Rojo, Mexican White Rice with Corn or Espagueti Verde
- Topped with salsas like Salsa Verde, Jalapeño Salsa, Serrano Salsa or Roasted Tomatillo with Chile de Arbol Salsa
- Accompanied by a warm drink such as Cafe de la Olla, Mexican Champurrado or Ponche Navideño
Storing and Freezing
Keep tamales wrapped in their corn husks and allow them to cool completely to room temperature when storing.
To refrigerate, place tamales in an airtight container or ziplock bag and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
While tamales can quickly become rancid when refrigerated, they freeze exceptionally well. For long-term storage, place the cooled tamales in an airtight freezer bag or container and enjoy them for up to 6 months.
Reheating
Tamales can be reheated directly from the freezer without thawing. However, if you prefer, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours. Remember to keep the tamales wrapped in their corn husks while reheating. Reheat using one of the following methods:
- Steam: I recommend steaming since the tamales will taste freshly made. Place them in a steamer basket or double boiler. Cover the pot and steam for 15-20 minutes (or up to 30 minutes if frozen), or until the masa is tender and the filling is hot. Check them frequently to avoid overcooking.
- Comal: A comal, a traditional Mexican griddle, is another excellent way to reheat tamales. Place the tamales on the hot comal and cook on each side until heated through and lightly toasted. If you don't have a comal, you can use a skillet instead.
- Microwave: Wrap each tamal in a damp paper towel to prevent drying. Arrange them on a microwave-safe plate with space between them. Heat on high for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through.
Tips and Variations
- Use a steaming rack: You can place a steaming rack or steamer basket in the bottom of the pot to prevent the tamales from touching the hot water. This will help prevent them from getting soggy.
- Avoid overcrowding: Don't overcrowd the steamer. Make sure there is enough space between the tamales for the steam to circulate evenly.
- Spread the masa on the smooth side: When spreading the masa on the corn husk, ensure that you are working on the smooth side, not the rougher side. This will help prevent the masa from sticking and ensures even cooking.
- Don't Add Too Much Filling: Overfilling tamales can cause them to burst open or leak. A modest amount of filling will ensure a perfectly wrapped and cooked tamal.
- Adjust the spiciness: Add more chiles de arbol for a spicier sauce, but for a milder sauce add only one chile de arbol or only use guajillo chiles. You can also remove the seeds and veins, which contain most of the heat.
FAQ
While you can use pre-made masa harina, making your own masa using the nixtamalization process will result in more flavorful and authentic tamales.
Tamales are popular for dinner on special occasions like Christmas Eve or Dia de Muertos. However, tamales can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Pork is the traditional choice for tamales rojos, but you could also use chicken or beef.
I hope you enjoy! If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment with a star rating below. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest to stay in touch, and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter.
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Recipe
Tamales Rojos (Red Chile Pork Tamales)
Equipment
- Instant Pot or slow cooker or large pot
- Small Dutch oven or pot
- saucepan
- Colander
- Spoons
Ingredients
- ½ batch Homemade Masa for Tamales
- 1 bag Corn Husks
Pork Chile Colorado
- 4 cups shredded pork
- 10 dried guajillo chiles
- 4 dried New Mexico chiles (optional)
- 2-3 dried arbol chiles
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 large garlic clove (or 2 small ones)
- 1 small bay leaf (or half a large one)
- 2 cups chicken broth (plus more if needed)
- 1 ½ tablespoons oil
Instructions
Masa
- Start by making homemade masa by following the instructions in my nixtamalizing corn for tamales post, but use half the quantity to yield enough masa for approximately 35 tamales. Specific directions for half a batch can be found in the notes section of that recipe card.
Corn Husks
- Soak the corn husks in a large bowl or pot of hot water for 30-45 minutes, or until softened. This will make them pliable and easier to work with. Drain the husks in a colander.
Pork Chile Colorado
- Cook and shred meat. To speed up the prep time, you can plan ahead and cook the pork the night before or in the morning.
- Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Break the stems off of all of the dried chiles and add them to the boiling water. Let the chiles boil for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Next, drain the chiles and place them in a blender or food processor. Add the cumin, oregano, ¼ teaspoon of salt, garlic, bay leaf, and 2 cups of chicken broth.
- Blend until smooth.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a different container. Use a spoon to mix and push the sauce to help it through the strainer and get rid of all the seeds and any unblended pieces. If you have a high-powered blender you may not need to strain.
- Heat oil in a small Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Pour the sauce in the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once the sauce is boiling, mix in the shredded pork. If the sauce looks too thick, add ¼-1/2 cups of additional chicken broth. Do not add too much broth or the sauce will become too thin and runny and will leak out of the tamales.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until heated through and to allow the flavors to come together.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Turn off the heat and set chile aside.
Assemble Tamales
- Choose a medium-sized to large corn husk. Lay the husk on the palm of your hand with the smooth side facing up (the rougher side should be facing out)
- Add a generous tablespoon or two of masa to the center of the corn husk. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread the masa into an oval-shaped bed, avoiding the edges of the husk.
- Spoon a generous teaspoon or two of the pork chile colorado down the center of the masa.
- Fold the sides of the husk over the filling, one on top of the other. Then, fold the narrow ends down toward the center. Lay the folded tamales seam side down on a flat surface until all tamales are filled and wrapped.
Steaming
- Add water and two pennies to the bottom of a tamal steamer pot (or a large pot with strainer). Ensure the water level remains below the steamer basket to prevent the tamales from getting wet. Line the steamer basket with soaked and drained corn husks.
- Stand the tamales upright on the rack, open end facing up. Arrange them comfortably, ensuring there’s enough space between each tamal for even steaming. If needed, steam the tamales in batches
- Cover the pot and bring to a boil. You should hear the pennies rattling at the bottom. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45-60 minutes. If the pennies stop rattling, add more hot water to the pot, being careful not to pour over the tamales.
- Carefully remove a tamal from the pot and unwrap the husk. A fully cooked tamal will hold its shape and easily separate from the husk without sticking.
- Once the tamales are cooked, carefully remove them from the pot to prevent overcooking from residual heat. Place them in a separate bowl or container.
Carolina
What an amazing and authentic recipe. Thank you! My family and I are planning to make these for the Christmas season and I cannot wait.
Gemma
That's great Carolina. I hope you love them!