Authentic Beef Tamales Recipe

Beef tamales are filled with tender shredded beef and a rich homemade ancho-guajillo chile sauce, then wrapped in soft masa and steamed in corn husks. They take some time to make, but each step is straightforward and worth the effort.

I like to get the beef cooking first, then soak the husks and prepare the chile sauce while it simmers. Once the filling and masa are ready, assembling the tamales feels much easier.

If you’re planning a full meal, serve these with my tomatillo salsa verde, refried beans, or avocado cream sauce.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Tender beef filling: Chuck roast becomes easy to shred after a gentle simmer.
• Deep chile flavor: Ancho and guajillo chiles make a smooth, savory sauce.
• Soft, flavorful masa: Beef broth seasons the dough throughout.
• Great for making ahead: Cooked tamales refrigerate and freeze well.

Ingredients

This is a list of the ingredients that you need to make your grocery shopping easier. You can find the full list of the ingredients and amounts needed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Dried corn husks: Soaking makes them flexible enough to fold around the filling. Choose a few extra large husks to cover the tamales while they steam.
• Beef chuck roast: Its connective tissue softens during the long simmer, giving you tender beef that shreds easily.
• Beef broth: It flavors the cooking liquid, helps blend the chile sauce, and moistens the masa. Keep additional warm broth handy in case the dough needs it.
• Onion: It adds savory flavor to the beef as it simmers.
• Garlic: Minced garlic seasons the beef, while whole cloves add flavor to the blended chile sauce.
• Salt: It seasons the beef and the masa separately, so neither tastes flat.
• Ground cumin: It adds an earthy note to both the beef and the sauce.
• Chili powder: It gives the simmering beef another layer of chile flavor.
• Dried oregano: Its herbal flavor balances the beef and dried chiles.
• Black pepper: It adds a little warmth to the cooking liquid.
• Vegetable oil: It helps the shredded beef and sauce heat together without sticking.
• Dried ancho chiles: These mild chiles give the sauce a dark color and a slightly sweet flavor.
• Dried guajillo chiles: They bring bright chile flavor and color to the sauce. Remove the stems and seeds before toasting.
• Apple cider vinegar: A small amount of acidity brightens the blended sauce.
• Masa harina: Use masa harina made for tortillas or tamales; ordinary cornmeal will give the dough a different texture.
• Lard or vegetable shortening: Beating the fat until fluffy helps make the masa lighter.
• Baking powder: It gives the masa a little lift as it steams.

How to Make Beef Tamales

This is a quick overview of the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe. You can find the complete list of instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Soak the husks. Cover the corn husks with very hot water and weigh them down with a plate. Soak for at least 30 minutes, until pliable.

2. Cook the beef. Add the beef, broth, onion, minced garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and pepper to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, until the beef shreds easily.

3. Shred and save the broth. Remove and shred the beef. Strain and reserve the cooking broth for the sauce and masa.

4. Make the chile sauce. Briefly toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet, about 30 seconds per side. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain. Blend with garlic, cumin, oregano, vinegar, and some reserved broth until smooth.

5. Season the filling. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the shredded beef and about 1 cup of chile sauce. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the beef is moist but not watery.

6. Make the masa. Beat the lard or shortening until fluffy. Whisk the masa harina, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Add the dry mixture to the fat in batches, alternating with warm broth, until the dough is soft and spreadable.

7. Assemble. Pat the husks dry. Spread masa over the wide end of each husk, add beef down the center, fold the sides inward, and fold up the narrow end.

8. Steam. Stand the tamales in a steamer with their folded ends down. Keep the water below the basket, cover the tamales with extra soaked husks, and steam for 60 to 75 minutes.

Substitutions and Additions

• Spicier filling: Blend a dried árbol chile into the sauce along with the ancho and guajillo chiles.
• Pork tamales: Use cooked, shredded pork shoulder in place of the beef.
• Shortening-based masa: Choose vegetable shortening instead of lard.
• Saucy serving option: Warm any chile sauce left after seasoning the beef and spoon it over the finished tamales.

Sandra’s Pro Tips

• Keep the husks submerged until you’re ready to fill them; dry husks can crack while folding.
• Toast the chiles only until fragrant. Burned chiles can make the sauce bitter.
• Check the steamer water during cooking and add hot water as needed.
• Let a test tamale rest briefly before checking it.
• Freshly steamed masa can seem sticky while it is still very hot.
• In a hurry? Steam your tamales in an Instant Pot! You can find the details in this homemade tamales post.

FAQs

Do you have questions about this beef tamales recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.

Other Delicious Mexican Recipes You May Enjoy

• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice
• Mexican Pinto Beans
• Instant Pot Pozole Mexican Soup
• Mexican Shredded Beef Recipe

Authentic Beef Tamales

Learn how to make authentic beef tamales with tender shredded beef and savory chile sauce wrapped in soft masa.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef tamales

Prep Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 24 tamales

Calories: 207kcal

Ingredients

• 24 corn husks, dried

For the beef

• 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into large chunks
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 onion, small quartered
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons salt divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the chile sauce

• 4 ancho chiles, dried stems and seeds removed
• 2 guajillo chiles, dried stems and seeds removed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the masa

• 3 cups masa harina
• 2 1/2 cups warm beef broth
• 1 cup lard or vegetable shortening softened
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prepare the corn husks

• Soak the corn husks in a large bowl of very hot water for at least 30 minutes, or until they are soft and pliable. Place a plate or heavy bowl on top of the husks to keep them submerged.

Cook the beef

• Place the beef chuck in a large pot or Dutch oven with 4 cups beef broth, the quartered onion, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.
• Remove the beef from the cooking liquid and reserve about 2 1/2 cups of the broth. Shred the beef with two forks.

Prepare the chile sauce

• For the chile sauce, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the ancho and guajillo chiles and toast for about 30 seconds per side, just until fragrant.
• Transfer the chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes, then drain. Add the softened chiles, 2 cloves garlic, cumin, oregano, apple cider vinegar, and about 1 cup of the reserved beef broth to a blender. Blend until smooth. If needed, add a little more broth to create a smooth sauce.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shredded beef and about 1 cup of the chile sauce. Stir well and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, allowing the flavors to come together. The beef should be moist but not watery. Remove from the heat and set aside. Reserve extra sauce for topping cooked tamales.

Prepare the masa

• Beat the softened lard or shortening in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the lard, alternating with the warm beef broth, mixing until a soft dough forms. The masa should be moist and spreadable, similar to thick peanut butter. If it seems dry, add a little more warm broth.

Assemble the tamales

• Drain the corn husks and pat them dry. Place one husk on a work surface with the smooth side facing up and the wide end toward you. Spread about 2 tablespoons of masa over the wide portion of the husk, leaving about 1 inch uncovered along the sides and about 2 inches at the narrow end. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the beef filling down the center of the masa.
• Fold the sides of the corn husk toward the center so the masa surrounds the filling, then fold the narrow end upward. Repeat with the remaining husks, masa, and beef.
  

Steam the tamales

• Arrange the tamales upright in a steamer basket with the folded ends facing down. Add enough water to the steamer pot to sit below the basket, making sure the water does not touch the tamales. Cover the tamales with a few extra soaked corn husks, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
• Steam the tamales for 60 to 75 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the pot does not run dry and adding more hot water if necessary. The tamales are done when the masa pulls away easily from the corn husk. Let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use the corn husk to tie the tamale by pulling a thin strip of the husk to secure around the tamale before steaming.

How To Store

• Storage: Refrigerate cooked tamales in a covered container for up to 4 days.
• Reheating: Steam refrigerated or frozen tamales until heated through.
• Freezing: Freeze cooked, cooled tamales for up to 3 months.

Steam in an Instant Pot

To steam tamales in an Instant Pot, place the metal basket on the bottom of the inner pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Place tamales in the basket (ensure the water doesn’t touch the tamales). Place the lid on top and lock in place. The vent should be in seal mode. Set on manual mode and set the timer for 15 minutes. Once complete let the tamales sit for another 10 minutes before removing them from the pot.  

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.02g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2mg

Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.