Beef Tamales (Tamales de Res)

Published: Dec 1, 2019 · Updated: Aug 17, 2026 by Maggie Unzueta

Make authentic beef tamales with tender shredded beef, rich red chile sauce, and fluffy masa. Perfect for the holidays and celebrations!

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Three beef tamales served on a white plate, topped with diced tomato salsa and garnished with a fresh cilantro leaf.

There is nothing quite like the comforting aroma of tender shredded beef simmered in rich red chile, wrapped in warm corn masa, and steaming away on the stove during the holidays.

These Beef Tamales (or tamales de res) capture the hearty, robust flavors of Northern Mexico, where beef is king and family recipes are guarded like treasure.

Whether you are carrying on a cherished holiday tradition or making tamales for the very first time, this step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know to make melt-in-your-mouth, authentic Mexican beef tamales right in your own kitchen.

Also try this recipe with pork: Red Pork Tamales

Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️

Incredible Northern Mexican Flavor: Made with tender chuck roast and a savory, aromatic guajillo chile sauce that packs deep, authentic flavor without being overwhelmingly hot.
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture: Slow-simmered beef combined with fluffy, flavorful masa creates the ultimate comforting bite.
Freezer-Friendly: Tamales freeze beautifully, making them the ultimate make-ahead meal for busy holiday seasons or quick weeknight dinners.
Tradition in Every Bite: Perfect for gathering friends and family around the kitchen table for a classic tamalada.

-Maggie

A Family Tradition

As kids, we would sit around the kitchen table, take that very first bite of beef tamales, and immediately declare with absolute certainty: “These are the BEST tamales ever!”

My mom, my grandma, or whichever tía happened to cook them that day would just smile and sheepishly look away. Then, the very next day, more tamales would arrive from another family cook, and we would enthusiastically proclaim theirs to be the best ones yet. And on and on it went until the holiday season finally came to an end.

Sorry, abuelita. Sorry, mom. Sorry, tías. I’m finally jumping in the ring and proudly sharing with you what just might be the best beef tamales ever.

What People Are Saying

This recipe has been on the website since 2016, and I love finding comments from readers who made it long ago. Here is one from 2021:

A five-star review by Michaela describes flavorful tamales with added onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin, noting they smell good when steaming. The review is dated June 17, 2021, on a green background.

I love knowing that this recipe has been making its way into other kitchens for years.

Dried corn husks soaking in a metal bowl filled with water, preparing them for use in cooking.

🫔How to Make Beef Tamales

🌽Preparing Corn Husks

Start by separating the corn husks. They tend to stick together.
Remove any debris or hair.
Submerge them in hot water for 20-30 minutes, or until pliable.

Can’t find them at the store? Order corn husks online.

Four-panel image showing a homemade tomato sauce preparation process. Ingredients include tomatoes, garlic, and spices in a blender. The mixture is blended, then poured through a sieve into a bowl, resulting in a smooth sauce.

🌶️ How To Make the Red Chile Sauce

Soak the guajillo chiles in warm water for 10 minutes, or until pliable.
Reserve 2 cups of beef broth from the cooked roast.
Blend them with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper, and the reserved beef broth. Taste it for salt.

For the sauce, it will be the consistency of a thin paste.

Taste it. If you find the sauce to be too spicy. Blend it with a tomato.

For an even spicier sauce, add a rehydrated chile de arbol pepper to the blender.

It’s not Christmas until there’s a tamal in one hand and Ponche Navideño in the other.

Four images show stages of cooking beef: raw beef in a pot, browned beef, sauce being poured over the beef, and shredded beef simmering in red sauce.

🥩 How To Cook The Beef

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Then sear the beef on all sides.
Add the broth, garlic, onion, and bay leaf.
Cook until fork tender. About 2 hours.
Shred the beef. Return it back to the pot.
Add the red chile sauce and broth.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Allow the filling to cool before assembling.

I used regular chuck roast beef. You can also use top sirloin or bottom round. Chuck has a fatty area that gives a lot of flavor to these Mexican tamales. You can also do this in the slow cooker days before. Cooked beef lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.

This Beef Tamales recipe is the way we make them in Durango, Mexico where my father and the majority of our family still lives.

We are big beef eaters in Northern Mexico, but there are equally delicious vegetarian tamales like Jalapeno and Cheese Tamales and Tamales de Frijol.

A bowl filled with thick peanut butter cookie dough, with a wooden spoon partially submerged in the mixture. The bowl rests on a wooden surface.

🥄 How To Make Masa

Beat lard (or shortening) until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the masa harina, salt, and baking powder.
Gradually add the masa harina mixture, beef broth, and red sauce to the lard bowl. Do this until you get a soft fluffy masa.

We are making masa for tamales with lard, but if you prefer oil, here’s my recipe for masa with olive oil.

Four-step process of making tamales: spreading masa on a corn husk, adding shredded meat filling, folding the tamale, and wrapping it closed. All steps are shown with hands holding the tamale over a bowl.

👩🏼‍🍳 How To Assemble Tamales

Smear a damp corn husk with masa.
Add beef filling in the center of the corn husk and in the center of the masa.
Fold each side inward.
Then fold the corner top over.
Set each tamale into a large stock pot.
Steam for 1 ½ hour.

A large silver metal pot with a lid is placed on a stove burner. The stove's digital clock displays 28:16. A whisk is visible in the background on a kitchen counter.

This is the tamale steamer that I have used for many, many tamale season.

Make them faster in nearly half the time. Check out Instant Pot Pork Tamales and Instant Pot Chicken Tamales.

🌟 Pro Tips

If the tamales are not done after 1 ½ hour, check the water. Add water if necessary, and let them steam for extra ½ hour.
If they are not done after 2 hours. Turn off the heat, and let them sit in the pot with the lid on. This will help them harden.
How you know when the tamales are ready: If the masa pulls away from the corn husks easily, they are done. If not, add more water to the pot and continue steaming.
Invite friends over to help you assemble tamales. This is the fastest, most fun way to get them assembled quickly.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the beef filling ahead of time?

Yes! You can cook and shred the beef and prepare the red chile sauce 1 to 2 days in advance. Store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your tamales.

What is the best cut of beef for tamales?

Beef chuck roast is the top choice because it has a wonderful balance of meat and marbling. As it slow-cooks, the fat renders down, keeping the beef exceptionally tender and adding incredible flavor to the meat. You can also use top sirloin or bottom round if preferred. Just chop into small pieces.

Why did my masa stick to the corn husks?

If your masa sticks to the husk, it usually means the tamales need a little more time to steam, or the masa was spread too thin. When fully cooked, the fluffy masa should easily and cleanly peel away from the corn husk.

How do I store and reheat leftover tamales?

Refrigerator: Store cooked tamales in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze uncooked or cooked tamales for up to 5 months. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Steam refrigerated tamales open-side up for about 15 minutes, or frozen tamales for 20 to 25 minutes, until heated completely through.

A close-up of a fork holding a bite of beef tamale topped with salsa, with the rest of the tamale and corn husk on a white plate in the background.

🍴 More Authentic Mexican Tamales

Making tamales is truly a labor of love, but every single fold and minute of steaming is worth it when you take that first warm, comforting bite. Gather your favorite people, put on some festive music, and turn this recipe into a memorable tradition in your own home.

¡Buen provecho!

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More Mexican Beef Recipes

About Maggie Unzueta

Maggie Unzueta is the face behind In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been publishing Mexican recipes and creating delicious recipes since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

Comments

5 from 38 votes (31 ratings without comment)

Beef Tamales (Tamales de Res)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️

A Family Tradition

What People Are Saying