As a kid, we would sit at the table. Take the first bite of beef tamales, and we always had to say, “These are the BEST tamales ever!”
This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
My mom, my grandma, or whoever cooked them would smile and sheepishly look away. The next day, more tamales from another cook, and we would proclaim them to make the best tamales.
And on and on it went until the Holidays were over.
Sorry abuelita. Sorry mom. Sorry tías. I’m jumping in the ring, and proudly sharing with you the best beef tamales ever.
More Authentic Mexican Tamales: Pork Tamales, Tamales Dulces, Chicken Mole Tamales
Table of Contents
How to Make Beef Tamales
- 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.
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 Tamales de Frijol and Jalapeno Cheese Tamales .
- 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.
You can also do this in the slow cooker days before. Cooked beef lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.
Note: 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.
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.
Some people toast the chiles. This helps develop the chile flavors, but it’s totally up to you.
For the sauce, it will be the consistency of a thin paste.
- Heat the oil in a large pot. I use the same pot that I cooked the roast in.
- Add the red chile sauce and stir for 4-5 minutes.
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.
There are several Mexican Christmas Foods that are incredibly tasty. It’s not Christmas until there’s a tamal in one hand and Ponche Navideño in the other.
More Mexican Tamales
- Then add the shredded beef to the pot.
- Let it all simmer together for about 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Set aside.
Allow the filling to cool before assembling. If you add a hot filling to the masa, the lard in the masa will begin to cook.
Pro Tip: Invite friends over to help you assemble tamales. This is the fastest, most fun way to get them assembled quickly.
For healthier tamales, try using masa with olive oil instead.
How to Assemble Tamales
Directions: (see collage above)
1. Smear a damp corn husk with homemade masa for tamales
2. Add beef filling in the center of the corn husk and in the center of the masa.
3. Fold each side inward.
4. Then fold the corner top over.
5. Set each tamale into a large stock pot.
6. Steam for 1 ½ hour.
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.
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.
Extra Pro Tip:
- 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. This will help them harden.
How Long Do Tamales Last?
- Tamales last up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Tamales last up to 6 months in the freezer.
How to reheat tamales:
- Add the tamales to a steamer, open-side up. Cook for 15 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- For frozen tamales, add the tamales to a steamer, open-side up. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Add more water if necessary
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.
Beef Tamales, or Tamales de Res
Ingredients
- For Red Beef Chile Filling:
- 4 tablespoon oil divided
- 3-4 lbs beef shoulder roast
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper divided
- 4-6 cups beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic whole divided
- ¼ onion chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 package guajillo chiles
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- For Tamales:
- 30 Corn husks
- 3 ½ cups prepared Masa
- 3 lbs Red Chile Beef filling
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
- For the Filling:
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large stock pot.
- Season all sides of the beef roast with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Brown each of the sides of the roast.
- Add the beef broth, 3 garlic cloves, onion, and bay leaf.
- Cover and let simmer for 2 hours
- Remove the beef from pot. Let the meat rest.
- Reserve 2 cups of the beef broth. Discard the rest.
- In the meantime, remove stems and as many seeds as possible from the guajillo chiles.
- Soak guajillo chiles in warm water for 10 minutes, or until pliable.
- Discard the chile water.
- In a blender, add soaked guajillo chiles, 1 garlic clove, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and reserved beef broth.
- Blend into a red chile sauce.
- In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoon oil.
- Add the red chile sauce and cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While you’re waiting, shred the beef.
- Remove any extra fat.
- Add beef to the red chili sauce.
- Heat thoroughly. About 30 minutes.
- Set aside.
- For Tamales:
- Soak the corn husks for at least 30 minutes in hot water.
- With a knife or a spoon, spread a thin layer of the masa on the corn husk.
- In the center of the corn husk and in the center of the masa, add the filling.
- Fold the sides in.
- Fold the corner top in.
- Add 2 cups hot water to a steamer.
- Place a few of the corn husks on the bottom of the pot, then add the uncooked tamales. Open side up.
- Steam for 1 ½ hour.
Video
Notes
- Tamales last up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Tamales last up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Add the tamales to a steamer, open-side up. Cook for 15 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- For frozen tamales, add the tamales to a steamer, open-side up. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Add more water if necessary
Do you think this recipe would work with a pork roast instead?
Yes. I have a very similar recipe for red pork tamales. Here is the link to the recipe: https://inmamamaggieskitchen.com/red-pork-tamales/
What size of package for the guajillo chiles?
Things have changed since it first published. lol. Look for a 7-ounce bag, not the gigantic bag they offer nowadays.
Enjoy all types of tamales.
Yes, me too!
Turned out great. Very flavorful, the tamales I was looking for . Nice masa taste which I add more dry ingredients like onion powder garlic powder cumin to my masa .
Smells so good when it is steaming
Great! So glad you liked this recipe. Yes, adjust as you see fit.
That’s wonderful. So glad you liked this!
Me encantan los tamales y tu receta está taaan bien explicada. Muchas gracias (I love tamales and your recipe it’s sooo easy to follow with all the step by step and the instuctions, thank you!)
Hola Laura! Que bueno que te gustó mi receta! Espero la hagas!
My husband is Colombian, so we make tamales with chickpeas and chicken! He would say you need all three animals, but I’m not into pork. Yours look so good!
Thanks Ksenia! Hope you try this recipe
I was very lucky to get this recipe, because in Indonesia is rarely a recipe like this. Thanks Maggie Unzueta
Awesome! Greetings from San Diego, California 🙂
Our family is getting together this Friday to make some. Yours turned out so good. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like fun! Enjoy. 🙂
The older I get the more I love Tamales and wish that I could get them year round!
yum! I am going to attempt these during our Christmas break – looks so delicious!
Awesome. Have fun!
Ha! Love it! Family competition!! Can’t wait to try the recipe.
Oh, I LOVE tamales and I love making them. However, it takes quite a while, but it is so worth it. Yours look amazing!
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad I came across this post, because my husband is OBSESSED with tamales, and I’ve been trying to decide if I should make them myself. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tamales always seem so intimidating to me! Lol, but I may have to try my hand at them anyway because these look amazing!
-Clarissa @ theviewfromhere.is
They’re not hard to make. Just time consuming. Once you try it, you’ll see what I mean. Hope you enjoy!
No, no! No puedo mas con estas fotos tan bellas. Ya me dio hambre! xxoo
Gracias amiga. Ahora debes hacer tamales. 🙂
Can someone send me some Beef tamales all ready made? I’d be glad to pay you for them? Thank you.
lol. Sometimes I feel the same way.
Oh, My gosh These look so darn good! My son would absolutely love them, this was one of his favorites when he was a kid.
My son loves them too. I make him help me though. LOL. 🙂
Where do you buy all the ingredients to make Meat tamales the beef ones???
Any Mexican grocery store, but just about any grocery store in Southern California will have them during the holidays. If not, go to a Mexican market or online.
Do you have a beef tamale recipe using chili seasoning spices, like California or New Mexico spices?
I also have a birria tamales recipe but neither of these recipes use Chile California or New Mexico chile. You can always swap out the guajillo for california. I would use the same amount of chiles. Here’s the birria tamales recipe just in case https://inmamamaggieskitchen.com/birria-tamales/