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This Masa for Tamales recipe is a keeper! Be sure to print it.
We have used this recipe for generations and generations in my family, and it has never done us wrong.
It’s a basic and very easy recipe that’s perfect for making delicious tamales.
Keep reading! I provide several Pro Tips to ensure success in your kitchen.
Table of Contents
- 1 Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipes:
- 2 Ingredients Needed
- 3 Other Recipes that use Masa Harina:
- 4 How to Make It
- 5 More Tamales Recipes:
- 6 How to tell if the masa is ready:
- 7 Advice for the newbie tamale maker:
- 8 How Long Do Tamales Last?
- 9 How to reheat tamales:
- 10 How to Make Masa for Tamales
- 11 How much masa do I need?
- 12 Ingredients Notes:
- 13 How Long Do Tamales Last:
Authentic Mexican Tamales Recipes:
Red Pork Tamales
Tamales Dulces
Pickled Jalapeño and Cheese Tamales
Beef Tamales
Ingredients Needed
- Masa Harina – In a nutshell, this is a special type of ground corn.
- Warm Water – Good substitutes are chicken stock and vegetable broth.
- Baking Powder
- Shortening – or Lard
- Salt
Nowadays, most stores will carry all the ingredients you need to make flavorful tamales.
Or, if you are lucky enough to live by a Mexican grocery store, they will carry prepared masa or fresh masa. Just know that if you buy prepared masa dough it will most likely include LARD.
Another thing you can do is ask your local Mexican restaurant if they sell prepared masa.
Other Recipes that use Masa Harina:
Corn Tortillas
Gorditas
Sopes
Tlacoyos
How to Make It
- Start by whipping the vegetable shortening.
- You can also use pork lard.
Traditionally, masa is made with lard. It is used for both sweet and savory tamales – think pie crusts made with lard.
Not a fan of lard or shortening? Try masa with oil. 100% vegan and “better-for-you” than the traditional type.
- After the shortening is whipped, set it aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
Notice how there are no spices mentioned in the recipe. This is a basic recipe.
Spices you can for savory tamales:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Spices to add for sweet tamales:
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground anise
- Add some of the dry mixture to the whipped shortening. Little by little on low speed.
- You want it to be light, creamy, and fluffy. Think cookie dough.
By the way, the tamales that you purchase at the store are supposed to be big.
Sometimes, the corn husks come small or ripped. It’s ok to make smaller tamales.
More Tamales Recipes:
Chicken Salsa Verde Tamales
Northern Style Bean Tamales
Vegetable Tamales
Turkey Pibil Tamales
- Add water (or chicken broth) and the masa harina mixture, little by little.
- Mix slowly on the stand mixer. Scrape down the sides from time to time.
- Take turns adding the broth and masa harina mixture until it forms a soft consistency.
If you are making savory tamales, use chicken broth, pork broth, beef broth, or vegetable stock.
Some people will add the liquid from the cooked meat to the masa mixture. This will give your tamale dough very good FLAVOR.
How to tell if the masa is ready:
The float test! (Note: This is not waterboarding. Masa never talks) 😀
- Take a dollop of masa and drop it in a cup of water.
- If the masa floats, it’s ready!!
- If it doesn’t float, beat it some more. There’s NO such thing as over-mixing here.
- Mix until it floats. It might just need more shortening.
- After that, you’re ready to spread, fill with your favorite filling, wrap tamales, and load up your steamer pot.
Making tamales is not hard. It’s just time consuming. That’s why you must try Instant Pot Pork Tamales and Instant Pot Chicken Tamales.
They cook in nearly half the time!
Advice for the newbie tamale maker:
- Grab a couple of friends and have a tamalada, or tamale party. It will go quicker with friends.
- If your masa for tamales is grainy, add more liquid and more fat (shortening or lard, whatever it is you are using).
- If the masa is too stiff, add more liquid (whatever broth or water you are using).
- If you run out of broth, use water but adjust the salt by adding more.
- If you run out of shortening or lard, you can add oil. Be careful what type of oil you add. Olive oil will change the flavor.
- Have your filling and masa for tamales ready to go.
- Soak the corn husks the night before.
- Make as many tamales as you can and freeze them.
- Invest in a good steamer.
- Invite friends to help…. I might have already said that, but I can’t stress this enough.
How Long Do Tamales Last?
- Tamales last 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Tamales last 6 months in the freezer.
For leftover masa, make champurrado. It goes perfectly with tamales.
How to reheat tamales:
- For thawed tamales, place in hot steamer for 20 minutes.
- For frozen tamales, place in hot steamer for 25-30 minutes. Check after 25 minutes.
- Oven reheat method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap in foil paper and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes if thawed and 25-30 minutes if frozen.
You’re going to LOVE this masa for tamales recipe. From my family to yours, hope you enjoy!
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How to Make Masa for Tamales
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup lard (or shortening)
- 2 cups masa harina 20 ounces (for tamales)
- 1 ½ tspn salt
- 1 tspn baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups hot water (or chicken broth)
Instructions
- Beat the lard with your mixer until smooth. About 2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the masa, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients in small batches to the mixer.
- Alternate with the water until completely mixed.
- Beat until smooth, and scrape down each time.
- Knead until you form a smooth dough.
- The masa should look like wet sand.
Video
Notes
How much masa do I need?
This recipe only makes 1 dozen (12 tamales). To make 50 tamales: 8 cups masa harina, 7 cups broth, 5 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoon baking powder, 2 ½ cups shortening. To make 100 tamales: 16 ½ cups masa harina, 14 cups broth, 10 teaspoon salt, 8 teaspoon baking powder, 5 cups shortening. Please note: if you are using broth, taste for salt before adding as the broth might already have salt in it.Ingredients Notes:
You can use all water and omit the chicken broth. You can also use the broth from the cooked meat filling. If you run out of shortening or lard, you can also use oil. Be careful on what type of oil. Some oils such as olive oil will change the flavor of the masa and the tamales. This is a basic masa recipe. Add spices to flavor the masa. See post for suggestions. The Float Test: Drop a small ball of masa into water. If it floats, the masa is ready.How Long Do Tamales Last:
- Tamales last 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Tamales last 6 months in the freezer.
Jeanette
I tried your tamales the other night, got the recipe from FB. My husband was impressed. So I looked your website up & let me tell you, I’m so excited to be trying new thing in the kitchen.
Maggie U
So glad you enjoyed this Jeanette!
Gilbert Mom Blogger
YEEEEEESSSS! Now THIS is the kind of recipe I need to know!
Maggie U
Hope you try it!
Farrah Less
I love homemade tamales my el salvadorian friend made it one time and it was delicious. I would like to try this recipe and hopefully i will do good.
Maggie U
I think you will. I love this recipe hope you do too.
Kate | Life of a Ginger
Oh yum!! I LOVE good tamales. I made some for a party last year and they were a big hit!
Maggie U
So glad you enjoyed this Kate!
Lois
The masa is very simple. I always thought it was more difficult than that. Thanks for that recipe.
Maggie U
Hope you try it! Easy and delicious
Kathy
I’ve always wanted to make tamales. They’re so good. I’m going to save this so I can try making it later.
Maggie U
This recipe is delicious. Hope you try it!
Lynndee
My husband loves tamales but he always just buy the ones from the supermarket. I’d love to make this for him.
Maggie U
This recipe is easy and delicious. Hope you try it!
Gervin Khan
Tamales is one of favorite recipe that my mom made and that is so delicious and I love it!
Maggie U
Hope you try this recipe!
Nikki Wayne
Most of the time I just buy the prepared one but it sounds great to make my own.
Maggie U
This recipe it’s really easy to make! Hope you try it.
Ghanashyam K
This looks amazing, will definitely be trying it out soon!
Maggie U
Thanks! Hope you try it!
Bri
I’ve always wanted to try to make these but didn’t know how! Thank you!!
Maggie U
Easy and delicious. Hope you try it!
Kelli A
Sounds like a great recipe. My gram still bakes and cooks with LARD. Always has and at 82 hasn’t stopped yet! I will have to see what she thinks about this one! sounds like a great dinner idea!
Maggie U
Thanks for your comment.
Pam Wattenbarger
We usually celebrate Christmas with some Guatemalan friends and they make the masa for tamales. This year, due to Covid, I’ll have to make it myself. Thanks for the recipe.
Maggie U
Glad you enjoyed this. Hope you try it!
Claudia
I love to make my masa with lard. I know it’s super unhealthy, but the flavor is just too fantastic not to use it. This is a great guide for making it.
Maggie U
Hope you do. It’s a great choice.
Ben
This is fully awesome! I’ve been wanting to try making my own tamales, but I was a little afraid of making masa. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be!
Maggie U
It’s easier than you thought! Hope you try this recipe
Amber Myers
I’ll have to try tamales again. I tried before and wasn’t impressed. But I’m in Texas so they are all the rage, so I’ll have to try them again! They do look tasty!
Maggie U
Hope you try this recipe it’s amazing!
Lynn
This is a very good recipe I made the jalapeño and cheese one omg so delicious
Maggie Unzueta
Jalapeno and Cheese is my son’s favorite. So yummy!
Lasar
This was so delicious and easier than I thought! I made the recipe, but when it came time for the chicken broth the masa was already very moist. So I stopped there and took a third out to make dessert tamales. I kept beating the dough but it never passed the water test, though was still soft and tasty when cooked. I added some pasilla beef stew leftovers, just shredded beef and used a little sauce. Added 1/4 c sauce to dough per yr pork tamales recipe. It didn’t take me that long to make about 20 tamales, and in IP on “steam” for 25 minutes was just right.
For the dessert tamales I made them very small and used 1 teaspoon dulce de leche fm can or 1 t. plus a slice of banana. Added 2T brown sugar and 1/8 cinnamon to dough, could have used more of both.
Your videos are GREAT, thanks so much!
Judy
I have made them 3 times now, the first time a little thick.. the second time just okay. This last time had a problem with spreading and the Masa sticking to everything even when I used a tortilla press and even when I tried to spread it by hand. What in the world am I doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated. The first time corn oil, the second time Crisco, third time i used corn oil again. Need the help! Thank you
Lasar
The masa I made was sticky but more like a soft paste, so I used a spoon to dollop it on the corn husk and if you’re holding the rest of the husk down you can spread it w/ the back of the spoon. I sort of wiped the spoon off on the husk, too. Maybe you need more liquid.
Jody
Okay, I give up. How do I watch the video?
I have tried 3 browsers and don’t see how to watch the video. This has happened on another recipe site also. What is the secret?
Maggie Unzueta
You scared me there for a minute. I went to my phone, an incognito window, my regular browser, and they are all showing the video how to make masa. I wonder if there’s something wrong with your browser?? Good news! I have a solution for you. All my videos are also on YouTube.
How to Make Masa Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gRRTevh2X0
How to Make Masa using Olive Oil Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUHKIAV84yE
Happy Tamale Making!! 🙂