How to Make Masa for Tamales

4.98 from 164 votes

This easy to make masa for tamales recipe is the start to yummy homemade tamales! Ready in minutes and only a few ingredients needed to make a light and soft dough.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: tamales

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Maggie Unzueta

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.

Nutrition