What To Serve With Tamales (21 authentic recipes) | Muy Delish (2024)

FAQs

What is traditionally served with tamales? ›

You can serve tamales with a variety of sides such as fried plantains, potatoes with rajas, Mexican rice and black beans. “When planning a tamalada, or tamal party, you can accompany your tamales with bowls of red and green salsa, crumbled cotija cheese or queso fresco, fresh lime and pickled red onion,” Sibley says.

When served with tamales, rice, and beans can make for a filling and satisfying meal, especially if you are cooking for forty or more people. Rice provides a neutral base, while beans add protein, fiber, and flavor. They can also be spiced with chorizo, cheese, or cilantro.

You can also have a spread of extra toppings, like cilantro, sour cream, and the aforementioned guacamole and salsas. Lastly, while tamales are traditionally eaten by themselves, some simple side dish ideas include Mexican rice, refried or black beans and a simple tomato/onion salad.

Do You Eat Salsa with Tamales? A well-seasoned and properly cooked tamale is perfectly delicious without any condiments at all. But feel free to set out hot sauce, salsa, escabeche, or sliced avocado to go with your tamales.

Meat Tamales need a fresh and crispy red wine with good acidity. Stay away from rough tannins. Fruity Red wines with high acidity include Spanish Tempranillo, French Pinot Noir or Gamay and Italian Lambrusco. If you want to drink white, choose a wine with fresh fruit and good acidity.

Simply peel back one end of the wrapper (typically a corn husk or plantain leaf) and start munching. Once you're done, toss the wrapper in the trash and continue going about your day. Tamales were originally meant to be eaten as a handheld food, the way you might nibble a sandwich or bagel wrapped in deli paper.

"This is the recipe I use to make recipe #15286. For an online tamale making tutorial, including pictures, please see http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=188623 posted in the Mexican cooking forum."

Is there a difference between enchilada sauce and tamale sauce? The two sauces are very similar and you can use them interchangeably. Sometimes enchilada sauce has tomatoes or tomato sauce added to the recipe. This red chile sauce is versatile and you can add tomatoes, extra chile powder, or additional seasonings.

The most popular flavors are chicken and pork, but tamale filling options are almost endless. Alin developed a variety of savory and sweet options, including jalapeno and cheese, mole, pineapple, and sweet cream, but filling types can vary from family to family or from region to region.

Homemade tamales are known for their soft, moist texture. To get this, you'll need to steam the tamales in a large pot with a steamer basket. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can create a makeshift steamer by setting a plate on bunched up aluminum.

What are the two types of tamales? ›

There are sweet tamales filled with fruits, savory tamales filled with meat or vegetables, and plain tamales with no filling at all. The most common tamales are made with nixtamalized corn.

Tamales are a favorite comfort food in Mexico, eaten as both breakfast and dinner, and often accompanied by hot atole or champurrado and arroz con leche (rice porridge, "rice with milk") or maize-based beverages of indigenous origin.

Estimate how many guests will come to your party and for the main meal, calculate between 2 and 3 tamales per person if you're serving them by themselves except for a frothy hot chocolate, champurrado or an agua fresca. For dessert, consider 1 or 2 per person. Our tamales are 4oz.

Tamales are regarded as a sacred food for the gods and eaten on special occasions, including holidays. Eating tamales during Christmas time is a deep-rooted tradition for many Mexican families, and that tradition has become a part of the culture in other areas of the world as well.

Using the larger husks, place each husk waxy side up (ribbed side down). Spread masa onto each husk out to the wide edge. Place a small portion of meat in the center of masa. (You may place a stuffed green olive on the meat if you care to.)

Unwrap tamale and place in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until tamale has browned well on both sides. Combine arugula with sliced carrots, sliced radish, and grilled asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces. Plate tamale and serve with an over-medium egg, salsa verde, Rattlesnake beans, and arugula side salad.

We recommend wrapping them in damp paper towels before placing them in the microwave. This allows the tamales to cook in a humid, steamy environment, and should keep them from drying out too much. If the tamales are still in their husks, these can be moistened as well in place of a paper towel.