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Tamales Colombianos

Name: Tamales Colombianos
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 cups yellow masarepa (precooked corn flour); 1 lb pork shoulder, cut into small pieces; 1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces; 2 cups chicken broth, warm; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into sticks; 1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks; 1 cup frozen peas; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp achiote (annatto) powder; 1 lb banana leaves, softened over a flame (or soaked corn husks)

Steamed parcels of soft corn masa wrapped around pork, chicken, carrot, and potato — Colombia’s favorite Sunday-morning ritual.

⏱ 45 minPrep time

🔥 1 hr 30 minCook time

🍽 8Servings

🏷 Colombian KitchenCategory

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Tamales are Colombia’s grand wrapped gift, steamed for hours in banana leaves and unwrapped at the table with ceremony. Every region has its version; this one from the interior packs pork, chicken, and vegetables into a golden, savory corn dough.

Patience that pays off, leaf by leaf

The masa steams into a soft, moist cake that soaks up the juices of the meats, while carrot and potato add gentle sweetness and heft. Peeling back the banana leaf releases a cloud of corn and achiote perfume that makes the wait entirely worth it.

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Step by stepInstructions

Season the pork and chicken with salt, cumin, and half the achiote; brown in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6 minutes and set aside.
In the same skillet, cook the onion and garlic for 3 minutes; add the remaining achiote and 1 cup of the broth and simmer 5 minutes.
Mix the masarepa with the warm broth and the onion mixture to form a soft, spreadable masa; season with salt.
Cut the banana leaves into 10-inch squares and warm them over a low flame so they bend without tearing.
Spread 1/3 cup of masa on each leaf, top with pork, chicken, carrot, potato, and a few peas, and fold into neat parcels, tying with kitchen twine.
Steam the tamales over simmering water for 1 hour 30 minutes, adding water as needed.
Let them rest 10 minutes before unwrapping and serving.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The masa should be quite soft and moist before wrapping — dry masa makes dense tamales. Steamed tamales keep 4 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen; re-steam, never microwave, to keep them moist.

Recipe details

Prep45 min

Cook1 hr 30 min

Servings8

CategoryColombian Kitchen

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Tamales Colombianos

Patience that pays off, leaf by leaf

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Tamales Colombianos

Patience that pays off, leaf by leaf

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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