The Best Authentic Colombian Tamales

Forget dry, bland tamales. These are packed with juicy pork, chicken, and a secret marinade that brings the Latina love.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 4 scallions
• 1 medium red onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp saffron powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp dry oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper (ground)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz pork fillet (pork tenderloin)
• 7 oz smoked bacon (hardwood smoked, naturally smoked or applewood smoked)
• 10 oz chicken thigh (boneless and skinless)
• 2 medium potatoes diced (Red Potatoes or Yukon Gold)
• 1 cup green pea
• 1 cup carrot diced
• 1/2 cup sweet corn
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 medium tomato diced
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
• 16 oz precooked corn meal
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped)
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 3 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 16 oz banana leaves

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- The Marinade ---
2. 2deseed: Remove the seeds from the bell peppers and cut them into large pieces.
3. 3chop: Roughly chop the green onions and the red onions then place garlic cloves, cumin, saffron powder, salt, chicken stock, jalapenos, tomato paste, ground coriander, dry oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and olive oil into a blender.
4. 4Blend on high speed for about 1 min until you get a smooth marinade. Reserve.
5. 5--- The Meat ---
6. 6slice: Thinly slice the pork filet and bacon and cut chicken into small pieces.
7. 7mix: Place pork fillet, smoked bacon, chicken and 1½ cups of your already made marinade, mix and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
8. 8--- For the Veggies ---
9. 9stir: In a bowl stir the chopped onions with diced potatoes, peas, carrots and corn.
10. 10Heat a pan with olive oil, then add the veggies.
11. 11simmer: Add garlic paste, salt and pepper, mix well and cook for 2min.
12. 12add: Then add the diced tomato and tomato paste, stir, turn off the heat and transfer the veggies to a bowl.
13. 13cool: Let them cool in the fridge.
14. 14--- Corn Masa ---
15. 15masa: In a bowl, whisk corn meal, ground cumin, smoked paprika, parsley, coriander, onion powder, salt, tomato paste, garlic paste, chicken stock and milk. Pour 1 cup of your already made marinade whisk until you get a batter that holds together slightly. Reserve.
16. 16--- Assembly ---
17. 17leaves: Prepare the banana leaves by removing the central rib and wiping them clean, if they are too tough to handle, you can soften them by dipping in simmering water before cutting and assembling. Cut them into rectangles around 9 x 12 inches.
18. 18layer: Take a banana leaf and spread about ⅓ cup corn masa in the center. Make a rough 4 inch circle.
19. 19meat: Add some meat filling in the middle so it covers ¾ of the corn masa, then place a bit of vegetables on top to cover the meat. Don't cram in too much filling as it will be harder to wrap and too much to eat.
20. 20assemble: Finish with a spoonful of corn masa over the filling.
21. 21--- Folding instructions ---
22. 22fold: Lift the long side of the leaf closest to you and fold it over the filling. For a full video of this process just watch it here.
23. 23fold: Bring the opposite long side up and overlap it over the first fold by about ½ inch (1 cm), creating a tight tube.
24. 24fold: Gently press the masa from the outside to ensure the filling is sealed.
25. 25Fold the empty left and right ends of the leaf underneath the packet. You should end up with a neat, rectangular brick
26. 26Flip the tamale over so the folded seams are underneath (the weight of the tamale keeps it sealed).
27. 27--- Cooking ---
28. 28steam: Prepare your steamer pot. Fill the bottom with water, ensuring it doesn't touch the rack. Line the steamer rack with leftover banana leaf scraps. This protects the tamales from direct heat and adds extra aroma!
29. 29stack: Place the tamales into the steamer. You can stack them in layers, but leave small gaps for steam to circulate. Cover the tamales with extra leaves or a damp tea towel, then place the lid on tight.
30. 30Steam at approx approx 194°F / 90°C for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Keep a kettle of hot water nearby. Check the pot every 20–30 minutes to make sure the water hasn't boiled dry!
31. 31rest: Once the tamales are cooked let them rest for about 15–20 min to cool slightly. This allows the masa to firm up and stop sticking to the banana leaf before serving.
32. 32eat: You can open the banana leaves and eat.