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Tamales

Chicken Birria Tamales

Chicken Birria tamales are made with boneless chicken breast and birria sauce made from dried chiles and a hint of cinnamon.
4.67 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 servings
Calories 204 kcal

Equipment

  • Steamer

Ingredients
  

Masa Dough

  • 3 cups masa flour for tamales
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup lard
  • 1 tbs kosher salt
  • 36 corn husks

Chicken Birria Mixture

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 8 guajillo chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 12 chiles de árbol dried, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ¼ cinnamon stick
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 4 cloves whole
  • 4 allspice berries whole
  • 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 28 oz canned diced tomatoes with juices
  • ¼ cup white vinegar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, add salt to the masa flour and stir. Add the water and stir to combine. Add the lard to a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed for 5 minutes. The lard should be light and fluffy. Add the masa flour mixture to the lard and mix at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes.
  • Soak corn husks in water for 30 minutes to soften. Cut the chicken breast into 2 inch pieces. Add to a pot of boiling water along with the onion, garlic and bay leaves. Cook until done, about 40 minutes.
  • Add the dried chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let the chiles soak for 30 minutes. Drain the chiles and discard the soaking liquid. Add all dried spices to a cast iron skillet. Gently toast the spices over low heat until they start to develop a little color, about 9 - 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the soaked chiles and toasted spices to a blender. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and blend until smooth, about 6 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Shred the chicken into small pieces. Add enough sauce to moisten the chicken. Keep remaining sauce to serve with the finished tamales.
  • Overlap two corn husks. Spread ⅓ cup of masa on the corn husks into a rectangle, about 4" by 6". Spread to the edge of the wide end but only to within about 2" of the narrow end.
  • Add ¼ cup of the chicken mixture to the center of the masa. Gently fold both long edges together. Fold the narrow end without masa up and roll the tamale to finish.
  • Place the tamales in a steamer basket on end, with the folded end down. Cover and steam for 35 minutes. Hint: Place a dime in the bottom of the steamer. It will rattle as the water boils. Add water if the rattle stops.

Video

Notes

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Nutrition

Calories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 11gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 762mgPotassium: 461mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3021IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 242mgIron: 4mg
Keyword tamales
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