Tamales Ticos

Name: Tamales Ticos
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients: 4 cups masarepa or corn masa; 4 cups chicken broth; 500g chicken thighs, cooked and shredded; 1 cup cooked rice; 2 carrots, sliced; 1 cup green beans, cut small; 1/2 cup pitted green olives; 1/4 cup raisins; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp cumin; 1 tsp annatto; Banana leaves, cleaned; Salt and pepper; Kitchen twine

Tamales (tah-MAH-lehs)

Costa Rican Tamales

⏱ Prep Time 90 min

📈 Difficulty Hard

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 425 kcal

Large banana-leaf-wrapped tamales filled with corn dough, chicken, rice, vegetables, olives, and raisins — the essential Costa Rican Christmas tradition.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 20.0g

Carbs 48.0g

Fat 17.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

large steamer pot banana leaves kitchen twine large mixing bowl

Presentation Guide

Vessel: banana leaf (unwrapped at table)

Garnishes: Lizano sauce

Accompaniments: coffee, bread

Ingredients

4 cups masarepa or corn masa
4 cups chicken broth
500g chicken thighs, cooked and shredded
1 cup cooked rice
2 carrots, sliced
1 cup green beans, cut small
1/2 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup raisins
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp annatto
Banana leaves, cleaned
Salt and pepper
Kitchen twine

Instructions

1
Mix masa with warm chicken broth, annatto, cumin, and salt into a smooth, spreadable dough.
2
Saute onion and garlic. Mix with shredded chicken, cooked rice, carrots, green beans, bell pepper, olives, and raisins.
3
Soften banana leaves over a flame or in hot water until pliable.
4
Spread a thick layer of dough on a banana leaf rectangle. Place filling in the center.
5
Add a few olives and raisins on top. Fold banana leaf into a tight rectangular package and tie with twine.
6
Steam tamales for 2.5-3 hours until dough is firm and pulls away from the leaf cleanly.

💡

Did You Know?

Making tamales in Costa Rica is a family event called a tamalada, where three generations gather in the kitchen with assembly-line efficiency.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large steamer pot
banana leaves
kitchen twine
large mixing bowl

Garnishing

Lizano sauce

Accompaniments

coffee, bread

The Story Behind Tamales Ticos

Costa Rican tamales are distinct from Mexican or other Central American versions — they include rice in the filling, olives, raisins, and are wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husks. The tradition predates Spanish contact, but colonial influences added olives, raisins, and rice to indigenous corn dough. The tamalada gathering remains one of Costa Rica's most cherished Christmas traditions.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed christmas and new year 📜 Origins: Pre-Columbian, evolved colonial

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