Tamales de Pollo

Name: Tamales de Pollo
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Salvadoran
Ingredients: 2kg masa harina; 500ml chicken broth; 200ml vegetable oil; 1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded; 4 tomatoes, roasted; 2 red bell peppers, roasted; 1 onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic; 12 green olives; 2 tbsp capers; 3 potatoes, cubed and boiled; 200g green beans, cut; Banana leaves, softened; Salt to taste

Tamales de Gallina (tah-MAH-les deh POH-yoh)

Chicken Tamales

⏱ Prep Time 3 hours

📈 Difficulty Hard

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 460 kcal

Large banana-leaf wrapped tamales filled with seasoned masa and a rich chicken filling with vegetables, olives, and capers, steamed until tender.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 22.0g

Carbs 48.0g

Fat 20.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

dairy-free gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

large steamer pot mixing bowls banana leaves kitchen string

Presentation Guide

Vessel: banana leaf on plate

Garnishes: none, served in leaf

Accompaniments: curtido, hot sauce, coffee

Ingredients

2kg masa harina
500ml chicken broth
200ml vegetable oil
1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded
4 tomatoes, roasted
2 red bell peppers, roasted
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
12 green olives
2 tbsp capers
3 potatoes, cubed and boiled
200g green beans, cut
Banana leaves, softened
Salt to taste

Instructions

1
Mix masa harina with warm chicken broth and oil until a smooth spreadable dough forms. Season well with salt. It should spread easily on leaves.
2
Roast tomatoes and peppers, then blend with garlic and onion into a smooth sauce. Simmer until thickened, about fifteen minutes.
3
Combine shredded chicken with the sauce, olives, capers, potatoes, and green beans. This is the filling.
4
Soften banana leaves over an open flame or in hot water. Cut into large rectangles about thirty centimeters long.
5
Spread a generous layer of masa on each leaf, add filling in the center, fold the leaf to enclose, and tie securely with string.
6
Steam tamales upright in a large pot for one and a half hours until the masa is firm and pulls away from the leaf cleanly.

💡

Did You Know?

In El Salvador, tamales are so central to Christmas celebrations that families often make hundreds at a time in a communal cooking event called a tamalada.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large steamer pot
mixing bowls
banana leaves
kitchen string

Garnishing

none, served in leaf

Accompaniments

curtido, hot sauce, coffee

The Story Behind Tamales de Pollo

Salvadoran tamales trace their origins to the Pipil people who wrapped seasoned maize dough in leaves for portable meals. The Spanish conquest introduced chicken, olives, and capers, creating the distinctive Salvadoran version wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husks. These large, generously filled tamales became the essential Christmas food, with entire families gathering days before the holiday to prepare them together. The tamalada tradition remains one of the most important communal cooking events in Salvadoran culture.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed christmas, new year, and special celebrations 📜 Origins: Pre-Columbian Pipil

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