This is a great version of Sinaloa-style tamales. Sinaloa is a state in Mexico where my father was born—Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta, and Acapulco are all in located in Sinaloa. These tamales are simple to make with the Super Easy Red Pasilla Chile Sauce.
A simple version of the famous red chile sauce, this recipe cuts the preparation time down from 2 hours or more to 45 minutes. If you have leftover sauce, make enchiladas or chilaquiles. If the sauce is too hot, add 16 ounces of tomato sauce. If you want more heat, use New Mexico hot dried chiles instead of the pasilla chiles, which are milder.
To make this type of masa dough, my grandmother used lard, and my mother used vegetable shortening or a combination of both. I switched to butter. Traditional cooks use even more fat than what is called for here, but I think this 1:5 ratio of butter to masa is perfect. Feel free to use your preference of lard, shortening, butter, or margarine. 
Sinaloa Inspired Chicken Chorizo Tamales
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 18 tamales and 7 cups of sauce 1x
Description
These meat filled tamales are simple to make with an even easier red pasilla chile sauce recipe to go along.
Ingredients
Tamales
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 small to medium onion, diced
- 1 medium potato, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 2 pickled jalapeños, minced
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1/2 cup (75 g) raisins
- 1/2 cup (60 g) finely chopped green olives
- 3 or more cups (720 ml or more) Super Easy Red Pasilla Chile Sauce (see below)
- 2 cups (480 ml) cubed cooked chicken
- 3 1/2 cups (840 ml) Basic Fresh Masa (see below)
Super Easy Red Pasilla Chile Sauce
- 1 (2-oz / 60 g) package dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded, or 4 tbsp prepared chile paste
- 2 (28-oz / 795 g) cans enchilada sauce
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
Basic Fresh Masa
- 1 lb (450 g) butter or margarine, softened
- 5 lb (2.25 kg) stone ground fresh masa (unprepared)
- 2 to 3 cups (480–720 ml) stock (chicken, pork, beef, or vegetable)
- 2 tbsp salt (or less to taste)
Instructions
Tamales
- Heat the oil in large pot over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potato, carrot, zucchini, jalapeños, and salt and stir to combine. Sauté for 15 minutes or until the potato and carrot are barely soft. Remove from the heat and let cool. Add the tomato, raisins, olives, chile pasilla sauce, and chicken. Fold well.
- Taste and adjust the salt.
- Assemble the tamales (see pages 5-6), using 1/4 cup masa and 1/4 cup filling for each tamale.
- Transfer to a steamer and steam for 50 minutes.
Super Easy Red Pasilla Chile Sauce
- Place the cleaned chiles in a medium bowl and pour boiling water to cover, place a dish on top to keep the heat in, and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chiles are completely soft. Place the chiles into a food processor or blender and process until you have a smooth paste, then add the enchilada sauce, oregano, sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper and process or blend until well combined, about 5 to 10 seconds.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the sauce, cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn’t burn. Set aside to cool. The sauce can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.
Basic Fresh Masa
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add one-third of the fresh masa alternating with one-third of the stock, then add the salt. Beat until well mixed, adding more stock if needed, turn the mixer to high, and beat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the dough resembles spackling paste.
- Take a small piece (about 1/2 tsp) of the dough and drop it into a cup of cold water. If it floats, it is ready; if it sinks, whip for another minute and test it again. Repeat this process until the masa floats.
- Note: The fresher the masa, the faster it will become light and fluffy enough for use.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tamales
- Calories: 380
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when the masa dough is ready to use?
Drop a small piece — about 1/2 tsp — into a cup of cold water. If it floats, the dough is light and airy enough. If it sinks, whip it for another minute and test again. Fresh masa gets to this point faster than masa that has been sitting.
What fat works best in this masa — butter, lard, or shortening?
Traditionally my grandmother used lard and my mother used vegetable shortening or a mix of both. I switched to butter and kept the 1:5 ratio of fat to masa. All four options work — use whatever you prefer. Traditional cooks often use more fat than this ratio, but I find it just right.
What do I do if the Red Pasilla Chile Sauce turns out too spicy?
Stir in 16 ounces of tomato sauce to bring the heat down. If you actually want more heat, swap the pasilla chiles for New Mexico hot dried chiles — pasillas are naturally on the milder side.
Can I make the sauce ahead and use it for other dishes?
Absolutely — leftover sauce is great for enchiladas or chilaquiles. It refrigerates well and can also be frozen for future use, so make the full batch even if you’re not using all 7 cups on the tamales.
Looks yummy! Actually only Mazatlan is located in the state of Sinaloa. Puerto Vallarta is in the state of Jalisco, and Acapulco is in the state of Guerrero.