Tamales Tolimenses
Generous parcels of seasoned corn dough layered with pork belly, chicken, egg, potato, carrot and peas, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for hours. A weekend and Christmas tradition, eaten with hot chocolate and arepa.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Season the meats
In a bowl, mix the pork belly, ribs and chicken thighs with half the and 1 teaspoon of salt until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor.
- 500g pork belly
- 500g pork ribs
- 4 chicken thighs
- half the guiso (about 125ml)
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: meat is evenly coated and chilled through
Make the masa
In a large bowl, mix the with the remaining , the remaining teaspoon of salt and the warm broth, stirring until you get a soft, spreadable dough similar to thick mashed potato.
- 500g
- remaining half of the guiso (about 125ml)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.2 litres warm broth
✅ Done when: dough is soft, smooth and spreadable like thick mashed potato
Assemble
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Wrap and tie
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Season the meats
In a bowl, mix the pork belly, ribs and chicken thighs with half the and 1 teaspoon of salt until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for deeper flavor.
- 500g pork belly
- 500g pork ribs
- 4 chicken thighs
- half the guiso (about 125ml)
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: meat is evenly coated and chilled through
Make the masa
In a large bowl, mix the with the remaining , the remaining teaspoon of salt and the warm broth, stirring until you get a soft, spreadable dough similar to thick mashed potato.
- 500g
- remaining half of the guiso (about 125ml)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.2 litres warm broth
✅ Done when: dough is soft, smooth and spreadable like thick mashed potato
Assemble
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Wrap and tie
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Indigenous peoples wrapped corn dough in leaves long before the Spanish arrived; colonial cooks added pork, chicken and eggs. Tolima's version — large, rich and packed with fillings — became the most famous in Colombia.
Tamales are a family project, often made on Saturdays for Sunday breakfast and in huge batches at Christmas and New Year.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Each tamal is a whole meal in a leaf, with layers of different meats and vegetables to discover.
💡 Fun Fact
In Tolima, a 'tamalada' is a gathering where the whole family helps assemble tamales — some families make over a hundred at once.
Tolima (Ibagué)
4.44°N, -75.23°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!