Food Chef Jorge Guzmán's Step-by-Step Guide to Making Tamales Tamales are a project, but many hands—even tiny ones—make lighter work. By Hannah Agran Hannah Agran An award-winning writer, Hannah Agran is executive editor at Midwest Living, where she oversees travel, food, home, garden and culture content across print and digital. Born in Wisconsin, raised in Kentucky and Ohio, and now living in Iowa, she's a proud lifelong Midwesterner (aside from that stint in Massachusetts to attend Brandeis University). She has worked at Midwest Living since 2006 and written innumerable stories about the region's people, places and flavors, including profiles of Andrew Zimmern and Molly Yeh and travel features about fly-fishing in Michigan, blackberry-picking in Kansas, and waterfall-chasing in Minnesota. Her accolades include a FOLIO Eddie recognition for her body of work. On her off time, she loves to cook, garden and travel. (A perfect trip involves hiking, art museums and pastries, in equal measure.) Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Published on November 2, 2022 At home, chef Jorge Guzmán makes tamales with his family to celebrate his heritage. Jorge, a James Beard Award finalist chef who helms the acclaimed Minneapolis restaurant Petite León, walks us through his tamale-making process and tips for success. 01 of 08 Step 1 Kevin J. Miyazaki For each tamale, place the husk with the narrow end facing you. Tip: Jorge wraps some of his tamales in banana leaves (sold frozen at Latin markets). If you choose to try them, know that they need to be softened over a gas flame or grill. 02 of 08 Step 2 Kevin J. Miyazaki Top with a good spoonful of masa (a dough made with masa harina [corn flour], lard or butter, and stock). 03 of 08 Step 3 Kevin J. Miyazaki Add a bit of filling. 04 of 08 Step 4 Kevin J. Miyazaki Fold the sides up over the masa and filling. 05 of 08 Step 5 Kevin J. Miyazaki Bring them together, turn the tamale 90 degrees, and use your fingertips to press the filling down, so it mushes into a cylinder shape. 06 of 08 Step 6 Kevin Miyazaki Fold the lifted-up sides over, so they wrap around the cylinder. 07 of 08 Step 7 Kevin J. Miyazaki Fold the narrow end upward, over the seam. 08 of 08 Step 8 Kevin J. Miyazaki Arrange tamales, open ends facing up, in a steamer basket. Tamales Recipes You have the step-by-step instructions for how to make tamales. Now, try these three delicious recipes from chef Jorge Guzmán. Roasted Mushrooms con Queso Tamales, Chicken en Chile Verde Tamales and Beef en Chile Rojo Tamales. Secrets for Success Tamales take time, but these tips from Jorge will set you up for even better results. Go in Stages Braising meat the same day that you stuff tamales will take forever, Jorge warns. Prep and chill fillings ahead, so that tamale day is just about filling and rolling. Don't Overfill The masa swells, so leave an inch or so between the dough and the top edge of the wrapper to avoid a mess in the steamer. Skip Tying It looks nice for a restaurant, Jorge says, but takes too long. The tamales will hold together fine without. Store Extras Jorge freezes leftover tamales for easy weeknight dinners. They reheat well in the microwave. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit