Best 6 Achiote Chicken Tamales Recipes

MARIGOLD TAMALES

Steps:

• For the chicken: Put the chicken in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, bay leaf, oregano, marigolds and salt. Add enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the chicken comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked, allow it to cool in the broth for up to 30 minutes. Remove from the broth and shred with two forks. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve discarding the vegetables and herbs and reserve. The chicken can be made a day ahead. Store the shredded chicken and broth separately, covered in the refrigerator.
• For the masa: Warm the reserved chicken broth. Beat the lard until light and fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the masa harina, baking powder and salt and continue beating until combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to incorporate all the masa harina. Slowly add the warm chicken broth 1 cup at a time until the masa is smooth and spreadable (you may not need all the broth). To test if the masa is ready to use, add a spoonful to a glass of water. If it floats it is ready. If it sinks, add additional lard 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to mix until it floats.
• For assembly and serving: Remove the husks from the soaking water, drain and keep moist with a damp kitchen towel or damp paper towels. Moisten the chicken with some reserved chicken broth if needed.
• Using a spoon, spread a spoonful of masa onto center of a corn husk and spread about 1/2 inch thick with the back of the spoon leaving a 1/2-inch border along the side and a 2-inch border from the top. Put about 2 tablespoons shredded chicken in the center of the masa. Fold the sides until they overlap, fold the narrow end under using the husk to press the masa dough over the filling. Place the prepared tamale on a baking sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel and repeat until all the tamales are assembled.
• Put the tamales upright in a tamale steamer, nestled together to prevent them from falling over. Fill the tamale steamer with about 2 inches of water-the water should not touch the tamales. Cover with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, adding more water if needed. To check the tamales, carefully remove 1 tamale from the steamer. Tamales are ready when they can easily be removed from the husk. If the tamale does not easily remove from the husk, cook for an additional 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the tamales to stand in the steamer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the tamales from the steamer and serve warm, garnished with diced onions and dried marigolds if using.

RED CHILE CHICKEN TAMALES

Steps:

• For the filling: Toast the chiles on both sides in a dry skillet over medium heat until pliable, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with boiling water; let stand until soft, about 30 minutes.
• Reserve 1 cup of the soaking water and drain the rest. Puree the chiles, reserved soaking liquid, garlic, onion, oregano and cumin in a blender until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until hot. Add the chile puree and fry, stirring (be careful, the mixture may splatter), until very thick and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt, then add the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, turning the chicken occasionally, until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Shred the chicken into small pieces and then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and add enough of the sauce to coat it well; season with salt. Reserve the remaining sauce to serve on the side. Refrigerate both until ready to use.
• Soak the corn husks in a large bowl of hot water until pliable, about 1 hour. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and place a steamer insert inside.
• For the masa: Mix the masa harina with 2 cups of the chicken broth, kneading by hand to incorporate. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
• Beat the lard, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the masa harina mixture in 2 batches and beat very well to combine. Add the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth and beat until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Form a small ball of masa and see if it floats in a glass of water. If it does not, continue to beat the masa for a few minutes until the masa floats. Cover with plastic and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Assemble the tamales: Drain the corn husks and wring them dry.
• Lay a corn husk on a work surface, smoother side up, with the wide part of the husk closer to you. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of masa onto the bottom half of the husk and use an offset spatula to spread in a thin, even layer (leaving the top half of the husk bare). Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture onto the masa. Then roll the husk up to enclose the filling. Fold the narrow side of the tamale under and arrange the tamale, open-side up, in the steamer insert. Repeat with the remaining masa, husks and filling.
• Bring the water in the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and steam until the masa is cooked through and separates easily from the husk, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
• Warm the reserved sauce and serve on the side.

YUCATáN CHICKEN WITH ACHIOTE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips. In a large bowl, mix together the orange juice, oregano, garlic, chile, achiote paste, salt, pepper, allspice, and olive oil to make the marinade. Add the chicken strips to the mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• To cook the chicken, remove the strips from the marinade and drain off any excess liquid. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken strips, turning once or twice, until thoroughly cooked (cut one to test), about 9 minutes total.
• Remove from the heat, squeeze fresh lime juice over the strips, and serve immediately or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and pickled onions. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with salsa and pickled onions, fold, and eat right away.

CHICKEN TAMALES

Steps:

• For the chicken filling: Place fryers in stock pot. Fill the pot with water to cover chickens. Add the remaining ingredients boil for 1 hour.
• When chickens are done remove from pot, peel off the skin, de-bone chicken, chop and set aside.
• For the sauce: Parboil tomatillos, poblano pepper, bell pepper, onion. Chop, add remaining ingredients and coarsely blend. Set aside.
• Saute chopped chicken in a little oil and tomatillo sauce. Cook for 10 minutes.
• For the been filling: In a large stock pot, cover beans with water. Add onion, head of garlic and salt. Boil until done, drain, reserving liquid. Mash beans and set aside.
• Mince 1 cup onion, 1 ounce garlic and saute in 1/4 cup of oil. When onion is clear add flour constantly mixing with whisk until golden. Add mashed beans with a conservative amount of liquid from beans. Add chile powder, oregano, comino. Add salt if needed. Taste again.
• For the masa: Mix all ingredients on low mixer setting. After thoroughly mixed, beat (or knead) at medium for 15 minutes until masa dough is smooth. To check readiness, drop a small amount of masa in a glass filled with water. If masa floats, it's ready.
• Using back of spoon, spread masa mixture thinly and evenly on inside of corn husk. Covering half the length of each husk. Fill with tamale filling and fold. Get 16 quart stock pot with lid, steamer with lid or tamalera: tamale steamer. Tamaleras as a rule come equipped with rack and lid. Stainless steel vegetable steamer fan like: sold in most grocery stores. Damp kitchen towel. The bottom of the pot is filled with hot water being careful not to cover the rack. The rack is covered with tamale husks that were left over from the ones used for the tamales. The vegetable steamer is placed over the husks bottom side up to give a dome effect. The tamales are placed open and up, side by side around the dome. Continue this process with about 2 dozen tamales. As the pot begins to fill up the tamales can be placed flat on top of each other. Corn husks again are used to cover the mound of tamales then cover with a cloth and close with the lid. The lid should fit well enough as to keep the steam in the pot. Bring to rapid boil, reduce heat, steam for 30 minutes. To test doneness, open husk. Tamale should be firm. Masa should not adhere to the husk. When cooked remove all tamales. Ready to eat.

BEEF FILLET MARINATED IN CHOLULA HOT SAUCE WITH TAMALE AND ACHIOTE PASTE

Steps:

• To prepare the marinade, combine all of the ingredients together in a large container and marinate the beef for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Once the beef is marinated, sear the beef on both sides in a saute pan for approximately 10 minutes or until desired doneness.
• To make the tamale filling: In a saute pan, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and heat. Saute the peppers, garlic, onion, and hot sauce. Cook until the peppers are tender and set aside.
• To make the tamales, use a mixing bowl and combine the corn flour, vegetable shortening, chicken broth, achiote paste, and salt and pepper. Mix until a dough starts to form. Place the banana leaves on a flat surface and spread the tamale dough in the center of each leaf. Add the cooked peppers and fold the banana leaves around the tamale. Steam the tamales for 20 minutes.
• To serve, slice the tamales or cut them open and place in the center of each plate. Place the beef fillets to the side and serve.

CHICKEN TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of hot water, using a plate to keep them submerged, until pliable, 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring the bouillon powder and 4 cups water to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool; cut into small pieces. Reserve the broth.
• Puree the cilantro and 1 1/4 cups of the reserved broth in a food processor until smooth (save the remaining broth for another use). Transfer to a medium pot. Add the garlic, cumin and salsa and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook until slightly reduced, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chicken and season with salt. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Make the dough: Soak the ancho chile in hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the chile, then mince to make a paste. Combine the chile paste, masa harina, lard, 2 2/3 cups warm water and 2 teaspoons salt
• in a bowl. Mix with your hands (or use a mixer with the paddle attachment) 10 to 15 minutes, or until a marble-size ball of dough floats in water.
• Drain the husks and pat dry. Starting 1/2 inch from the wide end, spread about 3 tablespoons of the dough down a husk, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling down the center of the dough, then fold in the sides of the husk, wrapping the dough around the filling. Fold up the narrow end of the husk. Repeat with the remaining husks, dough and filling.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 1 to 2 inches of water. Arrange the tamales standing up in the steamer, folded-side down. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and steam until the tamales pull away from the husks, about 1 hour. Remove from the steamer and let cool slightly before unwrapping.