14 Types of Tamales to Know

While there are many styles of tamales, one of the most popular features ground masa corn dough stuffed with meat and fillings, shaped into a small bundle, and steamed in a corn husk. Tamales—a Spanish word derived from the Nahuatl “tamalli”—are portable, making them an apt casual street food in Mexican cuisine and beyond. Homemade tamales are often a time-consuming process. The dish is sometimes enjoyed for special occasions, but it’s also typical to serve as an everyday meal.

Across Latin America, tamales come in different variations. You can make some tamales from a paste of freshly ground corn, while others start with a nixtamalized (or soaked) and dried corn (masa harina) mixed into a corn masa dough.

Most Mexican tamales contain a savory filling of meat or vegetables, but sweet tamales filled with dried fruit (or “tamales dulces” in Spanish) are also popular. In addition to corn husks, banana leaves or plantain leaves are also typical tamal wrappers for the steaming process. Chefs can serve this versatile dish with various accompaniments like tomatillo or red chile salsa, guacamole, or a traditional drink atole—a hot masa-based beverage.

Throughout Latin America, diners will find different varieties of tamales, some of which are holiday staples (like Christmas, Candlemas and New Year’s) while others are casual snacks. Learn more about some of the different types of tamales:

1. 1. Canarios: A distinct departure from corn tamales, the canario has no cornmeal at all. Instead, this dessert tamal features rice flour, baking powder, sugar, and egg. Enjoyed throughout Michoacán in Mexico, a canario often includes raisins.
2. 2. Chaya: Across Mexico and Belize, people enjoy these tamales, named for the chaya plant. The filling usually consists of pork, chaya leaves, olives and pepitas.
3. 3. Chuchito: A petite treat from Guatemala, a chuchito is a small, firm tamal filled with meat, then cooked in a vinegar- and spice-based sauce called “recado.” After cooks steam the chuchitos in corn husks, they top them with additional chile sauce and a dried Guatemalan cheese known as “Zacapa.”
4. 4. Colorado: Made with chicken and featuring warming spices like cinnamon and clove, diners enjoy this Guatemalan favorite on Christmas and New Year’s.
5. 5. Corundas: Primarily enjoyed in western Mexico, triangle-shaped corundas do not contain any filling, only masa. Instead, diners enjoy this treat with flavorful additions like Cotija cheese, sour cream, and poblano pepper.
6. 6. Güemes: A versatile variety of tamal from Baja California, güeme dough calls for a mixture of olive oil and lard, which yields a less porous tamal texture.
7. 7. Hallacas: Cooks fill hallacas, a style of tamal from Venezuela, with a stew containing raisins, various spices, and any variety of meats.
8. 8. Humitas: Unlike steamed tamales, cooks prepare humitas (which gets its name from the Quechua word “humint'a”) by boiling them in water like dumplings or pasta. This Andean dish, which is also called “humintas,” does not contain a meat filling; diners typically enjoy them with condiments or sauces.
9. 9. Nacatamal: Wrapped inside plantain leaves, this Nicaraguan dish contains pork or chicken, and a mixture of rice and veggies, including potatoes. Cooks may also include olive, capers, tomatoes, and even raisins. Bitter orange, an ingredient typically used in Nicaraguan cuisine, is often used to season the meat.
10. 10. Oaxaqueño: Tamales Oaxaqueños can refer to any number of Mexican tamales cooked inside of a banana leaf. Within Oaxaca, however, they’re distinguishable by their black mole filling. It’s also common to encounter Oaxaqueño tamale recipes that feature a filling of green or red sauce.
11. 11. Pasteles en hoja: Pasteles en hoja are a Caribbean variety of tamal that diners can find in countries like the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Cooks fill these tamales with a savory stew that cooks as the whole bundle steams. The dough itself consists of a mixture of plantains and grated root vegetables.
12. 12. Tolimense: Cooks fill this Colombian tamal variety with a range of ingredients, including chickpeas, egg, meat and vegetables. Traditionally wrapped with a plantain leaf, Tolimenses are typically pork tamales.
13. 13. Yucatecan: Consumed in the Yucatan, this Mexican food has a filling flavored with achiote paste and epazote. The other ingredients can vary, though the main protein is usually chicken or pork.
14. 14. Zacahuil: Famous in Veracruz, zacahuiles are large turkey- and chile-stuffed tamales made for a crowd; they can be up to sixteen feet long.

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