Authentic Green Pork Tamales (Tamales de Puerco)

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Green Pork Tamales with green chile salsa with delicious, succulent pork in green Chile sauce, wrapped in homemade masa, inside corn husks.

These differ from red pork tamales because they have green chile salsa instead of red salsa.

Pair the tamales with my Tex-Mex Enchiladas; you have some of the best Mexican Recipes. In South Texas, tamales are popular year-round, especially at Christmas.

In many Mexican families, making tamales is a Christmas Eve tradition known as a Tamalada. It brings the whole family together to spread masa and share stories. These Green Pork Tamales are the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table.

I’ve always loved my friend’s tamales that she and her family would make every year. I was so fortunate that they shared their family recipe with me, and now I’m sharing it with you!

Table of Contents

• Green Pork Tamale Ingredients
• Pork Filling Ingredients
• Green Chile Salsa Ingredients
• Masa Dough Ingredients
• How To Make Green Chile Pork Tamales
• How To Make Pork Filling For Tamales
• How To Make Green Chile Salsa For Tamales
• How To Make Masa For Tamales
• How To Assemble Tamales
• How To Fold Corn Husks For Tamales
• What To Serve With Tamales
• Recipe Tips
• Why You’ll Love Pork Green Chile Tamales
• Equipment
• FAQs
• More Mexican Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Green Pork Tamale Ingredients

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

Outside Tamale Wrappers

Corn Husks For Tamales – You’ll need a 1 lb package of corn husks, which should contain enough husks for the recipe. You’ll need between 40 and 80 corn husks. Some husks will be too thin and you will have to double up on the husks for one tortilla. If you can’t find these at your local grocery store, you can find them at Amazon, Walmart, or Target.

Pork Filling Ingredients

• Half pork butt – You’ll need about 6 – 8 lbs of pork butt or pork shoulder. Pork Roast or beef roast can be used as well.
• Beef Boullion – I like to use a low-sodium version because that way, I can better control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Black Pepper – I use freshly cracked black pepper.
• Salt – The amount used depends on your taste preference.
• Tamale spice packet, also known as Relajo. A relajo recipe can be used in place of the premade mix. This is a perfect recipe.
• Mulato chilies (4)- Mulato chiles are poblano peppers that have been left on the vine until they turn brown and then dried. These can be left out entirely if you don’t want any spicy heat; however, they add a lot of amazing flavor. Therefore, if you are able to handle the heat, go ahead and add them.

Green Chile Salsa Ingredients

• Tomatillos – 3 lbs – Remove the papery peel and wash thoroughly.
• Jalapenos – 3 lbs – For a less spicy version, remove the seeds from the jalapenos.
• Cilantro – You’ll need one bunch of fresh chopped cilantro.
• Onion – You’ll need one white onion sliced.
• Chicken bullion – 2 tablespoons – I use a low-sodium version to allow me to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Cumin – 2 teaspoons
• Salt – 2 teaspoons or to taste

Masa Dough Ingredients

• Masa Maseca – 4 lb bag Corn Masa Flour.
• Melted lard – 4 cups
• Broth from pork – If somehow you accidentally don’t save the broth from the pork, use beef broth instead.
• Beef bullion – 2 Tablespoons – I use low sodium so I can better control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Salt – 1 to 2 Tablespoons

How To Make Green Chile Pork Tamales

Prior to starting everything, place the corn husks into a large bowl or a clean sink with the stopper.

Cover completely with hot water. I like to use a heavy pot on top of the husks to keep them submerged.

Leave in the water while making everything so that they are soft when ready to use.

How To Make Pork Filling For Tamales

Start by placing the pork butt into a large (8-Qt) Instant Pot. Sprinkle the beef bullion, pepper, and salt over the top.

Place the relajo and the mulato chilies on top.

Fill the instant pot with water to 1 inch from the top. Place the lid on and seal. Set the manual pressure to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Once cooked, let the steam release naturally for about 20 minutes.

Place a large strainer over a large bowl and strain out all of the juice from the meat, reserving the broth for later. Shred the pork well. Set aside.

How To Make Green Chile Salsa For Tamales

Prior to starting the salsa, be sure your ingredients are well washed and that the tomatillos do not have the papery peel on them.

Place the jalapeños and onion onto a foil-lined baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven with the broil setting on. Flip the jalapeños a couple of times every minute or so when they start blackening on top.

Once blackened all the way around, remove the pan from the oven.

While the jalapenos are in the oven, cook the tomatillos. Place them into a large pot and cover with water. Place on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the color of the tomatillos has changed to a darker green color. Once cooked, strain the water off of them completely.

Place the tomatillos into a blender with the jalapenos and onion.

Blend for a second to bring the mass down slightly.

Add the cilantro and all of the spices. Blend until smooth.

Taste the salsa and add salt if needed.

Once the salsa is made, bring back the shredded pork.

Mix in about half of the salsa with the shredded pork.

The pork should be saucy but not soupy.

How To Make Masa For Tamales

Place the masa maseca into a large mixing bowl.

Add the beef bullion and salt to the masa.

Mix to combine.

Add the broth and lard to the bowl.

Mix on low to combine then increase the speed for a minute or two or until completely mixed and smooth.

The masa should feel like a mix of wet sand and play dough. It should be soft but not dry sandy. If it needs additional fluid, add hot water. Taste the masa to see if it needs additional salt.

Before you start assembling, there is one classic Mexican kitchen trick to ensure your tamales turn out light and fluffy rather than dense: The Float Test.

1. The Test: Take a small teaspoon of your prepared masa dough and drop it into a glass of cold water.
2. The Result:
   • If it Floats: Success! Your masa has enough air incorporated and is ready to spread.
   • If it Sinks: The dough is too dense. You need to whip it for another 3-5 minutes to incorporate more air. You may also need to add a tablespoon or two of extra broth or melted lard if it feels dry.

Don’t skip this step! It's the secret difference between a heavy brick and a tender, melt-in-your-mouth tamale.

How To Assemble Tamales

To make the tamales take the corn husks out of the water and let drain for a minute.

Take a husk and open it and lay it flat on a clean counter. If the husk is only a couple inches wide, layer another husk next to it, slightly overlapping to create a large husk.

Use a spatula to spread masa onto the husk about ¼" thick.

The amount of masa will vary between tamales but it should be roughly about ⅓ cup used per tamale.

Keep the masa as even as possible and don’t spread over the top tapered ¼ of the husk.

Place about ¼ cup of pork filling onto the center of the masa to one side of the masa and slightly press out.

How To Fold Corn Husks For Tamales

Fold the husk over the top of the filling then fold the remaining piece of husk from the filling side over almost like a letter.

Take the tapered end of the husk and fold inward.

Once tamales are made and ready to be cooked, take a very large stock pot and place a steam basket on the bottom.

Fill with enough water to reach the bottom of the steam basket.

Place a layer of corn husks into the pan on top of the steam basket.

Place tamales in layers, alternating like building a log cabin. Place two tamales on opposing sides then place two tamales on opposite ends of the first two tamales.

Continue layering tamales into the pan.

If you have space in the center, stand 2 or 3 tamales up with the open end facing up. Leave about an inch of space at the top of the pan. Place another layer of corn husks on top of the tamales.

Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once you see steam start to come out of the pan, cook for 45 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the tamales from the pan and set on a tray or plates. Keep cooking tamales in batches making sure to replenish the water prior to cooking another batch.

Serve with additional green salsa, sour cream, cilantro and any other toppings desired.

What To Serve With Tamales

Hosting a Holiday Tamalada? Serve these tamales with a warm mug of Champurrado and finish the meal with Mexican Wedding Cookies or Eggnog Tres Leches Cake, and serve with these other mains and side dishes.

• Mexican Rice with Salsa – This is an easy Spanish Rice recipe made with salsa.
• Refried Beans – This ready uses an Instant Pot to make these refried beans easy to make.
• Tex-Mex Enchiladas – These classic Tex-Mex Enchiladas with chili gravy go perfectly with tamales. In Mexican restaurants, you will often see combination plates with both of these together.
• Empanadas – These Beef empanadas are delicious savory hand pies.

Recipe Tips

Reduce Heat – For a less spicy salsa, use a knife and remove the seeds from the jalapeños.

Salty & Spicy – The salsa should be slightly more salty and more spicy than you would typically eat. This will ensure that both flavor and heat are not completely absorbed into the tamale once cooked.

Make Ahead – Both the pork filling and the salsa can be made a day prior. Once cooked, cool completely then refrigerate. Be sure to refrigerate the broth that comes off of the pork as well. like to use an offset spatula to spread the masa. It is the quickest and most effective way of spreading the masa.

Don’t Overfill – If you have too much filling in the tamales, it will boil out during cooking. This is ok, just be observant of it and reduce the amount of filling used in the following batches.

Do Test Batch – Doing a test batch of tamales prior to making all of them is a great way to know if the masa or filling need any additional ingredients such as salt or moisture. I like to make about 3 or 4 tamales and cook them for the full 45 minutes. If the tamales come out dry or crumbly, add a little more melted lard and broth to the masa. If the filling doesn't seem to have a lot of flavor, add a little bit of salt to it.

How To Know If Tamales Are Undercooked – If once cooked, you open a tamale to see a white, sticky portion of masa in the center, it means it's not cooked all the way. Return the batch of tamales to the pan and continue steaming for 10 minutes or until cooked completely.

Prevent Tamales From Turning Sour – Let the tamales cool completely before refrigerating them. Also, do not let them set at room temp for very long after they have cooled. Refrigerating before cooled or not chilling them after they're cooled can both cause the tamales to turn sour quickly.

Make Tamales A Family Tradition – For many families, making tamales together is a family tradition during the holidays. The tamale-making tradition is passed down from generation to generation to the children and grandchildren and allows the family to work together to accomplish a delicious dish that the whole family loves. Everyone gets to be part of the process.

If All Else Fails, Place Your Order – At Christmas, tamales are so popular that people from all over the country order tamales from tamale factories like Delia’s specializing in tamales, in San Antonio, TX. If you don’t want to go through the lengthy process or end up with tamales that don’t turn out, you can place your order.

Why You’ll Love Pork Green Chile Tamales

• Pork – You’ll love the flavor of the tender, succulent pork. You’ll also love how easy it is to cook in the Instant Pot. 
• Green Chile Salsa – This uses green chiles, such as jalapenos, in the sauce and adds so much flavor to the tamales. 
• Tamale Dough – The masa dough is deliciously seasoned with a Tamale seasoning mix called Relajo. It uses Masseca, the most popular brand of masa harina, or corn flour, to make the dough.
• Family Tradition – The tamale-making tradition is passed down from generation to generation to the children and grandchildren, allowing the family to work together to accomplish a delicious dish that the whole family loves. Everyone gets to be part of the process.
• Tried and True Recipe – My friend’s family has made this recipe many times over the decades.

Equipment

The affiliate links below will allow you to see the product on Amazon.com. If you purchase one of the items, I will receive a very small commission on the product, which does not increase the price.

• Large (8-Qt) Instant Pot Pressure Cooker or Dutch Oven
• Plastic Wrap

FAQs

More Mexican Recipes

• Enchiladas Rancheros – These delicious enchiladas are made with tender chicken and melted cheese rolled in warm tortillas and covered with a red ranchera sauce.
• Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas – Shredded chicken wrapped in soft tortillas, smothered in zesty green chile sauce, and topped off with melting cheese.
• Ultimate Restaurant Style Salsa – I highly recommend this delicious recipe if you’re looking for a red salsa.
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork Tacos – Pulled Pork Tacos with slaw are a great way to use up leftover pulled pork. Just stuff the BBQ-pulled pork in corn or flour tortillas.

Recipe