Just like my guajillo-braised lamb tostadas, these lamb tamales are incredibly delicious. They’re tender and tangy and rich and fluffy with tremendous robust flavor. You can serve them with charred tomatillo salsa like we do with black bean and cheese tamales. See video tutorial in the recipe for step-by-step instructions.

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lamb tamales on a plate with rice and beans

For the last two weeks we’ve been counting down all our best tamales recipes, tips, and videos in our first annual ¡Hola! Jalapeño Tamalidays! So far we’ve talked about charred poblano & cheese tamales, cauliflower red pipián vegan tamales, and sweet pineapple tamales, but I’ll be honest, I think we saved the best for last.

These lamb tamales are off the charts good. Long-simmered lamb shoulder becomes meltingly tender in a heady, fragrant guajillo sauce that is both rich and tangy. With plenty of meat in each tamal they are satisfying and celebratory. Perfect for taking center stage on your holiday table this Christmas.

These Lamb Tamales:

Festive and special, these are an instant crowd favorite
Full of toothsome flavorful lamb
Wrapped in fluffy homemade masa dough
Swimming in heady guajillo chile sauce
Can be made ahead and easily reheated
Not spicy, these are a classic mild tamale

a lamb tamal on a plate with rice and beans topped with salsa verde

Two bowls one with masa and the other with lamb filling.

Grab These Ingredients

All the ingredients to make lamb tamales including lamb and masa harina and more.

Boneless lamb shoulder roast. You can also use a bone in shoulder roast like I do for my lamb and white bean chili.
Dried guajillo chiles. Read more about these lovely fruity chiles in this post all about Mexico’s favorite chile.
Garlic. An essential aromatic for flavoring the guajillo sauce.
White onion. I always use the sharper white onion when making guajillo sauce.
Dried oregano. Preferably dried Mexican oregano.
Cumin. A staple of Mexican cooking. See my beef pozole, Mexican chicken marinade, and chicharrones de harina recipes.
Apple cider vinegar. To add a touch of acidity to balance things out.
Olive oil. For searing the lamb.
Carrots. These add a bit of sweetness to the braise and we break them up an add to the lamb.
Celery. Again, don’t discard, they get mixed in with the filling for a vegetal note.
Beef broth. You will need 2 cups for the lamb braise and 8-10 more cups for the masa.
Masa harina. This is different from corn meal. Use a non-GMO masa harina for the best results.
Baking powder. To add a little fluff and extra billowiness.
Kosher salt. I always use Morton’s kosher salt unless otherwise specified.
Black pepper. Freshly ground black pepper please, for seasoning the lamb.
Dried corn husks. Look for large corn husks that are at least as wide as your hand with the fingers together at the bottom.
Lard. For making the masa dough and frying the lamb.

How To Make Lamb Tamales

Typically the meat for tamales gets slowly simmered. These lamb tamales are a bit different, here we braise the lamb in the sauce which makes it incredibly flavorful and luscious.

We start by making the guajillo sauce. Remove the stems and the seeds from the chiles then the dried chiles on a comal over medium heat. Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil and add the chiles to soak. Next, char the onion and 3 garlic cloves on the comal until they are nicely blackened on all sides. Peel the cloves of garlic and add them to a blender along with the onions and chiles. Add a ladle of the chile cooking liquid, the vinegar, cumin, a teaspoon of salt and oregano and blend until smooth.

The lamb in a dutch oven browning in oil.

To braise the lamb, heat oil a Dutch oven over medium high heat, season the lamb all over with salt and pepper and brown in the hot oil. Remove lamb and add carrots and celery. Sauté those a bit then add the beef broth, the guajillo paste and return the lamb to the pot.

Cover with the lid and braise in the oven 3-4 hrs. Or until it is fork tender and easily falls apart. Shred lamb and add to a large bowl. Stir the remaining sauce into the lamb and set aside.

I have the full written-out, printable recipe below.

How To Soak The Corn Husks

The next step is to soak corn husks in boiling hot water.

My secret to softening the corn husks quickly is to bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove from the heat then add the corn husks. Submerge them under the water and let sit until soft. Corn husks will be ready in about 15 minutes.

Make the Masa Dough

Now it’s time to make the masa. Today we are using masa harina to make the dough but you could also use fresh masa. See my masa for tamales tutorial for how to use fresh masa.

Just like we did with our cheese tamales recipe, when using masa harina I like to rehydrate the corn flour with hot broth before adding it to the whipped lard. This gives it a head start on soaking up the liquid and results in softer, smoother masa later.

While the masa harina is rehydrating, whip the lard in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. This may seem like a long time but it will incorporate so much air into the masa.

Masa dough for tamales in a stand mixer.

What kind of lard should I use? Look for fresh lard at your local Latin market or meat market. I don’t recommend using the shelf stable lard in a box. It has lots of waxy stabilizers and leaves a residue on the tamales. If you can’t find fresh lard use coconut oil or butter.

Once the lard has been whipped add the rehydrated masa a handful at a time until all has been added. The dough should be soft like hummus, maybe even thinner. If not, add more warm broth until it has reached that consistency.

Spread masa on the corn husk with the back of a spoon.

Place about 3-4 tablespoons lamb filling in the middle of the masa. Fold the corn husks over the filling.

Prepare the steamer by filling the bottom with enough water Place tamales in the steamer. Cover pot and steam for about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from the steamer to a serving platter and wrap in foil to let them finish cooking off the heat.

Serve with salsa, rice, beans, and a crushed strawberry margarita, or here’s 37 more ideas on what to serve with tamales.

Special Equipment I Use To Make Tamales

This lamb tamales recipe is much easier to make if you have a few specialized pieces of equipment. If you plan on making tamales on a regular basis (or at least every Christmas), I suggest investing in these tools:

Tamales steamer (also called a vapora or tamalera)
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
Vitamix blender. If a Vitamix isn’t in your budget, check out these less expensive options.
Kitchen tongs
Le Creuset Dutch Oven
Chef’s Knife
Boos Block Cutting Board
Comal
Liquid Measuring Cup

FAQ’s

What kind of masa harina should I use?

Use a good quality masa harina for the best results. I love Masienda brand masa harina. If you can’t find that brand, look for other non-GMO brands like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill. Be sure to use masa harina for tamales, not corn flour or cornmeal.

Why is my masa too dry/wet?

The consistency of masa can vary depending on the brand of masa harina and the humidity. If your masa is too dry, add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time. If it’s too wet, add a little more masa harina but always err on the side of too wet. Remember the masa will firm up as it sits and the flour soaks up the liquid.

My tamales are sticking to the husks. What did I do wrong?

This usually happens if the tamales aren’t quite done yet. When checking to see if they are ready, pull one from the steamer and let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Then pull the cornhusk back. If it is still sticking to the husk, return it to the steamer and give them another 15 minutes. Then check again.

Where can I buy corn husks?

Corn husks can be found in the Hispanic food aisle of most major grocery stores, or sometimes in the produce section. You can also find them at Latin American markets. Or of course, online.

A tamal with salsa verde on it and a side of rice and beans.

Braised Guajillo Lamb Tamales

Yield: 24 tamales

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 6 hours

Just like my guajillo-braised lamb tostadas, these lamb tamales are incredibly delicious. They're tender and tangy and rich and fluffy with tremendous robust flavor. You can serve it with charred tomatillo salsa like we do with black bean and cheese tamales. See video tutorial in the recipe for step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients

For the lamb

3-4 pound boneless lamb shoulder roast
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 white onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
2 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into thirds
2 cups beef broth

For the tamales

1/2 pound dried corn husks
6 cups masa harina
10 cups beef broth
1 cup lard
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions

for the lamb:

Season lamb generously all over with salt and pepper (I use about a teaspoon of salt per pound and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper). Let sit out at room temperature while you prepare the guajillo sauce.
Heat a comal or medium dry frying pan (ideally a cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Place the chiles on the comal and toast, turning frequently until the color has darkened and they are fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the toasted chiles. Submerge under the water and let sit until soft, about 15 minutes.
Return the comal to medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Char on all sides. The garlic will cook faster so remove it first, careful not to burn or it will become bitter.
Peel the garlic and add to a blender along with the charred onions. Remove the chiles from the water with kitchen tongs and place in the blender along with a ladle full of chile-soaking water. Add the tablespoon cider vinegar, teaspoon oregano, teaspoon cumin, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Blend until very smooth.
Heat oven to 300°F.
Heat the 1/4 cup lard in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once shimmering add the seasoned lamb and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add the carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes then add the beef broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the guajillo sauce and the lamb and bring to a boil.
Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork, about 3-4 hours.
Remove lamb to a baking sheet with kitchen tongs and let cool. Save sauce.
Once lamb is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces with your fingers. Discard any fat or gristle. Place lamb in a large bowl. Break the carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces as well and mix in with the lamb. Pour remaining sauce over the lamb and vegetables and stir to combine.