This is my favorite beef tamales recipe! Filled with tender beef that is slowly roasted with sweet apples, onions, and guajillo chiles. The masa harina is flecked with cilantro to make a flavorful dough. These unique and special tamales are a wonderful way to celebrate with family and friends.
I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added additional success tips and a video.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with The California Apple Commission.
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This is my family recipe for rich and festive shredded beef tamales.
What Are Beef Tamales?
This beef tamales recipe is very similar to my red pork tamales, chili verde chicken tamales, and my cheese and jalapeño tamales. Each are filled a different way, and beef tamales are filled with a tender, savory shredded beef filling. They’re moist and aromatic and, with the right recipe, come out fluffy and full of succulent beef. This original recipe is also similar to Oaxacan tamales, but beef tamales are usually wrapped in dried corn husks instead of banana leaves. If you want to try to fold them up with banana leaves instead, follow the instructions in that post.
Tamales are a culinary tradition that dates back to pre-colonial times in Mexico and Central America. The word “tamal” comes from the Nahuatl word tamalli, which means “wrapped. Mexican tamales are enjoyed all year long, but especially during the Christmas holidays. They are perfect, delicious gifts waiting to be unwrapped.
What’s In The Meat Mixture?
I love this meat filling because it’s a blend of a little sweet and a little savory. It starts with a beautiful chuck roast (or shoulder roast) that gets braised in apple juice, fresh California apples, onions, herbs, black pepper and a cinnamon stick. It takes a while but as it slowly roasts the beef becomes meltingly tender and infused with flavor.
- The star of the show are fresh California apples. California apples are the first to hit markets in the late summer/early fall. They are picked, packed, and shipped—never stored. When you buy California apples you get fresh picked fruit every time!
- I use Ceylon cinnamon sticks these are softer, sweeter, and more aromatic than the Cassia cinnamon sticks you typically find at the grocery store. Look for the Ceylon cinnamon sticks at your local Latin market. They are usually available in bulk and labeled canela or Mexican cinnamon.
How to Make Apple-Braised Beef Tamales Recipe
We love plant-based Mexican food around here (I even wrote a cookbook about it). But these homemade tamales are without a doubt one of my favorites. Here’s why:
- No fancy hard-to-find ingredients
- No complicated sauce: Like my black bean and cheese tamales, there’s no complex mole sauce.
- Delicious cilantro-infused masa
- Fork tender shredded beef
- Freezer-friendly: After thawing, they still taste fresh!
- Makes 3 dozen tamales: Or double (or even triple) the recipe to make more! Learn more about how many tamales per person to make.
Making them should in no way be intimidating. The trickiest part is the tamale assembly of filling and rolling the masa inside the corn husk but even that only takes a couple of tries before you get the hang of it. If the first few are a bit clumsy, who’s going to notice? They will still taste amazing. But here’s a couple of pointers that might help.
To make things more manageable, you can break the tamale recipe up over a couple of days by braising the meat one day and assembling the tamales the next. Better yet, invite some friends over and make it a party! Making tamales by yourself is doable, but making them with friends is the fun part.
Before you begin, check out my list of top recommended tamales supplies to make sure you have everything you need.
Start by soaking the corn husks in hot water. Place corn husks in a pot of boiling water then remove from the heat and let soak.
If you don’t have a tamale steamer, you can use a large pot. Place a heat-safe large bowl or steamer basket on the bottom of the pot and fill with an inch or so of cold water. Cover with leftover corn husks and place tamales upright on top. You can also make them in an Instant pot with the steam basket insert or a slow cooker. Learn how with this post.
It is best to make the masa dough with a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric mixer. Rehydrate the masa harina (masa flour) with beef broth. Then place lard with the salt and baking powder and whip. If you’d like to try these with fresh masa check out my how to make masa post.
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Buy Now → Filling and rolling the tamales is a lot like making sushi, if you’ve ever done that. Spread the fluffy masa mixture and add the filling in the middle of the husk. Use the corn husk like you would the nori of the sushi roll, by pulling it towards you with one end and pulling away from you with the other, making a tight roll. Then take the folded part and seal to close.
These tamales don’t have a sauce inside the tamales but you can serve it with green or red chile sauce.
How To Freeze Tamales
If you want to make the tamales in advance and freeze them for the holidays, great! They will keep for up to three months in the freezer. After you steam the braised beef tamales, let them cool completely. Then pack them in freezer bags and store them in the freezer. To reheat them, place a few in a frying pan with a tablespoon or so of water. Cover and steam over medium heat until warm all the way through, about 10-15 minutes.
Hungry for more? Check out these authentic tamales:
- Dessert Strawberry Tamales with Horchata Sauce
- Sweet Lime Tamales
- Chicken and Pumpkin Tamales with Manchamantel Mole
Apple-Braised Beef Tamales
Tender beef, slowly roasted with apples, apple juice, and chiles make the most delicious braised beef tamales. Learn how to make them for the holidays!
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 3-4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 1/2 cups 100% Apple Juice
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 2 apples, cored and chopped
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 stick canela or regular cassia cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tamales:
- 40 dried corn husks (about 1/2 a package)
- 6 cups masa harina
- 1/2 cup minced cilantro
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups lard or vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
- 3 cups reserved cooking liquid from the beef
- 5-6 cups beef or chicken broth
Instructions
For the Braised Beef:
- Heat oven to 300°F and arrange rack in the middle. Place 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast in a large roasting pan or Dutch oven.
- Add remaining filling ingredients and cover baking dish with foil or cover Dutch oven with a lid.
- Braise beef in oven until tender and falling apart, about 3-4 hours. Remove, uncover and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Remove beef to a large plate. Strain cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl, reserving solids. Discard any thyme sprigs, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves.
- Shred beef into bite-sized pieces. Add vegetables from the braising liquid to the beef and mix to combine. Save the cooking liquid for the masa.
To make the Tamales:
- Place husks in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Use a heavy plate to submerge husks in water.
- Combine reserved braising liquid and broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Rehydrate masa harina. Place masa harina in a large heat-proof bowl and pour 6 cups of the broth over the 6 cups of masa harina. Stir until masa is evenly moist. If it is still really dry add another cup of broth. Save remaining for adding later. Cover bowl with plastic wrap until ready to let rehydrate.
- Beat fat. Place 1 1/2 cups lard (or which ever fat you are using) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high until light and fluffy, about a minute.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add 1/2 cup minced cilantro, 2 tablespoons baking powder and 1 tablespoon salt and continue beating until light and fluffy, about a minute more. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Slowly add in masa. Turn mixer back on medium speed. Start adding rehydrated masa dough a handful at a time, letting it whip in before adding the next. You want to really beat the dough and incorporate a lot of air. Keep adding the masa until all the dough is added. Add more broth if necessary. Stop the mixer and feel the dough, it should be light and fluffy like whipped mashed potatoes, maybe even a bit wetter than that. If it is still too dry, add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time until it is almost soupy. It will stiffen as it sits so it is better to be on the wet side.
- To Assemble: Fill a tamales steamer with water just until it reaches the rack where the tamales will sit. Use a few of the small or ripped soaked corn husks to line the rack. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn heat to medium and keep covered.
- Dry a soaked corn husk with a clean kitchen towel. Hold the corn husk with the wide end toward you. Using a large spoon or tamale spreader, evenly spread about ½ cup masa from the middle of the husk down leaving about ½-inch border on the sides.
- Place about 3-4 tablespoons of the beef mixture down the middle.
- Fold one side of masa over the filling until the two edges of the corn husk meet, and holding onto one side of corn husk, pull the other side toward the middle to press the two edges of masa together. Fold the pointy end of the corn husk up over the large end, and place on a clean baking sheet. Repeat with remaining corn husks, masa, and filling. You can use a piece of corn husk to tie the tamales and prevent them from opening, but it is not necessary.
- Place tamales vertically, open-side up in the tamale steamer, keeping them snug in the pot so they don't unravel during cooking. Make sure water is at a steady simmer and producing lots of steam. Cover tightly and steam until masa is cooked through and not doughy in the middle, about 1 hour. Check occasionally and add more water if the pot looks dry.
- Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the pot. Tamales can also be left in the pot, covered with a clean towel (and then covered with the steamer lid) for up to an hour before serving. They will stay warm and soft if you want to make them in advance.
Notes
- Masa Consistency: The masa dough should be spreadable but not runny. If it's too dry, add more broth; if it's too wet, add a little more masa harina.
- Spicy: For spicier tamales, add a serrano or jalapeño pepper (or two) to the braising liquid.
- Sides: Pair them with refried beans and a simple salad for a complete meal.
- Make Ahead: The braised beef filling can be made a day or two in advance, making tamales assembly quicker.
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