Tamales Tolimenses
Generous parcels of seasoned corn dough layered with pork belly, chicken, egg, potato, carrot and peas, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for hours. A weekend and Christmas tradition, eaten with hot chocolate and arepa.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook without limits
Every recipe unlocked, full methods included · Hands-free cooking mode with step timers
Start your free weekContinue with free accessMarinate the meats
Toss the pork belly, ribs and chicken with half the guiso and 1 tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Make the masa
Mix the masarepa with the rest of the guiso, the remaining salt and enough warm broth to make a soft, spreadable dough, like thick mashed potato.
Assemble
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Wrap and tie
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Marinate the meats
Toss the pork belly, ribs and chicken with half the guiso and 1 tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight.
Make the masa
Mix the masarepa with the rest of the guiso, the remaining salt and enough warm broth to make a soft, spreadable dough, like thick mashed potato.
Assemble
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Wrap and tie
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Indigenous peoples wrapped corn dough in leaves long before the Spanish arrived; colonial cooks added pork, chicken and eggs. Tolima's version — large, rich and packed with fillings — became the most famous in Colombia.
Tamales are a family project, often made on Saturdays for Sunday breakfast and in huge batches at Christmas and New Year.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Each tamal is a whole meal in a leaf, with layers of different meats and vegetables to discover.
💡 Fun Fact
In Tolima, a 'tamalada' is a gathering where the whole family helps assemble tamales — some families make over a hundred at once.
Tolima (Ibagué)
4.44°N, -75.23°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!