Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (2024)

Published: · Updated: by Maggie Unzueta

This tamale masa recipe with oil is perfect for making healthy Mexican tamales. The distinct flavor is something to enjoy in each bite.

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This tamale masa recipe with oil is perfect for making healthy Mexican tamales. The distinct flavor is something to enjoy in each bite. Watch the VIDEO or follow the easy step-by-step pictures.

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Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (1)

My little brother is a vegan. My dad happens to be “somewhat” of a vegetarian (like every other day). It’s a lot more often than just Meatless Mondays! Over the years, we have had to adapt several traditional Mexican recipes to fit their dietary needs, or we simply avoid serving them certain foods altogether. However, when it comes to our special holiday traditions, we can’t avoid tamales during Christmas. This tamale masa recipe made with oil is something my mom heard of through her network of friends. Since then, this is what she uses to make her tamales.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (2)

Making traditional masa with lard or shortening is easy (as easy as finding an abuela who speaks Spanish). I have to admit.. I actually think this tamale masa recipe with oil is even easier. Mix the dry ingredients first. Then add the wet ingredients. DONE. Seriously, whoever came up with this vegan recipe is an absolute genius!

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (3)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

All tamale masa recipes start with masa harina. I have always used Maseca. That is the brand that I know and love. My little brother (our healthy conscious family member) has started to fork out for the organic masa harina you get at Whole Foods or you can also get it online. He will make completely organic and completely vegan tamales.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (4)

Baking powder is essential for making masa. It will help your tamales get bigger and poofy.
Aluminum-free baking powder is best so it won’t have that yucky metallic taste. You can easily find this at the store for relatively cheap.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (5)

Add the dry ingredients to the KitchenAid mixer, a bowl for a hand mixer, or you can also do this by hand.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (6)

Then slowly start adding the water. No torrential flooding here – add it little by litter. Remember: Water is vegan. Lol. Alternatively, you can use vegetable broth for some added depth of flavor. If you are not making vegan tamales, you can also use chicken broth.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (7)

This tamale masa recipe with oil is an olive oil lovers dream! It’s great for any time of day – even oily in the afternoon. 🙂 The masa will have a strong, very distinct olive oil flavor. You can also use canola oil or grapeseed oil. Some people have used coconut oil.

Note: If you are using coconut oil, you need to melt it slightly before adding to the mixture. That is, stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds. OR, cream the coconut oil with a mixer then add the corn flour. You want to fully incorporate whatever oil you use.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (8)

Do you see how creamy the texture is? Like the opposite of crunchy peanut butter. If your masa is not as creamy, add more water. It’s also very yellow in hue because of the olive oil. How easy was it to make this healthy tamale masa?!

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (9)

Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and the bottom. Remember the tamalero’s motto: “We will leave no masa behind.” Or, “She works hard for the masa… So hard for the masa… She works hard for the masa so you’d better treat her right.” (Cue Donna Summer disco track for dancing in the kitchen).

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (10)

This tamale masa recipe with oil spreads very evenly. I have even seen it sold premade at Gonzalez Northgate Market here in San Diego. The Mexican population often suffers from several different kinds of chronic health problems (like diabetes and heart disease) that can be helped with healthier diets. It makes me happy to see that we are starting to be more conscious of what we eat and offering more healthful options in authentic Mexican cuisine.

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (11)

Now that you’ve got your freshly-made masa, gather your already soaked corn husks, fill them up with your favorite filling, steam for the regular time (1 ½ to 2 hours), and enjoy. There’s plenty of time to masa round. Get it? 🙂 I know. It’s kind of corny. (Rim shot). “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I’ll be here all week.” Hope you enjoy!


Watch the Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil video

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (12)

Table of Contents

  • 1 Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil
    • 1.1 Ingredients
    • 1.2 Instructions
    • 1.3 Video
    • 1.4 Notes
    • 1.5 Nutrition

Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil

This tamale masa recipe with oil is perfect for making healthy Mexican tamales. The distinct flavor is something to enjoy in each bite.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Recipes

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 167kcal

Author: Maggie Unzueta

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a mixer, add the corn flour, baking powder, and salt.

  • Mix to combine.

  • Slowly add the vegetable broth until fully incorporated.

  • Slowly add the olive oil.

  • Be sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl.

Video

Notes

You can also use canola oil or grapeseed oil.

To be used with your favorite tamale filling.

Steam tamales 1 ½ - 2 hours.

This recipe is for savory tamales, not sweet tamales.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.


For More Tamale Recipes:


Masa for Tamales
Red Pork Tamales
Tamales de Rajas con Queso, Pickled Jalapeño and Cheese Tamales
Instant Pot Chicken Tamales
Beef Tamales, Tamales de Res
Chicken Salsa Verde Tamales
Northern Style Bean Tamales, or Tamales de Frijol Norteños
Tamales Dulces


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Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (17)

About Maggie Unzueta

Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (18)Veronica Rodriguez

    Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (19)
    Love hope you explain everything with detail and incorporate those personal stories

    Reply

  2. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (21)Queene

    Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (22)
    Thanks for creating this with OIL instead of LARD. Been making them for decades. However instead of Olive Oil (EVOO), try using Avocado Oil. The results will amaze you!

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (23)Maggie Unzueta

      I’m glad to hear you appreciate the use of oil instead of lard in this Tamale Masa recipe. Thanks for the tip about the avocado oil, I’ll have to try it.

      Reply

  3. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (24)Karen

    Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (25)
    This is an amazing recipe. I put all the ingredients in my food processor at once and it came together like pie crust mixed in the processor does. So easy and so good!

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (26)Maggie Unzueta

      Love it. Thank you for sharing your experience. 🙂

      Reply

  4. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (27)Ana Luisa

    I would like to try this recipe, but I do have a question: is the masa beaten for any length of time, or just mixed til it comes together?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (28)Maggie Unzueta

      Beat the masa for tamales using oil until it comes together. Beat a few minutes more, if you are unsure. You can’t overmix masa. Regular masa uses lard or shortening, and you beat it to make sure everything is full mixed. Here, the oil is poured into the masa and it mixes in easily.

      Reply

  5. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (29)Mar

    Hi! I bought Double-Active baking powder. Is that okay to use?

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (30)Maggie Unzueta

      No. It’s not the same thing. It’ll react different, and you’ll end up with a mess.

      Reply

  6. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (31)Dulce

    Hello! I can’t wait to try this recipe. You mentioned this is for savory tamales. Do you have, or how would you tweak this recipe, to use it for sweet tamales?

    Thank you,
    Dulce

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (32)Maggie Unzueta

      Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola. Same amount. I say this tamales masa recipe with oil is for savory because I use olive oil.

      Reply

  7. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (33)Rachel L Miller

    Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (34)
    I had a pork loin I needed to use and thought that some tomales would do the trick. However I didn’t want to use lard;I wanted something healthier. I found your recipe using olive oil and put it with my go to filler and it was AMAZING! Thanks for sharing it!

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (35)Maggie Unzueta

      Yay! Glad you liked it. I like the way the olive oil tastes too.

      Reply

  8. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (36)Josefina Ramón Cháirez

    Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (37)
    I was skeptical about maki g tamales with oil but I found your recipe and decided to try it(small amount of ingredients-not so much waste if it didn’t turn out). I’m so happy I tried it!!! Made a batch if cheese and rajas using both poblano and pickled jalapeños(for more spice). The tamales were a hit with my extended Hispanic and non-Hispanic family. Thank you for moving making tamales into the healthy column!

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (38)Maggie Unzueta

      Yum! Your tamales sound delicious. Glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  9. Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (39)Jeannie T

    Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (40)
    Approximately how many tamales will this recipe gives you? Thanks

    Reply

    • Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (41)Maggie Unzueta

      It’s in the recipe card. It mentions that this recipe is for about 16 tamales.

      Reply

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Tamale Masa Recipe with Oil (2024)

FAQs

Can you use oil instead of lard in masa for tamales? ›

This tamale masa recipe with oil is perfect for making healthy Mexican tamales. The distinct flavor is something to enjoy in each bite. This tamale masa recipe with oil is perfect for making healthy Mexican tamales.

How much lard for 4 lbs of masa? ›

TAMALES RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 4 lbs. masa blanca (white corn) 1 ½ lbs. shorting or lard for more flavor 1 ½ lbs.

How much meat do I need for 5 pounds of masa? ›

Spices include dried poblano peppers (chile ancho), whole mixed pepper corns and cumin seeds, and garlic. Estimating how much masa and meat to purchase, a good estimate is that for 5 lb. of MASA you will need 5 -10 pounds of meat.

How much masa do I need for 100 tamales? ›

How Much Masa Do I Need for 100 Tamales? To make 100 tamales, you'll need 16 1/2 cups of masa harina (or a 4.4 pound bag of Maseca).

Can I use oil instead of lard? ›

For each cup (205 grams) of lard in a recipe, you can use 7/8 cup (191 mL) of vegetable oil. This works especially well for frying, grilling, and sautéing, as well as baking, although it may slightly alter the texture and consistency.

How do I substitute lard for oil? ›

For every 1/4 cups of lard needed, use 1/4 cup butter plus 1 tablespoon. Vegetable oil- Use a 1:1 ratio for olive or coconut oil. For vegetable oil, substitute a 7/8 cup for 1 cup of lard.

Can you put too much lard in tamales? ›

Use as much as you want, but at a certain point too much lard will start to make the masa dense and gooey. Make sure you are using a good stand mixer to whip the lard into the masa. Whipping air into it and getting good even distribution of the fat are just as important to the lightness of the final product.

How much lard for 10 lbs of masa for tamales? ›

of masa preparada para tamales so they are nice and moist? Rule of thumb is 1 pound of lard per 5 pounds masa. So, that'd mean 2 pounds should suffice for 10 pounds. Don't forget to add in hot broth to help the lard mix in with the masa, and salt to taste.

How much lard do you put in 5 lb of masa? ›

The masa and lard will make the base of the tamale dough, in a ratio of 5 pounds masa to 1 pound lard. The beef will make the filling, and should weigh 5 pounds before it gets cooked to every 5 pounds masa.

How many tamales will 10 lbs of prepared masa make? ›

For my tamaladas, where I have three friends helping, I buy 10 pounds and usually get about 60 to 70 tamales, so everyone gets at least 15 to take home with them. Make sure to ask for PREPARED masa when ordering because they also sell the unprepared version.

How many pounds of lard for 10 pounds of masa? ›

To achieve a moist and tender texture in your tamales, it is generally recommended to add around 1 to 1.5 pounds of lard for every 10 pounds of masa preparada para tamales [1].

How much masa do I need for 50 tamales? ›

How much masa do I need? This recipe only makes 1 dozen (12 tamales). To make 50 tamales: 8 cups masa harina, 7 cups broth, 5 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoon baking powder, 2 ½ cups shortening.

Can you overwork masa for tamales? ›

You don't have to worry about overworking masa for tamales the same way you would with wheat flour, but you still don't want to overdo it. Wheat flour is easy to overwork because wheat gluten will activate and create a gummy, sticky texture.

How much masa is needed for 4 dozen tamales? ›

Ingredients to Make Enough Masa for Approximately 4 Dozen Tamales: 4 cups Masa Harina. 4 cups Broth or Water. 1 tbsp Salt.

Do you use lard or oil for tamales? ›

If you would like to use oil instead of shortening for your masa for tamales, it's no problem at all. Using oil is also a slightly healthier way of making tamales masa. Use vegetable oil and use 3/4 cups to 1 cup vegetable oil instead of the 1 cup of shortening used in my recipe.

Can I use coconut oil instead of lard for tamales? ›

Other possibilities are butter, shortening, or coconut oil. For vegetarian tamales, I use coconut oil. The amount of coconut oil you would use is just a bit less than the amount of lard you would use. For different oils, you'll need to experiment, starting out with the same amount as the lard.

Can I use avocado oil instead of lard for tamales? ›

Traditionally, lard is the primary fat component, but to keep things a little lighter, we like to use avocado oil and cut back the amount as much as possible without sacrificing on texture. Once the masa dough is prepared, it's time for the filling.

What is the best fat for tamales? ›

Lard makes tastier and fluffier tamales than other fats do. You can replace the lard with solid fats, like duck fat or shortening, to obtain a similar texture; butter and liquid oils work but will make a denser masa.

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