If you’ve never tried vegan tamales, you’re in for a treat! Tamales are little masa hot pockets that can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients. This version of tamales verdes is stuffed with jackfruit, onions and salsa verde to create a simple yet flavorful tamale.
Mexican food can easily be made vegan. The simple and wholesome ingredients found in this cuisine offer opportunities to create amazingly delicious and deeply aromatic dishes. Fresh and bright produce adds a pop of color and clean notes to finish your dishes. Once you try swapping out animal-based ingredients with plant-based ones, you’ll quickly fall in love with the endless possibilities that open up.
Making these tamales verdes is a bit of a process, but all of the steps are simple. When you taste the delicious end result, you’ll see that the extra time and effort is worth it! If you’d like, try making this recipe into an event with friends. Gather your ingredients, prep and assemble them together and then enjoy your special feast together!
This recipe celebrates the simple and wholesome ingredients found in Mexican cuisine. The flavor and texture of these tamales verdes can’t be beat. We are so excited to share the process of making this dish with you.
Tamales verdes is traditionally made with shredded meat, sautéed onions and salsa verde or another fresh combination of tomatoes and chilis. It is wrapped in a corn flour dough and then folded up into a corn husk and steamed.
Tamales can easily be made vegan! This tamale recipe uses jackfruit, but the possibilities for fillings are up to you. Beans, vegan cheese, mushrooms, soy curls, vegan meat (like vegan chicken or beef crumbles), various types of tofu, or veggies like zucchini and corn can be used as fillings to create vegan tamales!
Masa harina literally means “dough flour.” It’s a very soft flour made from finely ground hominy or dried corn kernels that have been cooked and soaked in a lime solution (a diluted solution of calcium hydroxide, not the fruit). Masa is what you get when you mix masa harina with water to form a corn dough.
The soaking process is what gives homemade corn tortillas (which are made from masa harina) that distinct sour flavor that tastes so good. It’s essential to various staples in Mexican cuisine, such as tortillas (which are traditionally vegan!) and tamales. Since it’s made from corn, it’s naturally gluten free.
Vegan tamales are a labor of love but 100% worth the effort! To make the process as easy as possible, we’ve provided these step-by-step photos for guidance. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact times and temperatures. Now, let’s get to it!
Step 1: Soften your corn husks. In a large stockpot, place the corn husks with just enough hot water to cover them. Weigh them down with a plate and allow them to soften for about 2 hours.
Step 2: Make your tamales. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the shortening, Himalayan salt and baking powder. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium-high speed for about a minute or until your mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add one cup of your masa harina while the mixer is running and allow it to fully incorporate before adding another cup. Repeat until your dough is uniform. Drizzle in the broth while the paddle attachment is still running and mix for about a minute more.
To ensure your tamales are light and fluffy and ready to use, perform the masa float test before assembling your tamales! To perform this quick and easy test, follow these steps:
Place plastic wrap over your bowl and place into the refrigerator for one hour. Remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. If necessary, add a splash of broth or water to the dough. You want it to be soft.
Step 3: Make your filling. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Transfer the drained jackfruit and garlic to the skillet and sauté for 10-12 minutes, or until the jackfruit begins to soften and break up.
Add the salsa verde and salt and allow to warm for about a minute. Remove from the heat and add in the spinach or purslane, giving it a gentle stir to allow it to wilt.
Step 4: Lay out one softened corn husk. Scoop out a little less than 1/4 cup of the dough and shape into a 4-inch square. Add a few tablespoons of your jackfruit filling into the center of the dough. Fold the sides inwards adding a little pressure to seal it.
Fold the sides of the husk towards the center, then fold the tapered end up and away from you. Leave the top unfolded/open. Place the tamale on a baking sheet with the folded side down. Assemble the remaining tamales.
Step 5: Steam your vegan tamales. Place a steamer basket or rack in the bottom of a stock pot. Add just enough water so it’s below the steamer. You don’t want water coming in contact with your tamales. Line the rack with a few corn husks. This will ensure that no water and only steam will come in contact with your tamales.
Place your assembled tamales vertically around the pot, with the open side of the tamales pointing up. They will expand as they steam, so don’t pack them too closely together. It’s helpful to add a bowl into the center of the pot to help keep the tamales upright.
Once the tamales are assembled, place another layer of corn husks over the top, then cover with a lid. Turn the heat on to medium and allow them to steam for about 45 minutes or until the husks pull evenly away from the tamales. Once this happens, remove the pot from the heat and allow the tamales to rest and firm up for about 15 minutes.
You can garnish your vegan tamales with fresh herbs, lime, thinly sliced jalapeños or whatever fresh component you like! Cashew crema, guacamole, or vegan sour cream can be served with them as well. Make your own salsa verde or Pico de Gallo if you’d like, but store-bought is fine too!
Yes! After assembling your tamales in Step 4 above, place them into sealed plastic bags and tranfer to your freezer. When you are ready to make them, proceed to steaming them as directed in Step 5 and then serve and enjoy.
The vegan Tamales Verdes recipe is reprinted with permission from Gracias Madre Cookbook by Gracias Madre and Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company 2022. Special thanks to our World of Vegan recipe testers Amanda Turner and Margo Henderson for their valuable help and feedback!
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I definitely got to try these out!
Love these vegan tamales! They came out perfectly and they’re full of flavor!
So unique and delicious!
These are delish! They remind so much of my favorite Chilean dish called Humitas made with blended corn instead, so good!
These took a while to make, but that was part of the fun! Now making these vegan tamales is a new tradition with my family … thanks for the recipe and easy-to-follow instructions!
I was always so intimidated to make tamales but this recipe was so easy to follow and the process photos really help!
This jackfruit application for vegan tamales was delicious ! Didn’t know jackfruits could be so tasty and fun.
can’t wait to make these vegan tamales!!