# Chicken Tamales Recipe | Made In - Made In

From Chef Rick Lopez of Austin’s La Condesa, this guide to chicken tamales offers plenty of room to experiment to find your favorite filling and topping.

_Photo by Collin Findlay_

Tamales, a popular holiday tradition for many Latin American families, are usually made from a corn-based dough (masa) and savory filling. At talamadas (tamale-making parties commonly hosted around Christmas) they’re made in masses, then wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and steamed. Below, Chef Rick Lopez of Austin’s [La Condesa](https://lacondesa.com/) shares his Guide to Tamales, featuring 6 essential recipes—1 universal dough, 3 savory fillings, and 2 salsas—to help you get in the holiday spirit.

Chicken Tinga often gets its spice from smoky chiles like chipotles in adobo and/or dried anchos, but here Chef Lopez opts for the clean heat of jalapeños. (For smokier tamales, try the [Green Chile Pork filling](/recipes/green-chile-pork-tamales) or vegetarian [Rajas filling](/recipes/rajas-tamales) made with charred poblanos.) These tamales are made using instant masa corn flour, which can be found online and in well-stocked grocery stores. Chef Lopez adds a secret ingredient–puréed white beans–to give the tamales a custardy texture and silky mouthfeel. 

To top them off, Chef Lopez includes 2 easy recipes for [Salsa Roja ](/recipes/rick-lopez-salsa-roja)and [Salsa Verde.](/recipes/rick-lopez-salsa-verde) Feel free to mix and match fillings to salsas, or try them all!

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URL: https://madeincookware.com/recipes/chicken-tamales