Spiced Guatemalan Pork Tamales with Tomato-Chile Sauce

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-24 · Updated 2026-06-24

Traditional Guatemalan tamales filled with seasoned pork, wrapped in corn husks, and served with a smoky tomato and chile sauce. This latin american-inspired pork ready in about 195 minutes blends masa harina, warm chicken broth, lard or vegetable shortening into a versatile sauce that lifts everything from grain bowls and roasted vegetables to grilled proteins — a small-batch staple worth keeping in the fridge. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 8, so a small batch covers several meals across the week without taking over the fridge. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 20 pieces, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes dried corn husks
• 3 cups masa harina
• 2 1/2 cups, warm chicken broth
• 1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 lbs, cut into 1-inch cubes pork shoulder
• 1 medium, chopped white onion
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 4, stemmed and seeded dried guajillo chilies
• 2, stemmed and seeded dried pasilla chilies
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium, quartered tomatoes
• 1 tsp for sauce salt

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large pot, bring 2 1/2 cups chicken broth to a boil. Add 2 lbs pork shoulder cubes, 1 chopped medium white onion, and 3 minced garlic cloves. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hours until pork is tender.
2. Step 2: While pork cooks, toast 4 dried guajillo and 2 pasilla chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until aromatic. Soak chilies in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and blend with 3 quartered tomatoes and 1 tsp salt until smooth to make the tomato-chile sauce.
3. Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the tomato-chile sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
4. Step 4: Once pork is tender, shred the meat and mix with 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp dried oregano.
5. Step 5: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup lard or vegetable shortening with 3 cups masa harina, 1 tsp baking powder, and 2 tsp salt. Gradually add warm chicken broth (reserved from cooking pork) until dough is soft and spreadable, about 2 cups.
6. Step 6: Drain soaked corn husks and pat dry. Spread about 2 tbsp masa dough on the center of each husk, add 1 tbsp pork filling, then fold the husks to enclose the filling.
7. Step 7: Arrange tamales upright in a steamer basket. Steam over boiling water for 1 1/2 hours, checking water level to prevent drying out.
8. Step 8: Serve hot tamales with the smoky tomato-chile sauce spooned over or on the side.