These easy turkey tamales are made with leftover Thanksgiving meat. Deliciously soft dough and meaty filling inside every corn husks. This recipe makes 36 tamales.
Soak corn husks in a bowl of warm water until softened, 20 min; drain.
Dough
Mix masa and taco seasoning together in a bowl. Stir in crisco or lard into masa mixture.
Add in the broth or water, 1 cup at a time, to the masa mixture until dough is smooth and the consistency of thick peanut butter. You may not need it all.
Turkey Filling
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until softened and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and add turkey, taco seasoning packet. Stir reserved ½ cup broth into filling until moistened.
Return to heat and stir until the seasoning looks dissolved and there is no water running around on the pan.
Assembly
Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon the dough in the center of each corn husk.
Top filling with 1 heaping tablespoon filling.
Roll husk around dough and filling, tucking bottom of husk into tamale.
Tie a corn husk strip or string around each tamale to secure. Making these ties is actually optional, I just think it looks pretty. If you want to omit this step, just fold the bottom over and make sure to have enough in the basket to keep the tamales upright.
Cook
Place a steamer basket insert into a large pot and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer.
Bring water to a boil. Stand tamales upright in the steamer, cover, and steam until cooked through, about 1 hour. Add more water as needed to keep the pan from running dry.
Serve with warmed enchilada sauce, mole, or sauce of choosing.
Notes
Storage:
Store cooked tamales in an airtight container for up to a few days.
Cooked tamales remain fresh for about 4-7 days when stored properly.
Reheating: Oven method:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Wrap each tamale tightly with foil, ensuring no air can escape.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Microwave:
Remove or leave husks on as desired.
Place tamales on a plate with space between each.
Microwave for 3-5 minutes, adjusting based on quantity and microwave strength.