This post has been sponsored by Mirum, but all opinions are my own.
Once the weather starts to get chilly and the streets start getting decorated with holiday cheer, you know there’s something exciting approaching: tamal season! In my Honduran family, this is one tradition that you could never miss.
In Honduras, we make a special kind of tamales that are very different from the most well-known Mexican corn husk tamales. These are called “Nacatamales” and today I’m giving them a small upgrade thanks to Knorr® Selects Chicken Bouillon from Kroger.
The tamal-making process is no joke! I remember when I was little and I used to watch my grandmother and a few of my great aunts get together to make nacatamales for an ENTIRE day.
I was also surprised when I asked my Tía Lupe, the go-to legendary recipe developer of the family, about the chicken nacatamales-making process and she told me it was something that usually took two days, when traditionally made.
This takes so long because the first day was traditionally dedicated to processing the corn, taking it to the neighborhood mill, and turning it into the masa flour that makes up most of the nacatamal.
Thank goodness for modern inventions like masa flour which substitute that whole day because I really can’t think of where I would’ve found a mill!
In examining my Tía’s recipe, I also found that the seasonings for the nacatamales involved MANY ingredients.
If compared to tamales, traditional nacatamales have at least 10 more ingredients than the average Mexican tamales. This is because nacatamales usually include many colorful fillings besides just masa and meat.
In fact, the famous Nicaraguan nacatamales boast about including 14 ingredients in each filling, ingredients that represent products from the Old World and the New World.
I didn’t want people to have a hard time recreating nacatamales at home, so knowing Knorr® Selects has a Granulated Chicken Bouillon that could help me save on the quantity of some ingredients felt like a relief!
The good thing about Knorr® Selects line is that the products don’t contain any artificial flavors, or preservatives so you can rest assured you are adding the real thing to your recipe.
The line is a great addition to dishes, especially now in the holiday time since we’re all crazy busy and sometimes you just don’t have time to get that many ingredients.
The Knorr® Selects Bouillon varieties aren’t an artificial or unhealthy shortcut to getting that boost of flavor that tastes authentic and that will be perceived from the very first bite of what you cook. Trust me, the flavor of these nacatamales was unbelievable!
Another difference I noticed from my Tía’s nacatamales to others was that hers took less cooking time.
Some varieties of nacatamales feature adding pork or chicken that hasn’t been cooked in the filling, but with her recipe, the one I’m sharing with you today, most of the ingredients have a head start in the cooking process.
This results in a shorter waiting period from when you pack them and wait for them to be ready. And I’m telling you, once you’ve seen the yummy goods that go inside each of these nacatamales, you’ll be anxious for them to cook fast so you can try them!
Nacatamales can also be frozen after they’ve cooled down to room temperature. In fact, this was usually the traditional way in which I remember eating them since the tamales that my grandma and aunts made in a day were made to last for the entire holiday season. They were also distributed among my uncles and aunts and their families.
Our freezer was always PACKED with nacatamales so, any given day during Christmastime, you could just grab one from the freezer, thaw it in hot water, and enjoy it in minutes! Having frozen nacatamales around is pretty useful in keeping hungry relatives happy while you work on the big feasts for any Holiday party!
Did you grow up with a similar tradition? Please let me know in the comments what dishes you usually prep with your loved ones this time of year.
What you need to make Honduran Chicken Nacatamales
Nacatamales don’t require special gear, and it’s very likely that you have some of the following items. Still, I wanted to make sure that you check them before starting:
- Blender or food processor
- Comal (optional)
- Stock pot
Find below all the ingredients and a step-by-step guide to prepare nacatamales at home.
Honduran Chicken Nacatamales
Ingredients
White masa
- 2 pounds of masa flour
- 1 cup of lard
- 1 green bell pepper
- ½ bunch of culantro (Asian/Honduran cilantro) *you may substitute with cilantro
- 3 tbsps of Knorr® Selects Chicken Bouillon (instead of 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves and salt and pepper)
- 1 L of water, divided (½ for each masa)
"Red" Masa and "Recado" (seasonings with the meat for the red masa)
- 2 tbsps of Knorr® Selects Chicken Bouillon (instead of 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves and salt and pepper)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 pounds of boneless chicken breasts, cooked in a bit of water
- 1 tbsp of achiote (annatto)
- ½ to 1 cup of the liquid is reserved to mix with one-third of the Masa, to make the red masa
Fixings
- 2 cups of olives
- 3 potatoes, chopped in small squares
- 2 cups of white rice, cooked halfway through
- 1 can of sweet peas
- ¼ cup of capers
- ½ cup of canned garbanzo beans, rinsed
- ½ cup of raisins (optional)
You will also need:
- Big plantain leaves, cleaned
- String
Instructions
- In a blender, add about 1 cup of water, one bell pepper, cilantro, and 3 Tablespoons of Knorr® Selects Granulated Chicken Bouillon. Blend until well mixed.
- Add the seasoned blend and the masa flour in a big pot and mix well. Add liquid lard or oil and cook on medium stirring once in a while until it thickens. Separate one-third of the masa in another pot.
- Cook the chicken along with the other bell pepper, 2 tablespoons of Knorr® Selected Granulated Chicken Bouillon achiote in hot water. Mix to dissolve the achiote. Once the chicken is cooked, reserve half a cup of the broth and add it to the masa that you had previously separated.
- To make this red masa add a bit of lard or oil as well and cook until it thickens a bit more. You may add water if it thickens too much.
- Roast your plantain leaves on a comal or on the stovetop, just until they soften. This will allow you to bend them without ripping them.
- Prep your “nacatamales assembly station” with all the fixings: partially cooked rice, cubed potatoes, pieces of the chicken you just cooked, sweet peas, capers, olives, and the two masas.
- To assemble each nacatamal, choose a plantain leaf that is at least 3 times as wide as how you want the nacatamales to be. Place it on a clean surface and add about a serving spoon of the white masa in the center, and spread it out into a rectangle, to be used a base. On top, lay all of the fixings and top them off with about a couple of spoonfuls of the red masa, pressing it down a bit.
- Fold the tamales like you would fold a small gift (watch the video for guidance) and use string to secure the sides both horizontally and vertically.
- Prep a tall and large pot with a couple of plantain leaves used as a base – this is to prevent the tamales from burning. Start stacking your tamales inside the pot and add hot water to them, until you cover the very last one. Boil and cook for about 40mins.
- Unwrap each nacatamal and enjoy its goodness with lime, sour cream and/or hot sauce!
If you liked this recipe, you might like some of my other recipes too.
And remember, if you try this recipe and want to share your pictures, tag me @lacooquette on Instagram. I’d love to share your photos on my IG stories.
Note: we published this post originally on November 14, 2019.
Need for you to send me a receipt for Honduran nacatamsles all of my relatives have gone to be with God and I miss this kind of tamales. I would like to learn how to make them.My addres is 122 Durham Dr,Lafayette,Louisiana 70508.I thank You,God Bless.
I was thrilled when I came across your recipe for tamales. I grew up in Honduras, and it has been hard to spend December without nacatamales, especially since I’m used to my parent’s freezer being full with tamales, too! I will definitely have to try these out this Christmas and see if I can make some. 😁 ¡Gracias por compartir!
Aww! ¡Me alegra mucho haberte ayudado! I too miss having nacatamales many times a week during the holidays 🙁 I just had one the other day that brought me so many memories! Hugs!
Deliciosios