Quick Mole Chicken Tamales with Crispy Sides
Store-bought masa and jarred mole paste transform into steamed tamales filled with shredded chicken, served with crispy tostadas and pan-fried sopes for a complete Oaxacan-inspired dinner. Ready in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 620
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
7 items — tap to check off
Missing one? Custrd suggests a swap that works.
Open the appInstructions
Step 1
Mix masa harina with 1.5 cups warm broth and salt until a soft, spreadable dough forms, ~2 minutes.
Step 2
Stir mole paste into shredded chicken until fully coated.
Step 3
Spread 2 tbsp masa onto a banana leaf square, add 1 tbsp mole chicken to center, fold sides to seal into a pocket.
Step 4
Stand tamales upright in a steamer basket with seam side down, add remaining 0.5 cup broth to pot, cover and steam 12 minutes until masa pulls cleanly from the leaf.
Step 5
While tamales steam, fry tortillas in oil until crispy (30 seconds per side), then drain on paper towels.
Step 6
Unwrap tamales, top with queso fresco, and serve with crispy tostadas alongside.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- steamer basket or bamboo steamer
- large pot with lid
- skillet
- paper towels
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
Custrd is an iPhone and Android app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations. Try it free for 7 days.
