These authentic-tasting vegan tamales are made with seasoned corn masa with a savory filling wrapped up in a corn husk and steamed to perfection. Tamales are a traditional Christmas dish, yet they’re great for any time of the year. Each tamale is like a little gift you get to unwrap for dinner!

A steamer pot filled with vegan tamales wrapped in corn husks.

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One of my first jobs out of college (UNM) was working for the Head Start program on Native American reservations in New Mexico. I made some friends in the Pueblos who showed me how to make tamales, red chile sauce, and posole. I took their traditional recipes and made them vegan.

When you make tamales, I suggest you do it with a few friends or family. They’re not hard, but they are a little labor-intensive. If you get an assembly line going, play some music, and drink some wine, tamale-making turns into a fun event! I think that is part of the reason they are so popular to make during the holidays.

When you make tamales you get a rhythm going and you may as well make a lot. Plus they freeze well and can be reheated directly from the freezer, so they’re great to use for meal prep! My kids even like to bring them in their school lunches.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Corn Husks – these are dried corn husks that they sell in the Mexican section of most large grocery stores. You can also order them online.
  • Masa Harina – this is finely ground corn flour. This is different from cornmeal, you need to use the masa that you find in the Mexican section of the grocery store or order it online. It is usually labeled “for tamales” and is frequently gluten-free.
  • Refined Coconut Oil – it must be refined or it will have a coconut flavor. I use this instead of traditional lard. Coconut oil is the most similar in taste and texture, but you can use vegetable shortening or any vegetable oil that you want.
  • Broth – I like Not Chickn’ Broth or my homemade vegan broth, but you can use any vegetable broth that you want or simply use hot water instead.
  • Cumin – for flavor. (optional)
  • Salt – for flavor.
  • Baking Powder – to help the tamales expand a little.
  • Red Chile Sauce – this is a traditional New Mexico red chile sauce made from dried chile pods. You can use jarred sauce or make your own using my recipe. You can use enchilada sauce or mole sauce if you can’t get red chile sauce.
  • Tamale Fillings – see below. You can fill your tamales with any vegetables that you want like onions, garlic, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, or green chile pepper. Make them “meaty” with easy seitan or vegan ground beef crumbles.
Two vegan tamales on a white plate covered in red and green chile sauce.

Vegan Tamale Fillings

You can fill your vegan tamales with just about anything that you can dream of. These are a few of my favorite filling ideas. (I recommend choosing 2 types of fillings to keep it easier)

Carne – any vegan meat. Traditional tamales are made with pork so my vegan ham recipe diced up works well. You can also use vegan ground beef crumbles, shredded vegan chicken strips, Butler Soy Curls, jackfruit, or beans. I like to cook the filling “meat” with red chile sauce for extra flavor.

Spinach – spinach sauteed with some garlic and vegan mozzarella cheese is always a favorite.

Green Chile and Cheese – this is New Mexican green chiles roasted and chopped up or made into a green chile sauce. This goes well with vegan cheddar-style cheese.

Corn and Beans – this is a simple filling that’s also delicious with some roasted butternut squash added.

Helpful tools

Stock Pot – to steam the tamales in. You can also use an Instant Pot with a steamer basket.

Stand Mixer – to make the dough. You can use a strong electric mixer if that is all you have.

How to make vegan tamales

Step 1 – Soak the corn husks 

Place the corn husks in a large bowl and cover them completely with very warm water and place something heavy on top of them to keep them submerged.  Soak for about 30 minutes until softened.

Corn husks soaking in a large bowl of warm water with another bowl on top to weigh them down.

Step 2 – Mix the masa dough 

  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of a large stand mixer, add 6 cups of masa, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder then mix until combined.
  • Add the 3/4 cup of melted refined coconut oil, then beat on low speed until combined. 
  • Then slowly add the vegan broth, and beat on low speed until combined.  Once all of the broth has been added, increase speed to medium, and beat for 8 minutes until fluffy. Stop occasionally and scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
  • Add 1 cup of New Mexico red chile sauce to the batter and beat again for 2 more minutes until it’s well incorporated. (You can refrigerate your dough at this point if you are not ready to assemble the tamales.)
A collage of for imagaes showing how to make the tamale dough from masa harina and adding oil, broth and red chile sauce.

Step 3 – Prepare your fillings 

Carne – Saute 1/2 an onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until the onion is translucent. Then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and add 2 cups of vegan beef crumbles (sub jackfruit, pinto beans, vegan chicken, vegan ham, or vegan steak). Cook until the vegan meat is heated through, then add 1 cup of red chile sauce and 1 cup of vegan cheese.

Spinach – Warm 4 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for about 5 minutes. Pour in 10 oz of baby spinach and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with a lid. Stir every few minutes until wilted.

Corn and Bean – Saute 1/2 an onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until translucent. Add a can of black beans that have been drained and rinsed along with 1 cup of frozen corn and 2 teaspoons of cumin. (This is also good with 1/2 cup of green chile added.)

Green Chile Cheese – Mix 1 cup of New Mexican green chile sauce with 1 cup of vegan cheese.

Vegan ground beef and cheese in a frying pan to be used as tamle filling.

Step 4 – Assemble the tamales

  • To assemble the tamales, place a soaked cornhusk flat on the countertop with the pointy side toward you. Take about 1/4 cup of the dough and spread it onto the top half of the cornhusk about 1/2 inch from the top making a square about 5 inches wide and a little less than 1/2 inch thick. (You can wet your fingers so that the dough won’t stick and easily shape the dough with your hands.)
  • Place about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough.
  • Pick up both sides of the cornhusk and have the edges meet in the center over the top of the filling. Then tuck one side of the corn husk into the other and wrap it into a burrito shape.
  • Pick up the bottom of the corn husk and fold it up tight to the bottom of the tamale. Use a long skinny piece of cornhusk (or culinary string) to tie around the tamale and keep it from opening up during the steaming process.
  • Repeat this process until you have a steamer basket full of tamales.
A collage of 4 images showing the process steps for assembling, wrapping, and steaming tamales.

Step 5 – Steam the tamales

  • Cover with a lid and steam the tamales for 35 minutes. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before eating. (They will be a little soft when they come out of the steamer, but firm up significantly as they cool.)
  • Serve topped with red chile sauce, green chile sauce, guacamole, or salsa. Tamales are much better when served with a sauce. Red or green chile sauce is traditional and a mix of both is called “Christmas!” You can also sprinkle them with vegan cheddar cheese or top them with vegan sour cream.

Pro Tips

  • Don’t make these alone. It’s a lot of work to put them together. Have some friends or family help and set up an assembly line.
  • Keep a bowl of water on the countertop next to you to dip your fingers in. The masa dough won’t stick to wet fingers.
A vegan tamale on a plate still on top of the unwrapped corn husk.

How to make gluten-free vegan tamales

Tamales are easy to make gluten-free, there are just a few main things to watch out for.

  1. Be sure to buy the masa that says gluten-free. (most do)
  2. If you are buying red chile sauce, check the label to make sure it’s vegan and gluten-free. Many brands have lard and wheat flour. The easiest way to avoid this is to make your own red chile sauce.
  3. Make sure the vegan meat that you use in the filling is gluten-free. You can use Beyond Meat or any prepackaged gluten-free vegan meats or you can use jackfruit, beans, or spinach.
  4. Be sure the cheese that you use in the filling is also gluten-free. Some brands of vegan cheese are not gluten-free. You can also make your own vegan cheese.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: These vegan tamales will keep well in the fridge for about 5 days in a sealed airtight container.

Freeze: Tamales freeze well and can be stored in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating: Reheat them directly from the freezer by putting them in the microwave for about 3 minutes or steam them in a steamer basket for about 10 minutes until warmed through.

Two tamales covered in New Mexico red chile sauce and garnished with cilantro.

More vegan recipes

Vegan tamales recipe

A close up of a pot full of vegan tamales ready to be steamed.
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5 from 5 rating

Vegan Tamales

Yield: 40 tamales
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
Traditional New Mexican-style tamales are made with red chile sauce and filled with vegan meat, spinach, or other vegan fillings.
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Ingredients

  • 1 package corn husks, (You will need about 50 – some will break and some will be too small)
  • 6 cups masa harina
  • 3/4 cup refined coconut oil, (melted) or any other neutral-flavored oil
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6 cups not chickn' broth, (or any other vegan broth)
  • 1 cup red chile sauce, (You could use enchilada sauce if you can't get chile sauce)
  • 4 cups filling of choice , (see choices below. Choose 2 types – each one makes about 2 cups)

Equipment

Instructions
 

Soak the corn husks

  • Place the corn husks in a large bowl and cover them completely with very warm water and place something heavy on top of them to keep them submerged.  Soak for about 30 minutes until softened.

Mix the masa dough

  • Meanwhile, in the bowl of a large stand mixer, add 6 cups of masa, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder then mix until combined.
  • Add the 3/4 cup of melted refined coconut oil, then beat on low speed until combined.
  • Then slowly add the vegan broth, and beat on low speed until combined.  Once all of the broth has been added, increase speed to medium, and beat for 8 minutes until fluffy. Stop occasionally and scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
  • Add 1 cup of New Mexico red chile sauce to the batter and beat again for 2 more minutes until it's well incorporated. (You can refrigerate your dough at this point if you are not ready to assemble the tamales.)

Prepare your fillings

  • Carne – Saute 1/2 an onion and 2 cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until the onion is translucent. Then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and add 2 cups of vegan beef crumbles (sub jackfruit, pinto beans, vegan chicken, vegan ham, or vegan steak). Cook until the vegan meat is heated through, then add 1 cup of red chile sauce and 1 cup of vegan cheese.
  • Spinach – Warm 4 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil for about 5 minutes. Pour in 10 oz of baby spinach and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with a lid. Stir every few minutes until wilted.
  • Corn and Bean – Saute 1/2 an onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until translucent. Add a can of black beans that have been drained and rinsed along with 1 cup of frozen corn and 2 teaspoons of cumin. (This is also good with 1/2 cup of green chile added.)
  • Green Chile Cheese – Mix 1 cup of New Mexican green chile sauce with 1 cup of vegan cheese.

Assemble the tamales

  • To assemble the tamales, place a soaked cornhusk flat on the countertop with the pointy side toward you. Take about 1/4 cup of the dough and spread it onto the top half of the cornhusk about 1/2 inch from the top making a square about 5 inches wide and a little less than 1/2 inch thick. (You can wet your fingers so that the dough won't stick and easily shape the dough with your hands.)
  • Place about 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough.
  • Pick up both sides of the cornhusk and have the edges meet in the center over the top of the filling. Then tuck one side of the corn husk into the other and wrap it into a burrito shape.
  • Pick up the bottom of the corn husk and fold it up tight to the bottom of the tamale. Use a long skinny piece of cornhusk (or culinary string) to tie around the tamale and keep it from opening up during the steaming process.
  • Repeat this process until you have a steamer basket full of tamales.
  • Cover with a lid and steam the tamales for 35 minutes. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before eating. (They will be a little soft when they come out of the steamer, but firm up significantly as they cool.)
  • Serve topped with red chile sauce, green chile sauce, or salsa. Tamales are much better when served with a sauce. Red or green chile sauce is traditional and a mix of both is called "Christmas!"

Notes

  • Don’t make these alone. It’s a lot of assembly. Have some friends or family help and set up an assembly line.
  • Keep a bowl of water on the countertop next to you to dip your fingers in. The masa dough won’t stick to wet fingers.
Serving: 1tamale, Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 259mg, Potassium: 71mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 149IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg
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