Rice Tamales
Ingredients
- 3 cups Mahatma® Jasmine Rice
- 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup lard, at room temperature
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
- 2 plum tomatoes, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz ground chorizo
- 8 oz ground turkey
- 1 tbsp Sazon seasoning
- 14 to 16 dried corn husks, soaked
Instructions
Loaded with rice, chorizo, and turkey, these tamales are a tasty spin on a Latin favorite and they are sure to please.
Step 1
In a bowl, combine jasmine rice, 1 cup water and 1 cup of the broth; let stand for 2 hours.
Step 2
In a food processor, blend together rice mixture, soaking liquid, butter, lard, salt and pepper until paste starts to form; set aside.
Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium skillet; cook onion, red pepper, tomatoes and garlic for 5 to 8 minutes or until very tender. Stir in chorizo, turkey and Sazon seasoning; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until meat starts to brown. Stir in remaining broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Let cool completely.
Step 4
Place 3 tbsp rice paste in center of each corn husk. Press gently to spread rice mixture. Place 1 tbsp meat filling in center. Fold sides of corn husks inward, then fold over top and bottom edges to form package; tie with kitchen string.
Step 5
Add water to deep steamer just below bottom of rack. To prevent water from touching the tamales, cover rack with layer of banana leaves trimmed to fit.
Step 6
In pot fitted with steamer basket, arrange tamales together tightly. Cover and steam for 60 to 75 minutes or until tamales are firm.
Serving Tips
Serve tamales with a side of pico de gallo sauce.
Recipe Video
Made with Rice
A tasty twist on a classic Latin dish, these rice, chorizo, and turkey tamales are a great option for when you are in the mood to try some new flavors. Unwrapping a freshly made tamale is like unwrapping a (delicious) Christmas gift. Cooked to warm and soft perfection by steaming while wrapped in a corn husk, these tasty and tender tamales are made with fragrant Mahatma® Jasmine Rice instead of the traditional masa (a dough made from corn), ground turkey, chorizo, tomato, and bell pepper.
Doughy Delights
In Latin cuisine, dough goes much further than just being used for desserts or bread. There are many savory dishes that are made with dough, some similar to these tamales, that are incredibly delicious and worth trying if you haven’t already. The traditional tamales you are probably familiar with are made with corn dough and stuffed with meats, cheese, and chile and are popular in Mexico. Hallacas are a Venezuelan dish similar to tamales but are wrapped in plantain leaves instead of corn husks and include ingredients like raisins, capers, and olives. Empanadas are also a popular dish throughout all of Latin America, the Philippines, and Europe and they are pastries filled with just about anything from meats, cheese, and veggies, to sweet ingredients like fruits and rice pudding.
Try these delicious dishes at home with your favorite fillings, or try some of our favorites like these Empanadas with Turkey and Rice Picadillo, these Empanadas with Chorizo and Rice or get creative and use your favorite rice paella recipe as a stuffing idea. Taquitos dorados are also an excellent choice. For a sweet treat, try these Sweet Rice Tamales filled with rice pudding. For another Latin American inspired dish, check out this Mexican chicken and rice recipe, or learn how to make arroz con leche by following our easy recipe with basmati rice for the ultimate filling recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
If dried corn husks are not readily available, you can also use banana leaves.
Substitute ground pork for turkey.
