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A food and lifestyle blog by Jenna Urben

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Instant Pot Tamales (Lard Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free)

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Instant Pot Tamales are lard-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. Depending on what filling you choose, they can easily be made vegan or vegetarian.

Instant Pot Tamales | The Urben Life

Typically tamale making is an all-day fiasco but with the Instant Pot, you can enjoy fresh tamales with ample side dishes in less than an hour. Seriously, it’s kinda mind-blowing! I have made these tamales on numerous occasions and I feel confident in saying they’re pretty fail-proof and forgiving.

My family used to have tamales around the holidays and it was something we always looked forward to. It wasn’t until I was browsing the aisles at our new grocery store and came across frozen tamale bags, that I realized how much I missed them. My husband and I decided to give them a try and they weren’t bad at all. However, we knew we could make our own at home and leave out some ingredients that didn’t necessarily need to be in there. Lookin at you, lard!

Easy Instant Pot Tamales The Urben Life

I love creating healthier versions of family favorites, and that’s exactly what this recipe is! No lard, no dairy, no egg – completely handmade from start to finish.

First things first, decide what filling you want. Vegetables, pork, chicken, ground beef. We went with ground beef because we had some leftover from making homemade meatballs earlier in the week. Cook your filling before moving onto making the tamal or dough. I have both tamal and masa in my panty, and technically either will work. (I suggest tamal for tamales and masa for homemade tortillas!) Follow the directions on the package but basically, all you do is combine the tamal/masa with water until a dough forms. It’s really that easy! From there, you’ll press the dough out on a corn husk, fill with veggies or meat, roll up, seal, and place in your pressure cooker to steam.

We served our tamales with tomatillo salsa, guacamole, beans, and rice. Yeah, we had a feast with just the two of us! Let me know if you make these by leaving me a comment or tagging #TheUrbenLife on Instagram.

Lard Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Instant Pot Tamales from The Urben Life

Instant Pot Tamales | The Urben Life
5 from 3 votes
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Instant Pot Tamales

Instant Pot Tamales are lard-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. Depending on what filling you choose, they can easily be made vegan or vegetarian.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

  • 14 corn husks

For the dough

  • 2 cups tamal
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the filling

  • 1 pound seasoned ground beef, previously cooked (or another filling)

Toppings

  • Tomatillo Salsa, Guacamole, Refried Beans

Instructions

  1. Rinse the corn husks and place them in a large bowl. Fill with warm water to cover and set aside.

  2. To form the dough, combine tamal, water, and vegetable oil in a small bowl. Mix using your hands until a soft paste-like dough is formed. 

  3. Drain corn husks and carefully pat dry. Prepare your workstation by laying out several corn husks next to the dough and filling. Place steamer rack in Instant Pot and add 1 cup water. 

  4. To fill the corn husks, use your fingers or back of a spoon to spread an even layer of the dough in the middle of the husk. Arrange a small amount of meat (or another filling) down the center of dough. Carefully fold the corn husks closed by pressing dough together, then rolling the husk, and folding the bottom. Place in Instant Pot standing up.

  5. To cook tamales, secure the lid and set the valve to pressure cooking position. Steam at high heat for 20 minutes. 

  6. To serve, unroll tamales from the husk and top with tomatillo salsa, guacamole, and refried beans.

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Instant Pot Tamales are lard-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. Depending on what filling you choose, they can easily be made vegan or vegetarian.

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Comments

  8. I keep hearing about the Instant Pot but it’s not something I’ve used before. Sounds like it would be a very handy appliance to have. Your tamale recipe looks yummy!

    Reply

  9. I absolutely love tamales, but I’ve never made them before. This sounds like a really easy way to make them in the instant pot. I’ll have to give this a try sometime!

    Reply

  12. I’ve never been too impressed with tamales, but I think I just haven’t had GOOD ones before. This recipe looks awesome and I’m excited to try! Plus, any excuse to use my Instant Pot!

    Reply

  17. I’ve always wanted to make tamales, but I have never done it. Maybe I can try your recipe, my family loves this type of food. I’ve really got to get myself an instant pot, I keep hearing about them!

    Reply

  22. This looks so delicious yet simple to make! I’ve never tried making my own tamales at home, but you’re definitely inspired me to give it a go!

    Reply

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