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Instant Pot Tamales

Yields 16 tamales

Cuisine: Mexican

Category: Sandwiches & Salads, Instant Pot

The best beef tamales made in a fraction of the time with an Instant Pot. Follow this step-by-step recipe for an authentic Mexican dish your family will love.

Prep Time

40 mins

Other Time

Cook Time

3 hrs 5 mins

Total Time

3 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients:

2 1/2 - 3 pounds Certified Angus Beef^® boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
16 corn husks
3 teaspoons adobo seasoning
1 teaspoon canola oil
4 dried guajillo chilies, seeded, stems removed and torn apart
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons coco powder
2 teaspoons coffee
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup beef stock
3 cups masa
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 sticks butter or 1 cup shortening, room temperature
2 1/2 cups warm water
Salsa verde (optional)

Instructions:

In a stockpot or deep pan, soak cornhusks in warm water for at least 1 hour.
Preheat Instant Pot on Sauté setting. Season chuck cubes with adobo seasoning, add canola oil to pot and sear beef, working in three batches; reserve to a clean plate.
Add chilies, bay leaf and cinnamon stick to toast one minute. Stir in coco powder, coffee, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and beef stock. Bring to a boil.
Return beef to pot, close and lock lid. Set to Pressure Cook High for 40 minutes. Allow Instant Pot to naturally depressurize for 20 minutes.
While beef is cooking make masa mixture. In a small mixing bowl combine masa, chili powder, baking powder and salt. Add butter (or shortening) and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until butter is well incorporated into masa. Stir in warm water, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick from pot. Shred beef with two forks and reserve to a pan. Mix in one cup of the braising liquid and set aside.
Drain cornhusks and pat dry. Spread about 1/4-cup masa mixture starting from the wide end of the husk towards the narrow end creating a rectangle roughly 4 1/2-inches long from wide end to narrow end of husk and about 4 inches wide. There should be at least a 1-inch border of exposed cornhusk on the sides and about 3-inches from the narrow tip. Spoon a scant three tablespoons of the beef filling in a line down the center of the dough from wide end to narrow end. Fold long sides of cornhusk around filling then fold the narrow end toward the open end. Repeat with remaining husks.
Insert the steam tray in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add enough water to just barely touch the bottom of the tray without submerging in water.
Stand tamales in Instant Pot on folded end, mostly vertically. Close lid and Pressure Cook on High for 15 minutes. Allow to naturally depressurize for 20 minutes.
Remove from pressure cooker and cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve with salsa verde or your favorite salsa.