TamalesEasyFree

Bell Pepper and Cheese Tamales

Name: Bell Pepper and Cheese Tamales
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 120 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tsp Salt; 200 g Fresh cheese (queso fresco); 30 Corn husks for tamales; 400 ml Chicken stock; 500 g Corn flour for tamales; 3 Red bell pepper; 150 g Lard

120 min (45 prep + 75 cook) Easy 20 servings Veracruz

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Veracruz-style tamales filled with roasted red pepper and fresh cheese, mild and colourful.

About this recipe

Bell pepper tamales are a speciality of Veracruz cuisine, combining soft corn masa with the sweet, colourful flavour of red bell pepper and fresh cheese. Unlike chilli-hot tamales, this version is mild and comforting, with a generous filling that surprises with its simplicity and flavour. The masa is beaten with lard until fluffy and wrapped in corn husks, resulting in a moist, aromatic tamal that reflects Veracruz cuisine at its most festive.

History & Origin

Bell pepper tamales are part of the rich tamal-making tradition of Veracruz, a state that boasts one of the greatest varieties of tamales in Mexico. The jarocha kitchen incorporated bell pepper — brought by the Spanish from South America to the European market and back to the American continent — as a standard filling ingredient, mixing it with locally produced fresh cheeses. Veracruz, a land of culinary mestizaje par excellence, fused indigenous ingredients such as nixtamalised corn and lard with the dairy products that arrived with the Conquest. The result was an enormously diverse tamal tradition: sweet, savoury, with seafood, meat, vegetables, and this version with pepper and cheese that is prepared today in Veracruz households for Candlemas, Christmas and the posadas. The technique of beating the masa with lard until a small ball floats in cold water is the secret passed down through generations in Veracruz, guaranteeing a fluffy texture that distinguishes a good tamal from a mediocre one.

Estimated cost

£10.80

Total cost

£0.54

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

210

Calories

Protein

28g

Carbohydrates

Fat

Fibre

380mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until soft and pliable. Drain and pat dry with a cloth.
2
Beat the lard with salt for 5 minutes until fluffy and pale. Add the corn flour and chicken stock gradually, alternating until you have a smooth dough. Test the consistency: a small ball of masa should float in cold water.
💡 This float test ensures the tamales will be fluffy.
3
Char the red peppers directly over a gas flame or under the grill until the skin is completely blackened. Place in a sealed plastic bag for 10 minutes. Peel, core and cut into 1 cm strips.
4
Spread a corn husk flat in your palm. Place 2 tablespoons of masa in the centre and flatten into a rectangle about 12x8 cm, leaving free borders.
5
Place a strip of pepper and a piece of fresh cheese in the centre of the masa. Fold the sides of the husk over the filling, then fold the tip upwards to seal the tamal.
6
Stand the tamales upright in a steamer with water in the bottom. Cover with remaining corn husks and a kitchen cloth. Steam over medium-high heat for 75 minutes. Check the water level every 20 minutes.
7
The tamal is ready when the masa peels cleanly away from the husk. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Accompany with green or red salsa to taste.
💡 If the masa sticks to the husk, they need more cooking time.