TamalesMediumFree

Chipilin Tamales

Name: Chipilin Tamales
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 300 g Hojas de Chipilin frescas; 1 kg Corn dough; 500 ml Chicken stock; 12 Banana leaves; 1 tbsp Salt; 1 tsp Baking powder; 250 g Pork lard

150 min (60 prep + 90 cook) Medium 12 servings Chiapas

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 11 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Chiapas-style tamales made with chipilin-infused corn masa in banana leaves.

About this recipe

Chipilin tamales are a culinary treasure from the state of Chiapas, made with corn masa enriched with chipilin leaves, a wild plant with an herbaceous and slightly bitter flavour that grows in southeastern Mexico. The masa is mixed with whipped lard until fluffy, wrapped in banana leaves - not corn husks as in other regions - and steamed for about ninety minutes. The result is a vivid green tamal, aromatic and uniquely flavoured. They are traditionally served with tomato salsa or enjoyed on their own, fresh from the steamer. Their soft texture and unmistakable aroma set them apart from every other tamal in the Mexican repertoire.

History & Origin

Chipilin (Crotalaria longirostrata) is a wild legume that has been part of the Mesoamerican diet since pre-Hispanic times. The Zoque and Tzotzil peoples of Chiapas were already using it long before the Spanish arrival, in tamales as well as soups and stews. The word chipilin comes from Nahuatl and is associated with childhood sadness ("chipil" means a clingy, tearful child), because according to folk tradition, mothers would give chipilin to children to calm them. These tamales represent milpa cooking at its finest: corn and the wild herbs that grow alongside it are combined in a single dish. In Chiapas they are prepared especially for patron saint festivals, weddings, and family celebrations. Every family has their own recipe, varying the proportion of chipilin, the type of lard, and even the size of the tamal. In neighbouring Tabasco, a similar version is made with a more liquid masa.

Estimated cost

£15.00

Total cost

£1.25

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

320

Calories

10g

Protein

36g

Carbohydrates

16g

Fat

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Wash the leaves of chipilin, remove the tallos gruesos and chop finely. Set aside.
2
Beat the pork lard with a batidora or a mano for 5 minutes until it is esponjosa and blanquecina. Add the polvo for hornear and the salt.
💡 La lard is lista when a trocito flota in a vaso of water.
3
Fold in the corn dough little by little a the lard batida, alternando with the chicken stock warm, until you get a dough soft and untable.
4
Mix the chipilin chopped with the dough until it is distribuido evenly. La dough should tener a tono verdoso.
5
Cut the leaves of banana in rectángulos of some 25 cm. Place a generous portion of dough in the centro of each leaf and envuelve formando a paquete rectangular. Amarra with tiras of the misma leaf.
6
Place the tamales in a vaporera with water in the fondo, parados and well acomodados. Cover with more leaves of banana and a cover. Cook overl vapor for 1 and a half hours over medium heat.
💡 Los tamales están listos when the dough despega easily of the leaf.