TamalesHardFree

Iguana Tamales (Tamales de Iguana)

Name: Iguana Tamales (Tamales de Iguana)
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 210 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 kg Iguana meat; 600 g Masa for tamales; 150 g Lard; 16 leaves Banana leaves; 4 Pasilla chilli; 2 Mulato chilli; 2 Black chilhuacle chilli; 3 Tomato; 1 White onion; 4 cloves Garlic; 2 tbsp Sesame seeds; 1 tbsp Salt; 1 l Water

210 min (90 prep + 120 cook) Hard 8 servings Oaxaca - Istmo

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Isthmus tamales of iguana in black mole wrapped in banana leaves.

About this recipe

Iguana tamales are a traditional dish from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, where white iguana meat is braised with black mole and wrapped in banana leaves.

History & Origin

In the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, among the Zapotec communities of Juchitán and Tehuantepec, the green iguana (Iguana iguana) has been part of the local diet since pre-Hispanic times. Its white meat, mild in flavour and firm in texture, is considered a special delicacy reserved for major festivities such as the velas — the most important Zapotec celebrations in the ritual calendar. Iguana tamales are prepared with lard-enriched masa, filled with pieces of iguana meat braised in black mole made with mulato, pasilla and chilhuacle chillies. The wrapping in banana leaves, rather than the corn husks more common in central Mexico, is characteristic of the Isthmus and the Oaxacan Pacific coast. Tehuana women, dressed in their traditionally embroidered costumes, prepare these tamales collectively in communal kitchens over entire days. Today, iguana is subject to hunting regulations in Mexico, so its consumption has been reduced to rural areas where communities hold special permits or legal breeding programmes to preserve this ancestral culinary tradition.

Estimated cost

£17.00

Total cost

£2.13

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

390

Calories

28g

Protein

32g

Carbohydrates

18g

Fat

Fibre

540mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cook the iguana meat in water with onion, garlic, salt and pepper for 40 minutes or until tender. Leave to cool and shred.
💡 If iguana is unavailable, substitute with chicken or turkey.
2
Toast the chillies in a dry comal. Hydrate in hot water for 20 minutes. Blend with the charred tomatoes, onion, garlic and sesame seeds to make the black mole.
3
Fry the mole in hot oil for 5 minutes. Add cooking broth. Add the shredded meat and cook for 20 minutes. Adjust salt.
4
Pass the banana leaves over the flame or comal to soften them so they do not tear when folded.
💡 The leaves should be flexible but not burnt.
5
Mix the masa with lard and salt until smooth and homogeneous.
6
Spread a portion of masa on the banana leaf. Place a generous spoonful of the filling in the centre. Fold the leaf to form a rectangular parcel.
7
Arrange the tamales upright in a steamer. Steam for 60 to 75 minutes until the masa peels away cleanly from the leaf.
8
Serve immediately with Oaxacan salsa on the side.