TamalesMediumFree

Chicken and Poblano Chilli Strip Tamales

Name: Chicken and Poblano Chilli Strip Tamales
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 180 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 200 g Lard; 8 g Salt; 1000 g Nixtamalised maize dough; 4 pzas Roasted poblano chillies, cut in strips; 500 g Cooked shredded chicken breast; 150 g Fresh cheese, cubed; 400 ml Chicken stock; 3 g Salt for filling; 5 g Baking powder; 40 pzas Dried corn husks, soaked; 200 ml Soured cream

180 min (90 prep + 90 cook) Medium 20 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Soft masa tamales filled with shredded chicken and poblano chilli strips in cream.

About this recipe

Tamales de rajas con pollo are one of Mexico's most beloved tamales, where maize dough enriched with lard and stock is filled with shredded chicken and roasted poblano chilli strips bathed in cream, creating a smooth, smoky and mildly spiced filling that contrasts with the soft, spongy dough. They are one of the most sold tamales at street stalls, on Christmas Eve and at holiday breakfasts.

History & Origin

Tamales are one of the oldest foods of Mesoamerica, with archaeological records of maize dough wrapped in leaves dating back at least 5,000 years in what is now Mexico. Tamales de rajas con pollo represent a colonial variant that fused the pre-Hispanic tamal with chicken, brought by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, and cream, also a European dairy preservation technique. The poblano chilli, whose strips are the central ingredient of this filling, comes from the state of Puebla and is one of the most important chillies in Mexican cooking. The combination of rajas with cream is itself a classic dish of the central highlands that became the most requested filling of the Christmas season.

Estimated cost

£18.00

Total cost

£0.90

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

285

Calories

12g

Protein

30g

Carbohydrates

14g

Fat

2.5g

Fibre

420mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until pliable. Drain and set aside.
2
Beat the lard in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until creamy and fluffy, 5 minutes. Add the maize dough little by little alternating with the hot stock. Add the salt and baking powder. The dough is ready when a small piece floats in water.
💡 The water float test is key to achieving fluffy tamales.
3
Mix the shredded chicken with the poblano strips, cream and fresh cheese. Season with salt.
4
Spread 2 tbsp of dough in the centre of each corn husk forming a 12x10 cm rectangle. Leave a 3 cm border on the sides. Place 1 tbsp of filling in the centre.
5
Fold the husk edges to wrap the filling and fold the lower end up. Place vertically in a steamer with the open end facing up.
6
Steam over high heat for 90 minutes. The tamal is ready when the dough peels away easily from the husk. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
💡 Do not open the steamer before 90 minutes or the tamales will not set properly.