TamalesHard

Zacahuil (Giant Huastecan Tamal)

Name: Zacahuil (Giant Huastecan Tamal)
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 600 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 5000 g Maiz nixtamalizado (para martajar); 1000 g Pork lard; 3000 g Pork (espaldilla); 15 Cascabel chilli seco; 10 Dried guajillo chilli; 10 Banana leaves; 10 cloves Garlic; 10 g Cumin; 20 g Baking powder; 50 g Salt

600 min (120 prep + 480 cook) Hard 30 servings Huasteca

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 20 Mar 2026 · Updated: 25 Mar 2026

Monumental tamal from the Huasteca region, up to 3 metres long, baked in a wood-fired oven.

About this recipe

Zacahuil is the largest tamal in Mexico, a monumental piece that can measure up to 3 metres long and weigh over 50 kilograms. Originating from the Huasteca region (San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo, Veracruz and Tamaulipas), it is made with coarsely ground corn masa, cascabel chillies, pork or turkey, and wrapped in banana leaves to bake in a wood-fired oven overnight.

History & Origin

Zacahuil is a culinary masterpiece of the Huasteca, the region spanning parts of San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo, Veracruz and Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl zacahuilli, which some translate as large morsel or wrapped food. This colossal tamal has deep pre-Hispanic roots: the Huastecs, a people of the Mayan language family who inhabited this region, prepared it as an offering to the gods and as ceremonial food for large community gatherings. It is said that in pre-Hispanic times, zacahuil could contain venison or wild turkey. What distinguishes zacahuil from other tamales is its coarsely ground corn masa, meaning nixtamalised corn ground roughly to retain texture and lumps, unlike the smooth masa used in other tamales. This masa is dyed red with cascabel or dried chino chillies and filled with large pieces of pork or turkey. The entire tamal is wrapped in multiple layers of banana leaves and placed in a clay wood-fired oven where it cooks for eight to ten hours, usually overnight. The following day, the zacahuil is opened in an almost ritual ceremony and shared among dozens or hundreds of diners. It is indispensable at Huastecan weddings, patron saint festivals and Day of the Dead celebrations in the region.

Estimated cost

£40.00

Total cost

£1.33

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

520

Calories

22g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

24g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Nixtamaliza the maiz and muelelo toscamente (martajado) for that conserve texture. Mix with the pork lard melted, polvo for hornear and salt until you get a dough granulosa.
💡 La dough should be with grumos visibles, not lisa como for tamales normales.
2
Deseed and soak the chillies cascabel and guajillo. Blend them with garlic, cumin and a little water. Strain the sauce e incorporala a the dough until it is of colour red even.
💡 La dough should be of a red intenso; not escatimes in chilli.
3
Cut the pork into large pieces and sazonala with salt, pepper and a little the sauce of chilli.
💡 Los trozos deben ser grandes for that not sequen for the coccion prolongada.
4
Roll out the leaves of banana in a surface large formando a rectangulo. Put the leaves for the llama for suavizarlas. Place a layer thick of dough on the leaves.
💡 Necesitaras a mesa large or the piso limpio for armar the zacahuil.
5
Distribuye the trozos of meat on the dough and cubre with mas dough. Roll up and envuelve firmemente with the leaves of banana. Amarra with cordel.
💡 Asegurate of sellar well all the bordes for that not salga the dough.
6
Introduce in a oven of lena precalentado or a oven convencional a 160°C. Cook between 8 and 10 hours (overnight). Leave to rest 1 hour before of abrir.
💡 If using oven convencional, envuelve ademas in aluminium foil.
7
Abre the zacahuil cutting the leaves and serve portions generosas. La dough should estar cooked, aromatica and the meat deshebrable.
💡 It can be acompanar with green sauce or red to taste.