Tamales are one of the world’s most perfect foods, and these turkey mole tamales are one of my favorites. There’s something about the way the spiced and smoky flavors of the dried chiles, chocolate, and nuts in the mole sauce combine with the meaty turkey and rich masa dough, accented with the subtle steam-infused flavor from the dried corn wrappers… so good.
They’re a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving holiday or other leftover turkey, but it’s worth cooking a fresh bird just to make these. Or, use a jar or two of your home-canned turkey in broth to make these even easier.
They’re not hard to make, but they are time-consuming to assemble. It’s a great way to get friends or family members involved in a group activity! Host a tamale-rolling party around the holidays or for a fun interactive dinner party. Prep your fillings and masa, and have everyone pitch in to help fill and roll the tamales, then divide them up at the end of the night so everyone can take some home with them!
Turkey Mole Tamale Ingredients
Shredded cooked turkey:
This is a fantastic use of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, or home canned turkey. You could also substitute browned ground turkey, but the texture of the finished tamales will be very different and not as interesting.
If you don’t have pre-cooked turkey, you can poach turkey legs or a breast in a large pot of simmering water or broth. Cook at a low simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the meat is tender, fully cooked, and easy to pick off the bones.
If you use water for your poaching liquid, add some large diced mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) or at least some seasonings to the water so your cooked turkey isn’t bland. Strain and save the broth for the masa and your mole sauce!
Turkey or chicken stock:
You’ll make your masa dough and the mole sauce with stock for extra flavor. If you don’t have homemade stock or broth, you can use store bought stock or bouillon base + hot water.
Mole powder or paste:
I prefer using powdered mole, as most of the commercially available mole pastes have hydrogenated fats in them, which we try to avoid. We usually use this El Popular mole powder, which is available at our local grocery store. If you have a different brand you prefer, feel free to substitute it!
Masa flour:
You may be able to buy prepared masa dough at your local grocery store (especially if you live somewhere with a large Hispanic population like we do) but I prefer to make my own masa. This way I can control the ingredients, use my own seasonings, and not have any added preservatives or hydrogenated fats. It can be a big time-saver though, especially if you don’t have a mixer!
Masa flour comes in different textures or grinds. The regular general purpose stuff will do, but if you can get it, use the coarser grind made for tamales. Your tamales will have a better finished texture, and I find that they’re less likely to be dry. You might even be able to find specialty masas, like ones made from blue or red dent corn, which are extra special (both in flavor and appearance).
Butter, lard, or shortening:
Most traditional tamale masa recipes use lard, which adds a great flavor if you have freshly rendered lard. Unfortunately a lot of the lard you can buy already rendered has been hydrogenated and has a lot of stabilizers and preservatives added, and doesn’t always taste good.
If that’s the case, you can use butter, or half-butter and half-lard, which is what I usually do for my tamale masa dough. Shortening is an inexpensive option, but I don’t buy it or keep it in my kitchen, and it doesn’t add flavor (unless you use the artificially butter-flavored one, which I don’t like) and I feel that it’s a less healthy option.
Baking powder:
Just a pinch of baking powder in the masa dough helps the tamales steam up light and fluffy!
Seasonings:
Salt, chili powder, mole powder or paste, piloncillo or brown sugar. I use my homemade Five Alarm chili powder from my canned chili recipe but you can use your favorite commercial dark chili powder or leave it out for a milder sauce.
The mole concentrate will have either finely ground peanuts or almonds, but I like to add a bit more for body and flavor. If you have powdered peanut or almond butter, you can use those, or a small spoonful of unsweetened nut butter.
Tamale wrappers:
I usually use dried corn husks for most of my tamales. You could also use banana leaves, if you prefer and can get them. Our local grocery store often has them available in the frozen section. They add a very different flavor to the tamales!
You can also buy parchment paper wrappers, but then you miss out on the extra flavor added by steaming them in the natural wrappers. We’re going to be using the more common corn tamale wrappers in this recipe. They’re easier to find, very traditional, and have an almost infinite shelf life until you rehydrate them.
If you soak too many, you can usually dry them out (in a warm oven or dehydrator, or just by spreading them out on a kitchen towel somewhere with good air-flow) and save them for your next batch, or just use them to line your steamer basket.
What Do I Need to Make Tamales?
Large steamer pot, or stockpot & metal colander:
If you are going to be making a lot of tamales very often, it’s worth investing in a large steamer pot with a perforated insert specially made for steaming tamales, or corn, or seafood.
You can improvise one with a metal colander or vegetable steamer and a large stockpot, or a pasta pot with a strainer insert. You could even use a bamboo steamer but your next batch of dumplings might taste like mole, and the steamer might get stained if any sauce leaks out?
Stand mixer or large mixing bowl & sturdy spoon:
You can shred the turkey and make the tamale masa dough by hand. If you have a large stand mixer with a paddle attachment it will make this job even easier! You could also use a handheld mixer, but don’t use a food processor. You want your meat shredded, not pulverized.
Medium saucepan:
You’ll want to simmer the mole sauce briefly before assembling and saucing the tamales.
Shred your cooked turkey. You can do this by hand, or use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or even a hand-held mixer. Don’t use a food processor. You don’t want to puree it, just shred it into smaller pieces that will absorb the sauce better and be easier to eat.
Rinse the corn husks, then put them in a large pot or heat resistant bowl. Cover them with boiling or very hot water, and weigh them down with a plate.
step two: make your mole
Make your mole sauce. Follow the directions on your packaged mole, and use the poaching liquid or turkey stock if you have it.
Whisk the mole powder or paste with the hot stock or broth until it is smooth, glossy, and has no lumps. Add the grated piloncillo or brown sugar, chili powder, peanut or almond butter powder, and salt to taste. Bring the sauce up to a simmer to thicken but keep stirring it so it doesn’t scorch.
Your sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon without leaving deep whisk or spoon trails when stirred. If your sauce is too thin, simmer it until it has reduced slightly or add a bit more mole paste or powder. If it’s too thick, thin it with some more stock or even a little bit of hot water (if you’re out of stock).
step three: combine to make your filling
Combine the mole sauce with the shredded cooked turkey. Add half of the sauce to start, and then fold in more as needed. You want to make sure that the meat is well seasoned and moist without being too wet.
You may need all of the sauce, but if not, reserve the extra sauce to serve with your tamales. You can also freeze it for later meals.
If you used your stand mixer and don’t have a spare bowl, transfer the mole and turkey mixture to another container and wash your mixer bowl.
step four: whip fat for masa dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, beat and cream the softened butter or lard until it is smooth, fluffy, and has lightened in color.
This both ensures that your masa dough will mix evenly and also incorporates air into the fat to help make your tamales lighter.
step five: heat stock & mix masa dough
If your broth isn’t already warm, bring it up to a simmer or heat it in the microwave. Let it cool slightly while you mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the masa flour, baking powder, and salt. If your baking powder has any lumps, sift it into the bowl to make sure those are broken up. Mix with a whisk or wooden spoon until well combined.
Carefully pour the hot broth into the dry ingredients, and stir or mix well with a sturdy spoon or spatula. The mixture will seem thin, but will thicken up as the masa flour absorbs the liquid.
step six: make masa dough
Add the masa and stock mixture by spoonfuls. If you have a stand mixer, add the dough balls while the mixer is running on medium low speed. If you are mixing by hand or with a hand mixer, alternate adding and mixing the masa dough. Keep adding until you have incorporated all of the masa into the tamale dough.
step seven: assemble the tamales
To fill and roll your tamales, take a large corn husk from the soaking pot and shake the excess water off. There are two sides, a rough side and a smooth one. The rough side is the outside, and the smooth side faces the filling.
Using a wide wooden spoon or spatula, spread about a half inch layer down the center of the shiny side of the corn husk. See the photos below.
Spread a tablespoon or two of turkey mole filling down the middle of the masa.
Fold each end over to enclose the filling in corn masa. Smooth it with a wet fingertip if needed.
Fold the sides of the wrapper over the center, like folding a letter in thirds. Then fold the pointed end upwards.
There are other more complicated ways to fold tamales, including tying both ends with torn strips of corn husk or butcher’s twine like a Christmas cracker. You could also tie a “belt” around the basic shape to keep the folded tip in place. I rarely bother with either unless they’re for a very special occasion. If you have many hands available to help though, it makes the presentation much nicer!
step eight: steam the tamales
Line the perforated steamer pot liner or metal colander with any extra or irregular corn husk wrappers. Make a cap of husks to cover the top of your tamales and protect them from pooling water & condensation while letting in the steam. These extra husks add more flavor to the steam, though if you are out of husks you could use foil for the top or cover the steamer basket with a lid.
Stack the tamales in the lined steamer basket, with the open ends of the tamales facing up to contain the filling.
Place the steamer basket in a large pot with several inches of boiling water in the bottom. Cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 45-55 minutes.
Check the pot periodically and top up the water as needed. Don’t let the pot boil dry as it will scorch and give your tamales a burnt flavor (and make cleanup a nightmare).
Check a tamale when the timer is up. The tamales will be very soft coming out of the steamer, but will firm up as they cool. They’re done when the dough doesn’t stick to the wrapper. I usually take out a test tamale and let it cool slightly before sampling it to check. Sometimes I check several times… for science?
Storage & Serving Ideas for Tamales
These turkey mole tamales are fantastic hot out of the steamer, but they’re also a great make-ahead dish. I like to make a really big batch and put some away for later. I have to, otherwise I would just eat nothing else until these were gone!
You can refrigerate your leftover tamales for four to five days. Beyond that, you can freeze them. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can pack them in meal-size portions and freeze them for six months or more. In regular freezer bags, I find that they’re best eaten in the first three months, though you can certainly freeze them longer. The better they’re wrapped and sealed, the less likely they are to dry out and get freezer burn.
To reheat your tamales, a microwave works great, or you can steam them again. You can also heat them in a single layer on a cast iron skillet. If they’re refrigerated, they’ll usually heat up in less than a minute, though this will vary with the power of your microwave oven and how large you make your tamales. Frozen ones will take a bit longer. You may want to use the defrost setting first to thaw them at least partially so that they reheat more evenly.
These homemade turkey mole tamales are the perfect way to use up extra cooked turkey. Richly flavored & sweetly spiced… they're so good! Your yield will vary with the size of your corn wrappers and how large you make your tamales.
Shred your cooked turkey. You can do this by hand, or use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer or even a hand-held mixer. Don’t use a food processor. You don’t want to puree it, just shred it into smaller pieces that will absorb the sauce better and be easier to eat.
Rinse the corn husks, then put them in a large pot or heat resistant bowl. Cover them with boiling or very hot water, and weigh them down with a plate.
prep mole sauce
Make your mole sauce. Follow the directions on your packaged mole for proportions if you’re using a different product, and use the poaching liquid or turkey stock if you have it.
Whisk the mole powder or paste with the hot stock or broth until it is smooth, glossy, and has no lumps. Add the grated piloncillo or brown sugar, chili powder, peanut or almond butter powder, and salt to taste. Bring it up to a simmer to thicken but keep stirring it so it doesn’t scorch.
Your sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon without leaving deep whisk or spoon trails when stirred. If your sauce is too thin, simmer it until it has reduced slightly or add a bit more mole paste or powder. If it’s too thick, thin it with some more stock or even a little bit of hot water (if you’re out of stock).
make turkey mole filling
Combine the mole sauce with the shredded cooked turkey. Add half of the sauce to start, and then fold in more as needed. You want to make sure that the meat is well seasoned and moist without being too wet. You may need all of the sauce, but if not, reserve the extra sauce to serve with your tamales (or freeze it for later).
If you used your stand mixer and don’t have a spare bowl, transfer the mole and turkey mixture to another container and wash your mixer bowl.
make masa dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl, beat and cream the softened butter or lard until it is smooth, fluffy, and has lightened in color.
If your broth isn’t already warm, bring it up to a simmer or heat it in the microwave. Let it cool slightly while you mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the masa flour, baking powder, and salt. If your baking powder has any lumps, sift it into the bowl to make sure those are broken up. Mix with a whisk or wooden spoon until well combined.
Carefully pour the hot broth into the dry ingredients, and stir or mix well with a sturdy spoon or spatula. The mixture will seem thin, but will thicken up as the masa flour absorbs the liquid.
Add the masa and stock mixture by spoonfuls. If you have a stand mixer, add the dough balls while the mixer is running on medium low speed. If you are mixing by hand or with a hand mixer, alternate adding and mixing the masa dough. Keep adding until you have incorporated all of the masa into the tamale dough.
assemble the tamales
To fill and roll your tamales, take a large corn husk from the soaking pot and shake the excess water off. There are two sides, a rough side and a smooth one. The rough side is the outside, and the smooth side faces the filling.
Using a wide wooden spoon or spatula, spread about a half inch layer down the center of the shiny side of the corn husk. See the photos below.
Spread a tablespoon or two of turkey mole filling down the middle of the masa.
Fold each end over to enclose the filling in corn masa. Smooth it with a wet fingertip if needed.
Fold the sides of the wrapper over the center, like folding a letter in thirds. Then fold the pointed end upwards.
steam the tamales
Line the perforated steamer pot liner or metal colander with any extra or irregular corn husk wrappers and make a cap of them to cover the top and protect them from pooling water while letting in the steam. These extra husks add more flavor to the steam.
Stack the tamales in the lined steamer basket, with the open ends of the tamales facing up to contain the filling.
Place the steamer basket in a large pot with several inches of boiling water in the bottom. Cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 45-55 minutes.
Check the pot periodically and top up the water as needed. Don’t let the pot boil dry as it will scorch and give your tamales a burnt flavor (and make cleanup a nightmare).
Check a tamale when the timer is up. The tamales will be very soft coming out of the steamer, but will firm up as they cool. They’re done when the dough doesn’t stick to the wrapper.
Keyword appetizer, autumn, chocolate, Christmas, fall, fall foods, freezer meal, holiday, meal prep, outdoor snacks, party food, savory, small bites, spicy, Thanksgiving, traditional, wild food, winter, Yule
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