Filipino Tamales

Filipino Tamales are a traditional Kampangan delicacy that is served for breakfast or snacks. Made of rice flour, coconut milk, and peanut butter, they're hearty and tasty, topped with chicken and eggs and steamed to perfection.

Living in Texas and fortunate to have Mexican shops at every corner, I eat tamales regularly. However, they're a different version Kapampangan buboto of my childhood. They're made with corn masa and spiced meat instead of rice flour and are steamed in corn husks in place of banana leaves.

I hadn't had Filipino tamales since I migrated to the U.S. twenty-six years ago until yesterday when I made a big batch to enjoy for days. I'm happy to report that they turned out so delicious! They were the fluffiest, generously topped, and most delicious bubuto, making me want to break into a happy dance.

Want more steamed delicacies for breakfast? You'll love waking up to this chewy suman malagkit with a coconut caramel sauce that takes it over the top!

Ingredient notes

• Dough- Filipino tamales are traditionally made with rice and peanuts, which are toasted and ground. The recipe below uses rice flour and peanut butter to simplify the process. The flour is cooked in coconut milk with aromatics such as garlic and onions. Atsuete powder and peanut butter are added to ⅓ of the mixture for color and flavor.
• Toppings- I use flaked chicken, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and ham as toppings, but cashew nuts, salted eggs, boiled potatoes, sauteed bell peppers, sausages, steamed shrimp, and cooked pork slices are also great options.

Making Filipino tamales

I don't know why I never tried making Filipino tamales sooner. They're easy to prepare and come together in less than an hour. I could have been waking up to their fluffy awesomeness every day for the last twenty-six years.

1. Poach the chicken breast in a sauce pot. Drain and reserve the broth. Allow the meat to cool to touch and flake.
2. Saute onions and garlic in a wide pan until softened and aromatic. Add coconut milk and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Slowly add rice flour, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps.
4. Continue to cook, stirring regularly, until a soft dough forms.
5. Separate ⅔ of the mixture into one bowl and the remaining ⅓ into another bowl. To ⅓ of the mix, add the dissolved annatto and the peanut butter.
6. Stir until well combined and evenly colored. Leave ⅔ of the mixture plain.

Although these tamales require a few steps, such as simmering the chicken and pre-cooking the rice dough, they're pretty straightforward. The hardest part, in my opinion, is the wrapping! I went through two bundles of banana leaves, struggling to find pieces large enough and without tears to wrap around the tamale dough adequately.

How to Prepare Banana Leaves to Use for Wrapping

1. Inspect the leaves and discard any parts with tears or wilted areas.
2. Trim the "string" like part (where both leaves meet) and set it aside to tie and secure the tamales.
3. Wash under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into about 8 x 8-inch squares, which will be wide enough to wrap around the rice dough completely.
4. To make the banana leaves pliable, briefly pass them through gas flames to soften them. Alternatively, place them in a preheated oven for about 30 to 40 seconds or soak them in a bowl of hot water for 1 to 2 minutes or until softened.

Assembly and cooking process

1. Scoop the plain mixture on a banana leaf and spread it about 3 inches wide. Scoop some colored mixtures onto the plain mixture and spread across the top.
2. Arrange the pieces of flaked chicken, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and ham on top of the colored mixture.
3. Fold banana leaves over tamale mixture to fully enclose and tie with kitchen twine to secure.
4. Arrange prepared tamales in a steamer basket and steam until set. Alternatively, arrange tamales in a pot and add enough water to cover. Over medium heat, boil for about 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove the tamales from the heat and let them stand for 1 or 2 minutes to set a little.

How to serve and store

• Buboto are delicious for breakfast or midday snacks and served hot or cold.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, keeping them wrapped in banana leaves to prolong freshness.
• Reheat in a steamer or the microwave until completely warmed through.

More tasty breakfast recipes

Daing na Bangus

Poqui Poqui

Chicken Tapa

Chicken Rice Congee

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @kawalingpinoy on Facebook and Instagram!

3.94 from 16 votes

Filipino Tamales

Filipino Tamales are made with rice flour, coconut milk and peanut butter, topped with chicken and eggs, and then steamed until set for a delicious breakfast or snack treat.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Author: Lalaine Manalo

Course: Breakfast

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6 Pieces

Ingredients

• ½ pound chicken
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth (reserved from cooking the chicken)
• 2 ¼ cups rice flour
• 1 tablespoon atsuete powder
• 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• 2 slices ham, cut into strips

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• banana leaves
• Steamer

Instructions

• In a saucepan over medium heat, add chicken and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, skimming scum that may float on top. When broth has cleared, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Drain chicken, reserving about 1 cup of the broth. Allow chicken to cool to touch and then flake.
• In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
• Add coconut milk and broth and bring to a gentle boil.
• Slowly add rice flour, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and resembling a thick paste.
• Dissolve annatto powder in 1 tablespoon of water.
• Separate ⅔ of the mixture into one bowl and the remaining ⅓ to another bowl. To ⅓ of the mixture, add the dissolved annatto and the peanut butter. Stir until well combined and evenly colored.
• Wash banana leaves and with a paper towel, wipe down any grit or dirt. Briefly pass through gas flames or soak for a few minutes in hot water until softened and more pliable. Set aside.
• Scoop about ⅓ cup plain mixture on banana leaf and spread to about 3-inches wide.
• Scoop about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of the colored mixture onto the plain mixture and spread across the top.
• Arrange the pieces of flaked chicken, ham, sliced hard boiled eggs on top of the colored mixture. Fold banana leaves over the tamale mixture to fully enclose and tie with kitchen twine to secure.
• Arrange prepared tamales on steamer basket and steam for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked. Alternatively, arrange tamales in a pot and add enough water to cover. Over medium heat, boil for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Carefully remove tamales from heat and let stand for 1 or 2 minutes to set a little. May be served hot or cold.

Notes

Tie the packages snugly but not too tight, as the dough will slightly expand during steaming.

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 663kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 43g, Saturated Fat: 31g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 335mg, Potassium: 525mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 157IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 6mg

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”