Cheese and Jalapeno Tamales Recipe

Cheese and Jalapeno Tamales are the perfect solution for a vegetarian Mexican classic. Making a small batch means you can have tamales on the table tonight!

• Are these tamales vegetarian friendly?
• Pickled vs. Fresh Jalapenos
• Spreading the Masa Dough
• Do You Always Use an Instant Pot?
• Adding Coins to the Tamales Steamer
• What Do You Serve with Tamales?
• Recipe

Ingredients

Here’s another super easy, beginner tamales recipe. As much as I love my favorite Chorizo Ground Beef Tamales, sometimes I like to make a small, super easy batch. You don’t get any easier than this.

This filling is only two ingredients: cheese and jalapenos. You don’t even have to cook it first. Believe it or not, soaking the corn husks is probably the longest task, depending on how fresh you get them.

Have a browse at all 24Bite recipes to customize your own search.

Are these tamales vegetarian friendly?

I’ve purposely used vegetarian approved ingredients. The only thing you need to watch is the cheese.

Although vegetarian diets usually approve dairy, cheese is different. You need to make sure your cheese uses plant based rennet.

Some popular brands for vegetarian Monterey Jack Cheese: Applegate, Cabot, Horizon Organic, Sargento and Tillamook.

I had to use Great Value this time and I’ve read that none of the Great Value cheeses are vegetarian. They must all use meat rennet. So, if you’re strictly vegetarian, be sure to check the label.

If you’re not purposely eating a vegetarian friendly diet, go ahead and use whatever brand you can find. Cheese is good!

Have a look at the Vegetatio site to see a list of brands of vegetarian cheeses.

Pickled vs. Fresh Jalapenos

Pickled jalapenos are so tasty. You could, of course, use fresh jalapenos. I use pickled in several of my recipes because they add delicious flavor.

• Mexican Jalapeno Cornbread
• Frijoles Puercos Sinaloa Refried Beans
• Green Chiles Chicken Tamales

Spreading the Masa Dough

In all my other tamales recipes, I’ve been using the back of a spoon to spread the masa dough. Then, mom bought this.

This cute little thing is a drywall scraper. Yes, that’s right. And, it’s the perfect tool for spreading the masa dough on these corn husks. I couldn’t believe it.

Go ahead and take a look at this Amazon link. I honestly couldn’t believe how well these worked. Definitely easier than the back of a spoon.

Do You Always Use an Instant Pot?

When I’m making a small batch like these jalapeno and cheese tamales, I like to use an Instant Pot. It’s the perfect enclosed steamer and you don’t really need to worry so much about the water evaporating out.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, have a look at this 6-Quart Instant Pot (aff link) which we use. We’ve had it for several years and it still works great.

You can use a stock pot or, if you have a tamale steamer, all the better. You can certainly use whatever you’ve got in your kitchen.

I’ve even used a stock pot with a plate held up about two inches with balls of aluminium foil. Whatever works! Just make sure the water doesn’t evaporate out.

Adding Coins to the Tamales Steamer

If you’ve ever heard about people placing coins in a tamale steamer, they do that to keep an eye on the water. As long as the coins are clinking, there’s water. If they stop clinking, the water is gone.

What Do You Serve with Tamales?

Try this Spanish Rice recipe, which is a red rice, flavored with tomatoes and cilantro. The secret is to saute the rice in oil before adding the water or broth.

This Pico de Gallo recipe, which is a fresh tomato salsa, is a perfect side for tamales. Don’t forget to deflame your onions. It makes a huge difference.

I have another small batch Instant Pot tamales recipe too! Check out this Chicken Green Chiles Tamale Recipe. Like this one, I’ve used safflower oil instead of lard. I’ve got nothing against lard but this is great for a beginner recipe. It’s easier to measure out small amounts of oil than lard.

For even more ideas, take a look at my list of suggestions for what to serve with tamales.

Recipe

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Green Chiles Cheese Tamales

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4.95 from 39 votes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes

Servings: 18 tamales

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Christian Guzman

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Cheese and Jalapeno Tamales are the perfect solution for a vegetarian Mexican classic. Making a small batch means you can have tamales on the table tonight!

For more information, be sure to check the recipe details in the attached 24Bite® post.

Equipment

• 6-quart Instant Pot
• Steamer Basket

Ingredients

Corn Husks

• 20-22 Corn Husks, cleaned and softened in hot water

Masa Dough

• 2 cups Masa Harina, like Maseca
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• ½ teaspoon Salt, optional
• ⅓ cup Safflower Oil
• 2 ounces Herdez Salsa Verde Mild, about ¼ cup, or any salsa verde
• 2 cups Vegetable Stock

Cheese Filling

• 1 pound Monterey Jack Cheese, for vegetarian, check the brand, see notes
• 12 ounces Pickled Sliced Jalapenos, La Costeña, drained, sorted and chopped

Instructions

Preparing Corn Husks

• Being careful not to rip the corn husks, wash with cool water and a brush to remove all debris and corn silks.

Preparing Masa Dough

• Whisk together masa harina, baking powder and seasonings. You don't need to add the optional jalapeño powder unless you want more heat than given by the jalapeños. Taste the pickled jalapeños, if you like, to determine their level of heat.
• Add oil and 2 ounces salsa verde to masa harina mixture. Mix well. It will look like wet sand like you would use to make sand castles.
• Add ½ cup of stock at a time and mix well after each addition. You are looking for the consistency of hummus or cake batter.

Preparing the Filling

• Drain the can of jalapenos and remove any stems or seeds. Finely chop.
• Cut the block of Monterey Jack cheese into 20 sticks. (See note below.)

Assembling the Tamales

• Separate and pat dry a few husks at a time. Inspect to ensure that you have the smooth side facing upwards. Turn it vertically and hold the skinnier end with your non-dominant hand. Spread about two-four tablespoons masa dough in the wider portion of the corn husk. It should measure in a sort of oval/circle about 3" x 4" or so. This isn't going to be exact because each corn husk will be a different size.
• Spread about one teaspoon or so of jalapenos in the center of the masa dough. Place a cheese stick on top of the jalapenos. If you plan on steaming in the Instant Pot, be sure to test the maximum length of your tamales when standing vertically. If you can't close the lid, you won't be able to use the Instant Pot.
• Fold the husk vertically, edge to edge. With your dominant hand, push the top back a little with the filling and curl toward you to form a tube. Fold over the skinnier end and place in a tray with seam side down. Repeat until you run out of one of the ingredients (husks, masa or filling).

Steaming the Tamales in an Instant Pot

• In an Instant Pot, place a steamer basket and fill with water up to the bottom of the basket. Place some extra corn husks on the steamer basket and around the sides.
• Stack the tamales straight up in the stock pot with the fold at the bottom. If you like, make a ball out of aluminum foil to place in the center if you're having a hard time getting the tamales to stand up. If you have enough room, place a couple of the corn husks flat on the top of the tamales. This will help when you raise the lid so that condensation doesn't get into the tamales. Check to ensure that there will be nothing blocking the connection between the lid and the Instant Pot liner. If there is something blocking, the Instant Pot won't come to pressure.
• Check the Instant Pot lid to ensure the rubber gasket is in place and nothing is blocking the vent. Place lid on top and set lever to Sealing. Press the Manual button on the Instant Pot and set to high pressure for 65 minutes then natural release fully. The entire cook time will be about 95 minutes. See note below for additional cook time, if necessary.
• Remove lid and turn off Instant Pot. Let sit in the Instant Pot for about 20 minutes. The tamales will be soft while still very hot. Remove them with tongs once they've cooled off enough to retain their shape.
• Serve immediately. Allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. When storing, leave them in the husks.

Steaming the Tamales in a Stock Pot

• In a tall Stock Pot, place a steamer basket and fill with water up to the bottom of the basket. Place any extra corn husks on the steamer basket.
• Stack the tamales straight up in the stock pot with the fold at the bottom. If you like, make a ball out of aluminum foil to place in the center if you're having a hard time getting the tamales to stand up. If you have enough room, place a couple of the corn husks flat on the top of the tamales. This will help when you raise the lid so that condensation doesn't get into the tamales.
• Cover and heat to boiling then reduce heat to low to keep the water steaming through the tamales. Check the water level every 10-15 minutes when using a steamer basket since the water level is already low. You don't want the water to dry up. When replenishing water, move the tamales out of the way before pouring so you don't get extra water inside the tamales. When removing the lid to check the tamales, try not to tilt it since this might add water to the inside of the tamales.
• Cook for 60 to 90 minutes. After about 60 minutes, pull out one of the tamales and remove it from the husk to check for doneness. If it comes clean from the husk, it's done. If not, keep going for 15 minutes and try again. If still not quite done, you'll need 15 minutes more. Your goal is separation from the husk. The tamales will still be very soft but will retain their shape as they cool. Try not to move them until they have cooled enough to retain their shape.
• Serve immediately. Allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator or freezer. When storing, leave them in the husks.

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Notes

When making sticks of cheese, you will get the same sort of effect as Mozzarella Sticks, which I love. If you don’t want that, you could instead shred the cheese and roll it up in side the corn husk. Either way is fine. I simply prefer the chunk of cheese better.

If you are on a strictly vegetarian diet, be sure to choose a Monterey Jack Cheese that isn’t made with meat rennet. Check the post above for suggestions on brands.

Due to the various sizes of the corn husks and individual technique, sometimes the tamales don’t cook all the way in 65 minutes. You’ll need just a little more time.

Move the tamales aside so you can pour about one cup of water into the bottom of the liner. Cook for 20 minutes more then natural release again. 

Serve with avocado, lime slices, tomato salad, chips and salsa. 

If you have any salsa verde remaining, mix in some sour cream or crema to make a creamy verde sauce to serve over the tamales.

To better control the amount of sodium in this recipe, consider making up a batch of your own homemade pickled jalapeños. You can make a small batch to keep in the refrigerator so you don’t need to can them for shelf stability.

You may also want to make your own salsa verde. You can use this Restaurant Style Salsa Verde recipe so you can control your ingredients.

Look for a low sodium version of the Chicken stock to reduce the sodium even more.

Nutrition Facts

Green Chiles Cheese Tamales

Amount Per Serving

Calories 185 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 545mg24%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chiles and cheese tamales, green chiles and cheese tamales, jalapeno and cheese tamales, no meat tamales, vegetarian tamales

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Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

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