Grilled Tamales with Poblanos and Fresh Corn

Name: Grilled Tamales with Poblanos and Fresh Corn
Total time: 4 h 18 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 30 pieces dried large corn husks; 1¼ pound fresh poblano chiles; 2 cups corn tortilla flour; 1 cup finely ground cornmeal; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; 3 cups water; 1.0625 cups lard; 1 medium white onion; 1½ cups fresh corn

Traditional Mexican tamales filled with a flavorful mixture of fresh corn, roasted poblano peppers, and onions, steamed in corn husks and finished on the grill for a delicious smoky char.

8 servings

4 hr 18 min

Published October 4, 2025

Be the first to rate this recipe

Ingredients

•30 pieces dried large corn husks
•1¼ pound fresh poblano chiles
•2 cups corn tortilla flour
•1 cup finely ground cornmeal
•1½ teaspoons baking powder
•3 cups water
•1.0625 cups lard
•1 medium white onion
•1½ cups fresh corn

Cooking Instructions

1.
Cover husks with hot water in an 8-quart pot or large bowl and soak, keeping submerged with an inverted plate, until softened, about 30 minutes. Rinse husks, 1 at a time, under running water, then pile on a plate. Cover husks with a dampened clean kitchen towel.
30 min
2.
While husks soak, roast chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners on medium-high (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from broiler), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened all over, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then cover and let stand 10 minutes.
18 min
3.
Peel chiles, then stem, seed, devein, and coarsely chop.
10 min
4.
Whisk together tortilla flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Stir in water and let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 cup lard and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until absorbed. Let dough stand until ready to use (dough will stiffen).
10 min
5.
Cook onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt in remaining tablespoon lard in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add chiles and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then stir into masa dough.
44 min
6.
Put 1 husk on a work surface, pointed end away from you, and, spreading it flat, mound 1/4 cup filling in center, leaving a 1-inch border on both sides. Bring wide end of husk over filling to cover, then fold in sides. Fold pointed end of husk over to form a packet and arrange, folded side down, on surface. Form more tamales in same manner.
30 min
7.
Arrange tamales in 2 steamer racks and/or pasta pot inserts, standing them up in 1 layer in rows so they resemble fallen dominoes. Set steamer racks (on top of each other) over boiling water in a pasta pot (use 2 pots if you can't layer your racks; water should not touch racks) and steam, covered tightly, until filling is firm, about 1 hour. (Replenish water as necessary.)
60 min
8.
To check for doneness, open 1 tamale to see if filling is firm and separates easily from husk; if it doesn't, steam 5 to 10 minutes more.
5 min
9.
Remove steamer racks from heat and let tamales stand 10 to 20 minutes while preparing grill.
15 min
10.
If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When coals are lit, dump them out across bottom rack (do not bank coals). When charcoal turns grayish white (start checking after 15 minutes), grill will be at its hottest. The grill will be at the right heat when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack over coals for 1 to 2 seconds.
20 min
11.
If using a gas grill, preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes.
10 min
12.
Oil grill rack, then grill tamales, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear on corn husks, 4 to 6 minutes total.
6 min

Cooking Instructions

Cover husks with hot water in an 8-quart pot or large bowl and soak, keeping submerged with an inverted plate, until softened, about 30 minutes. Rinse husks, 1 at a time, under running water, then pile on a plate. Cover husks with a dampened clean kitchen towel.

30 min

While husks soak, roast chiles on their sides on racks of gas burners on medium-high (or on rack of a broiler pan about 2 inches from broiler), turning with tongs, until skins are blackened all over, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, then cover and let stand 10 minutes.

18 min

Peel chiles, then stem, seed, devein, and coarsely chop.

10 min

Whisk together tortilla flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Stir in water and let stand 5 minutes. Add 1 cup lard and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until absorbed. Let dough stand until ready to use (dough will stiffen).

10 min

Cook onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt in remaining tablespoon lard in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add chiles and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then stir into masa dough.

44 min

Put 1 husk on a work surface, pointed end away from you, and, spreading it flat, mound 1/4 cup filling in center, leaving a 1-inch border on both sides. Bring wide end of husk over filling to cover, then fold in sides. Fold pointed end of husk over to form a packet and arrange, folded side down, on surface. Form more tamales in same manner.

30 min

Arrange tamales in 2 steamer racks and/or pasta pot inserts, standing them up in 1 layer in rows so they resemble fallen dominoes. Set steamer racks (on top of each other) over boiling water in a pasta pot (use 2 pots if you can't layer your racks; water should not touch racks) and steam, covered tightly, until filling is firm, about 1 hour. (Replenish water as necessary.)

60 min

To check for doneness, open 1 tamale to see if filling is firm and separates easily from husk; if it doesn't, steam 5 to 10 minutes more.

5 min

Remove steamer racks from heat and let tamales stand 10 to 20 minutes while preparing grill.

15 min

10.

If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light a large chimney starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When coals are lit, dump them out across bottom rack (do not bank coals). When charcoal turns grayish white (start checking after 15 minutes), grill will be at its hottest. The grill will be at the right heat when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill rack over coals for 1 to 2 seconds.

20 min

11.

If using a gas grill, preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes.

10 min

12.

Oil grill rack, then grill tamales, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear on corn husks, 4 to 6 minutes total.

6 min