Top 10 Most Popular Tamale Fillings in Mexico (Authentic + Delicious!)
Your ultimate guide to real Mexican tamales — the fillings locals actually rave about.
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🌽 Why Mexican Tamales Stay on Top
Tamales have been part of Mexico’s food culture for thousands of years — portable, comforting, and endlessly customizable. Every region has its style, but a few fillings show up again and again because… well, they’re just that good.
Whether you’re making Mexican tamales for the holidays, a family gathering, or your own kitchen adventure, these are the fillings worth knowing.
⭐ Top 10 Most Popular Tamale Fillings in Mexico
1️⃣ Red Pork (Tamales Rojos de Cerdo)
Shredded pork simmered in a rich red chile sauce (usually guajillo + ancho). Classic, bold, unforgettable.
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Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Multicooker — speeds up the pork braise
IMUSA 40 Qt Tamale Steamer - Large steamer
2️⃣ Green Chicken (Tamales Verdes de Pollo)
Bright, tangy tomatillo salsa + tender chicken. Usually the crowd-pleaser at every tamalada.
3️⃣ Mole Chicken (Tamales de Pollo con Mole)
Think “tamal meets chocolate-kissed magic.” Mole tamales mix shredded chicken with deep, silky mole sauce.
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4️⃣ Rajas con Queso (Roasted Poblano Strips + Cheese)
A vegetarian favorite. Roasted poblano peppers + melted Oaxaca cheese tucked into soft masa.
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5️⃣ Sweet Tamales (Tamales Dulces)
Pink masa, cinnamon, sugar, raisins, pineapple, or strawberry. Mexico’s cozy dessert in corn husks.
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6️⃣ Green Salsa Pork (Carne de Cerdo en Salsa Verde)
Similar to green chicken tamales, but pork adds a richer, fattier flavor that stands up beautifully to tomatillo heat.
7️⃣ Bean Tamales (Tamales de Frijol)
Simple, earthy, comforting. Usually made with black beans or refried beans. Often topped with crumbled cheese after steaming.
8️⃣ Cheese + Jalapeño (Queso con Jalapeño)
Spicy, melty, perfect for heat lovers. One of the easiest Mexican tamales to assemble.
9️⃣ Chicharrón en Salsa Roja
Pork cracklings softened in a fiery red sauce. Rich, fatty, deeply satisfying — a true regional favorite.
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🔟 Shredded Beef Tamales (Carne Deshebrada)
Slow-cooked beef mixed with red chile sauce for a hearty, robust filling. Northern Mexico’s pride.
Crock-Pot 7 Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker
🌯 Bonus: Regional Variations You Should Know
Mexico takes tamales seriously. Here’s a quick look at how fillings change depending on where you are:
Oaxaca: mole, chicken, banana-leaf wrapped tamalesYucatán: cochinita pibil tamales (achiote + citrus)
Tamaulipas: beef + spicy red chile
👩🍳 Tips for Making Authentic Mexican Tamales at Home
Don’t skip whipping the lard/shortening - Kitchen in the box Stand Mixer
Steam gently — don’t rush the cook - IMUSA 40 Qt Tamale Steamer - Large steamer
Good tamales are slow food… but worth every minute.
“Authentic Mexican tamales with red chile pork filling”
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| An overhead view of assorted traditional Mexican tamales wrapped in vibrant corn husks, featuring a variety of fillings like red chile pork, green salsa chicken, cheese with jalapeños, and sweet pink tamales, surrounded by salsas, limes, and chili peppers on a rustic wooden table. |
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| A detailed close-up of a traditional Mexican tamal, unwrapped to showcase its savory red pork filling. The moist masa, lightly tinted by the vibrant red chile sauce, cradles a generous portion of tender, slow-cooked shredded pork infused with guajillo and ancho chiles. The tamal is nestled in its natural corn husk, slightly peeled back to reveal the rich texture and color of the filling. This classic tamal rojo is a staple in Mexican cuisine, often served during holidays and family celebrations, representing both cultural tradition and comforting homemade flavor. |
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| A step-by-step visual guide to wrapping traditional Mexican tamales. The process begins with soaked corn husks laid flat, followed by spreading a layer of masa, adding a generous portion of red pork filling, and folding the husk neatly around the contents. The final step shows the tamales tied with strips of husk, ready for steaming. Each stage is captured on a rustic wooden surface, surrounded by bowls of masa, salsa, and ingredients, evoking the warmth of a home kitchen during tamalada season. |
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| A traditional steamer basket filled with freshly wrapped Mexican tamales, arranged upright and tied at the tops with strips of corn husk. The tamales, wrapped in natural, green, and red husks to indicate different flavors, are surrounded by rising steam, capturing the warmth and anticipation of the cooking process. Set in a rustic kitchen environment, the scene evokes the rich culinary tradition of tamal-making, often shared during holidays and family gatherings. |