How to Make Instant Pot Tamales without Lard (30 Minute Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for lard in tamales? ›

Vegetable shortening is a meat-free and dairy-free substitute for lard, allowing you to serve tamales to meat eaters and vegans alike. That said, there are other substitutes for lard that will work well in tamale recipes as well, like refined coconut oil, butter, and avocado oil.

It's really up to you; some people don't use any lard and still manage to make good tamales, but I never ask "should I," but rather "can I" when it comes to adding lard to a dish. Tamales are no exception. Use as much as you want, but at a certain point too much lard will start to make the masa dense and gooey.

Stand tamales vertically, open-side up, in the steamer basket of the Instant Pot. Place the trivet in the cooker and add 2 cups of water. Place the steamer basket on the trivet, and close and lock the lid. Select high pressure and set timer for 20 minutes.

Cooking tamales in the Instant Pot

The trick is to make your tamales more wide than tall so they will fit easily in the Instant Pot. If you can't get a good connection with the lid, it won't build pressure. Depending on your steamer basket, you may want to line it with extra corn husks to keep them away from the water.

Vegetable oil: Substitute 7/8 cup vegetable oil for 1 cup lard. Olive oil: Substitute 1 cup olive oil for 1 cup lard.

Mexican Tamale Recipe

The fluffy, foolproof masa dough is made with corn oil instead of lard, can be filled with chicken, beef, pork, beans and cheese or vegetables (filling ideas provided), and cooked on the stovetop or in the instant pot.

One of the most common mistakes we've experienced with making tamales is having corn husks that are not soft enough to maneuver, fold, and seal. In order to have a husk that doesn't split and can be easily sealed together, you'll need to make sure to fully submerge your corn husks before you start filling and wrapping.

Butter or ghee is a good substitute in some cases. I use a veggie oil (avocado) or coconut oil with vegetable or meat broth in the masa for tamales. These lessen the high fats, make the masa fluffy instead of hard and dry.

Traditionally, masa is made with lard. It is used for both sweet and savory tamales – think pie crusts made with lard. Not a fan of lard or shortening? Try masa with oil.

One thing to note is that the tamales should all be no longer than 5 inches tall in order to get the lid on the pressure cooker. So, if you have larger husks, trim them down a bit before filling them. 3. Cover the Instant Pot with the lid, seal the steam release valve, and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes.

How long do you steam raw tamales? ›

If your tamales are frozen + raw, you'll want to steam them for 90 minutes. Check your water level every 30 minutes, and do not let the water run out! At the 90 minute mark, you'll want to check the internal temperature of the tamales to make sure it's properly cooked. You're looking for a temperature of 200°F.

After all, tamales are all about steaming the masa, activating the fat that's been folded into it and re-heating the pre-cooked filling. I recommend pressure cooking tamales 15-20 minutes at high pressure with a natural open- a big leap from the 1 1/2 to 2 hours they would ordinarily need without pressure.

“If you know you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you probably shouldn't eat traditional tamales,” Pascoe says. “Instead, I would recommend preparing a dozen or so healthy tamales, which use all of our healthy substitutions.”

That said, there are other substitutes for lard that will work well in tamale recipes as well, like refined coconut oil, butter, and avocado oil. Chicken fat and bacon fat will supply a similar flavor profile to lard but aren't as easy to buy off grocery store shelves.

Lard makes tastier and fluffier tamales than other fats do. You can replace the lard with solid fats, like duck fat or shortening, to obtain a similar texture; butter and liquid oils work but will make a denser masa.

Other possibilities are butter, shortening, or coconut oil. For vegetarian tamales, I use coconut oil. The amount of coconut oil you would use is just a bit less than the amount of lard you would use. For different oils, you'll need to experiment, starting out with the same amount as the lard.