DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Belizean Tamales
Banana-leaf parcels of corn masa, chicken and red-recado col.
About Belizean Tamales
Hot Mama’s describes Belizean tamales as a family-tradition meal. This chicken rendition layers corn masa with a red-recado sauce called col, then encloses the filling in smoked banana leaves.
The chicken is seasoned and seared before simmering with the recado. Its strained broth thickens with masa to make the col, while a separate masa mixture forms the soft outer layer.
A tomato slice accompanies the chicken inside each parcel. Potatoes, peas and olives are optional additions. The wrapped tamales are steamed and rested before serving, with Hot Mama’s sauce offered alongside.
Allergens in this recipe
Allergen details are not yet confirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Belizean Tamales
Hot Mama’s Belizean chicken tamales.
- Smoked banana leavesCooking medium
- ChickenProtein
- SaltSeasoning
- Season AllSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- Freshly ground black pepperSeasoning
- SugarSweetener
- OnionAromatic
- Green bell pepperAromatic
- GarlicAromatic
- CilantroAromatic
- Vegetable oilCooking medium
- WaterLiquid
- Red recado pasteSeasoning
- Parboiled diced potatoesFilling · Optional
- Green peasFilling · Optional
- Corn masaBase
- TomatoFilling
- OlivesFilling · Optional
- Hot Mama’s Mild sauceAccompaniment · OptionalIngredient page not linked
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Smoked banana leaves: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual10/39 smoked wrapping leaves plus pot lining; edible food-contact medium, smoke composition unknown.
- Chicken: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Salt: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Chicken12, col30 and masa35 consolidated.
- Season All: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual13 named seasoning product, full label/formula not inspected.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed
- Onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Listed16, precise placement absent from abbreviated chicken method26, retained without inventing stage.
- Green bell pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Listed17, precise method placement unresolved.
- Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Listed18, precise method placement unresolved.
- Cilantro: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Listed19, precise method placement unresolved.
- Vegetable oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Chicken20 and masa37 consolidated, botanical mixture unknown.
- Water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual21/22 broth and recado dilution, col29/masa36/steamer39, consolidated.
- Red recado paste: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual22 prepared redrecado diluted with water, broader named candidate; complete spice/product formula unknown.
- Parboiled diced potatoes (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual23 explicitly optional; separate cooking formula not supplied.
- Green peas (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual24 optional.
- Corn masa: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual28/34 corn masa in col and dough consolidated, exact product formula unresolved.
- Tomato: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual39 required method-only tomato slice.
- Olives (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual39 method-only optional olive, type/product unknown.
- Hot Mama’s Mild sauce (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual39 optional named offered Mild sauce selected over Hot/Fiery; full product formula unknown.
Origins & food traditions
Countries
- Belize
- BelizeCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Belizean Cuisine
- Belizean CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.