Tamal Panameño

Hard·1 hour active + 2 hours resting

Panama's banana-leaf corn tamal — a soft achiote-tinted corn masa wrapped around a stewed chicken filling with raisins, olives, and capers, tied in banana leaves and boiled. The festive tamal of holidays.

The Panamanian tamal is a holiday and Sunday dish: an achiote masa around a guiso of chicken or pork with raisins, olives, and capers, wrapped in banana leaf.

Unwrap a Panamanian tamal and the achiote-orange masa steams, soft and savory, hiding a rich chicken guiso dotted with sweet raisins, briny olive, and a sharp caper. Bite: the masa is tender and faintly sweet, the chicken deeply seasoned, the raisin-olive-caper trio giving sweet-salty-sharp bursts. Festive and labor-rich — the Panamanian holiday parcel.

Cooking the masa with broth and oil before wrapping gives a soft, pre-set dough that firms cleanly when boiled. Achiote colors and seasons it; the sweet-salty-sharp trio of raisin, olive, and caper in the filling is the Spanish-colonial signature, balancing the savory chicken.

Variations

With pork instead of chicken. Wrapped smaller (tamalito). With a chili kick. With prunes. Steamed instead of boiled. Without olives/capers (plainer).

On the Palate

Where Tamal Panameño sits in the Panamanian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 6

How it's made

8 steps · 1 hour active + 2 hours waiting

1
35 min
Stew 500 g chicken with onion, tomato, sweet pepper, garlic, and achiote into a soft guiso; shred and reserve the sauce.
2
18 min
Make masa: cook 500 g masa harina with broth, oil, and achiote, stirring, into a soft spreadable dough.
Watch out
Cook the masa with broth and oil, stirring constantly, until it's soft and spreadable and pulls away from the pot — this pre-set dough is what firms up cleanly when boiled.
3
8 min
Soften banana leaves over a flame; cut into squares.
Watch out
Soften the banana leaves over the flame until glossy and bendy — brittle leaves crack when you fold and the parcel leaks.
4
5 min
Spread masa on each leaf.
5
6 min
Top with shredded chicken guiso, a few raisins, an olive, and a caper.
6
8 min
Fold the banana leaf into a sealed parcel and tie with string.
7
70 min
Boil the tamales 60-75 min until the masa is firm.
Watch out
Boil until the masa sets firm — unwrap one at the edge and press; done masa springs back and holds its shape instead of smearing.
8
10 min
Rest 10 min, unwrap, and serve.