Antioquia-style tamale is a traditional preparation from Antioquia, Colombia, very common at family breakfasts, weekend gatherings, popular celebrations, and traditional food stands in the region. It is made with a yellow precooked cornmeal dough seasoned with a blended seasoning sauce and color, and filled with meaty pork belly, pork, and ribs marinated overnight, plus potatoes, carrots, and peas, all wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in salted water.
In Antioquia, the tamale is usually enjoyed as a complete meal, especially in the morning, with hot chocolate, coffee, or aguapanela. It is a generous, homemade dish that reflects the Paisa tradition of preparing hearty, practical meals meant for sharing.
Although it shares elements with other Colombian tamales, Antioquia-style tamale is identified by its connection to Paisa cuisine, its well-seasoned dough, its hearty pork filling, and the custom of serving it hot, opened on the leaf, as part of a traditional breakfast.
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Antioquia Style Tamale
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 tamales
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients
For the seasoning sauce
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 4 tablespoons ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons sazón with azafrán or color
- Salt
- 2 cups water
For the filling
- 1 pound meaty pork belly, cut into 12 pieces
- 1 ½ pounds pork, cut into 12 pieces
- 2 pounds pork ribs, cut into pieces
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
For the dough
- 1 pound yellow precooked cornmeal (masarepa)
- 5 cups water
- Salt
- ½ cup of the seasoning sauce
- 2 tablespoons sazón with azafrán or color
For wrapping and cooking
- 2 pounds banana leaves, cut into pieces about 15 inches (38 cm) long
- Kitchen string for tying the tamales
- Water and salt for cooking the tamales
Preparation
- Make the seasoning sauce, blend all the seasoning sauce ingredients until smooth. Reserve ½ cup for the dough.
- Marinate the meats, place the pork belly, pork, and ribs in a large bowl and add 1 ½ cups of the seasoning sauce. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the dough, the next day, place the masarepa in a large bowl and add the water, salt, sazón or color, and the reserved ½ cup of seasoning sauce. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands. Wash the banana leaves well with hot water.
- Assemble the tamales, place one piece of leaf on a work surface and lay a second piece on top in the opposite direction, forming a cross. Place ¾ cup of dough in the center where the leaves cross, and top it with 1 piece of pork, 1 piece of pork belly, and 1 piece of rib. Add 1 tablespoon of peas, 1 tablespoon of carrots, and 2 tablespoons of potatoes over the meat.
- Wrap and tie, fold the outer ends first and then the other two, like making a package, and tie with kitchen string. Repeat with the remaining tamales.
- Cook the tamales, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the tamales, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove them and let them rest for about 5 minutes before cutting the string and serving them in the leaves; serve with hogao if you like.
Practical Tips
Wash the banana leaves well with hot water before wrapping the tamales so they are clean and flexible.
Marinate the meats overnight so they take on the flavor of the seasoning sauce.
Do not tie the tamales too tightly, since the dough needs some room to cook properly.
Spread the potatoes, carrots, and peas over the meat in small amounts so the tamale closes well.
Let the tamales rest for a few minutes before opening them so the dough sets and keeps its shape.
Traditional Variations
When serving, many families pair the tamale with hogao.
Depending on each household’s custom, the amount of potatoes, carrots, or peas may vary, but the seasoned corn dough, the pork meats, and cooking in banana leaves remain essential.
Traditional Serving Style
Antioquia-style tamale is served hot, opened directly on the banana leaf. It is commonly enjoyed as a hearty breakfast or as a main meal at weekend family gatherings.
It is traditionally served with hot chocolate, Colombian coffee, or aguapanela. It can also be served with white arepa or fresh bread, depending on each Paisa household’s custom.
Recommended Pairings
- Colombian hot chocolate
- Colombian coffee
- Hot aguapanela
- White arepa
- Fresh bread
Fun Food Fact
Antioquia-style tamale is part of the Paisa tradition of preparing complete, hearty meals closely tied to family life. In many homes, making tamales means a day of shared cooking, with the seasoning sauce, meats, dough, and leaves prepared ahead of time.
Its presence at breakfasts and traditional food stands shows how the tamale became both a practical and festive food: it can be served on special occasions but also enjoyed as part of everyday cooking in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is made with a yellow precooked cornmeal dough seasoned with a blended seasoning sauce and color, and a filling of meaty pork belly, pork, and ribs marinated overnight, with potatoes, carrots, and peas. It is a generous, homemade tamale closely tied to the Paisa breakfast.
This recipe uses yellow precooked cornmeal (masarepa), mixed with water, salt, sazón or color, and half a cup of the blended seasoning sauce also used to marinate the meats.
The tamales go into a pot of already boiling salted water and cook covered over low heat for 1 hour and 45 minutes; then they rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Yes, you can freeze them after they are cooked and completely cooled. Keep them well wrapped to preserve moisture. To reheat them, steam them or warm them in hot water while still wrapped in the banana leaf until heated through.
Antioquia-style tamale is commonly served with hot chocolate, Colombian coffee, or aguapanela. For breakfast, hot chocolate with arepa or fresh bread is one of the most traditional and appreciated combinations.
