Tamales de Camarón con Salsa Roja (Prawn Tamales)
Soft steamed masa wrapped around juicy chopped prawns in a lightly spiced red salsa with lime. Seafood tamales from the Pacific coast.
Made with Salsa roja (cooked red salsa) and Tamale masa. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time2 hr 15
- LevelHard
- Costabout £3.36 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Soak the corn husks in a large bowl of hot water, weighed down, for 45 minutes until soft and pliable. Drain and pat dry.
45 min - 2
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic and jalapeño for 1 minute. Add your ready made salsa roja (see the base recipe) and simmer for 6 minutes until thick.
6 min - 3
Take the pan off the heat and cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the prawns, lime juice and coriander. They will finish cooking in the steamer.
- 4
Lay a husk with the wide end towards you. Spread about 3 tbsp (50 g) of your ready made tamale masa (see the base recipe) over the wider two thirds. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the prawn mixture down the middle.
- 5
Fold the sides in over the filling, then fold up the narrow end. Make 8 tamales.
- 6
Stand them folded end down in a steamer lined with spare husks. Steam over simmering water for 55 minutes, topping up the water, until the masa is firm and the prawns are pink and cooked through. Rest for 10 minutes.
55 min
Tips
- Chop the prawns small so they cook quickly and evenly inside the masa.
- Cool the sauce before adding raw prawns, so they do not start cooking too early and turn rubbery.
- Check the prawns are fully pink and hot all the way through before serving.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 1 hour and keep in the fridge in their husks for up to 2 days. Freezing is not recommended once the prawns are cooked in the tamales. Reheat by steaming until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I use cooked prawns?
Yes, but add them to the cooled sauce and steam for just 40 minutes as they only need heating through. Raw prawns give juicier results.
Are these gluten free and dairy free?
Yes. They contain shellfish but no gluten, dairy, egg or nuts, as long as the base recipes were made as written.
Can I use fish instead?
Yes. Use 300 g flaked cooked white fish, mixed gently into the sauce, or see the banana leaf fish tamales.
More made with salsa roja (cooked red salsa)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.