Sides

Sides for the tamale table

Preview of the printable folding guide: six numbered steps for folding a tamale, from preparing the husk to ready for the steamer.

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Spanish Rice — Mexican Red Rice

Fluffy tomato rice to serve alongside homemade tamales.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long-grain white rice
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 Roma tomato, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Drain thoroughly.
  2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir frequently for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden.
  3. Add onion, tomato, and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds.
  4. Add broth and tomato paste, stirring until the paste dissolves. Season lightly with salt.
  5. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
  6. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
  7. Gently fluff with a fork, folding in the peas. Adjust salt and serve.
A bowl of red tomato rice with green peas and diced onion, with a lime half beside it and husk-wrapped tamales behind.
Spanish Rice — tomato rice with green peas.

Easy Refried Pinto Beans

Creamy mashed beans with onion and garlic.

Ingredients

  • 4 cans pinto beans, 15 ounces each
  • 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
  • ½ medium onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • ¾ cup reserved bean liquid, plus more as needed
  • Salt to taste
  • Crumbled queso fresco, optional

Instructions

  1. Drain the beans, saving their liquid.
  2. Heat the lard or oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add onion and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until softened.
  4. Stir in garlic and oregano; cook for 30 seconds.
  5. Add beans and the reserved liquid. Heat through.
  6. Mash with a potato masher until creamy, leaving some texture if preferred.
  7. Add more bean liquid a little at a time if too thick. Simmer briefly if too loose.
  8. Adjust salt and serve, topped with queso fresco if desired.
  9. For a plant-based version, use vegetable oil and omit the cheese.
A bowl of creamy mashed pinto beans topped with crumbled white cheese, with tamales on a plate behind.
Refried Pinto Beans — topped with queso fresco.

Charro Beans — Mexican Cowboy Beans

Whole pinto beans in a savory broth with bacon, ham, and tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 4 cans pinto beans, 15 ounces each, drained and rinsed
  • 8 ounces bacon, diced
  • 1 cup diced cooked ham
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until its fat renders and the edges crisp.
  2. Leave approximately 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot, removing excess.
  3. Add ham, onion, and jalapeño. Cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  5. Add tomatoes, chipotle, and cumin. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, until tomatoes soften.
  6. Add beans and broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
  7. Taste before adding salt; bacon, ham, and broth already provide seasoning. Serve with some of the broth.
A bowl of whole pinto beans in reddish broth with diced meat, tomatoes and green peppers, with tamales behind.
Charro Beans — whole pintos in a savory broth.

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