Chuchitos
Small, firm Guatemalan tamales in corn husk — masa, achiote-tomato recado and pork, steamed and eaten by hand.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 1 hr 40 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 2 hr 40 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Chuchitos are Guatemala's small firm tamales: masa beaten with lard and stock, a spoon of recado (a tomato, pepper and achiote sauce) and a piece of pork, wrapped tightly in dried corn husk and steamed. Unlike the soft banana-leaf tamales colorados of Christmas, chuchitos are dense enough to eat standing up. This version cooks the pork in the recado first so the filling is ready-seasoned, then wraps and steams for an hour. Serve with a thin tomato salsa and crumbled dry cheese. The recipe makes about sixteen; they freeze well.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Masa harina500 g
- Chicken stock, warm; water with a stock cube is fine700 ml
- Lard, softened150 g
- Salt9.9 ml
- Pork, shoulder, 2 cm cubes500 g
- Tomato, whole500 g
- Bell pepper, red, halved and seeded1 large
- Onion, halved1 medium
- Garlic3 clove
- Dried chilli, guaque or guajillo, seeded1
- Achiote, paste or ground seed4.9 ml
- Neutral oil15 ml
- Queso fresco, dry and crumbled, to serve (optional)60 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Soak about twenty dried corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes until pliable. Keep them submerged under a plate.
30 min
Step 2
Char the tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic and chilli on a dry comal until blistered. Blend with the achiote and a pinch of salt to a smooth red recado.
15 min
Step 3
Heat the oil in a pot, brown the pork, pour in the recado and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes until the pork is tender and the sauce thick. Season. Cool a little.
45 min
Step 4
Beat the lard in a bowl until fluffy. Work in the masa harina, salt and warm stock, a little at a time, to a soft dough like thick mashed potato. Beat 5 minutes more.
10 min
Tip: Drop a pea of dough into cold water. If it floats, the masa is aerated enough.
Step 5
Shake a husk dry. Spread a heaped tablespoon of masa in the centre, press a dent, add a cube of pork and a spoon of recado, and fold the masa over it. Fold the husk sides in, fold the pointed end up and tie with a strip of husk. Repeat.
30 min
Step 6
Stand the chuchitos upright, open end up, in a steamer basket over simmering water. Cover with spare husks and a lid. Steam 60 minutes, topping up the water. They are done when the husk peels cleanly from the masa. Rest 10 minutes before unwrapping.
60 min
Watch: Do not let the pot boil dry. Drop a coin in the water; when it stops rattling, add more.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 226 kcal
- Protein
- 12.6 g
- Carbs
- 28.5 g
- Fat
- 7.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 3.2 g
- Sugar
- 2.5 g
- Sodium
- 438 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- No major allergens flagged in the structured ingredients.
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Lard → Vegetable shortening
The texture holds; the flavour is flatter. Lard is the traditional choice.
Tips
- Leftover recado thinned with water is the salsa for the table.
- Chuchitos reheat perfectly in their husks, steamed for 10 minutes or microwaved wrapped in a damp cloth.
- Chicken thigh works in place of pork; cook it 25 minutes in the recado instead of 40.
History & culture
Everyday street and fiesta food, sold from cloth-covered baskets at bus stops, markets and outside churches, two or three for a few quetzales. Breakfast, or the late-afternoon refacción. Also a Saturday family project, because the wrapping goes faster with more hands around the table and a pot that big deserves company.
Tamales are pre-Hispanic across Mesoamerica and Maya corn-husk tamales predate the Spanish by centuries. Pork, lard and the achiote-tomato recado are colonial-era additions from the Spanish kitchen. The name is a Guatemalan diminutive; chucho means dog, and nobody agrees on why the tamal got the name.
Traditional — Dried corn husks (tusas) are the wrapper; soak about twenty before you start. Foil parcels work in an emergency but you lose the corn-husk perfume.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Chuchitos take?
2 hr 40 min all in — 1 hr prep, 1 hr 40 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 16 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot, Blender, Comal or dry skillet, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Lard → Vegetable shortening. The texture holds; the flavour is flatter. Lard is the traditional choice.
What should I watch for?
Do not let the pot boil dry. Drop a coin in the water; when it stops rattling, add more.
Any tips from this recipe?
Leftover recado thinned with water is the salsa for the table. Chuchitos reheat perfectly in their husks, steamed for 10 minutes or microwaved wrapped in a damp cloth. Chicken thigh works in place of pork; cook it 25 minutes in the recado instead of 40.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Leftover recado thinned with water is the salsa for the table. Chuchitos reheat perfectly in their husks, steamed for 10 minutes or microwaved wrapped in a damp cloth.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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