Tamale Calculator
Plan a tamalada: how many tamales for your guests, and how much masa (fresh or masa harina), lard, broth, baking powder, salt, filling, meat and corn husks to make them — by size, in kg or lb.
How it works
tamales = guests × per person · prepared masa = tamales × masa per tamale (55 / 75 / 100 g) · fresh masa = prepared ÷ 1.621 (per kg: 300 g lard, 0.3 L broth, 6 g baking powder, 15 g salt) · masa harina = prepared ÷ 2.982 (per kg: 450 g lard, 1.5 L broth, 12 g baking powder, 20 g salt) · raw meat = filling × 0.6 ÷ 0.65
A tamale is mostly masa, so everything scales from the number of tamales and how much dough goes into each — about 75 g for a medium tamale, which is why a kilo of prepared masa makes 13 or so. Fresh nixtamal masa only needs fat, a little broth, baking powder and salt beaten in; masa harina must first be rehydrated with plenty of broth, so a kilo of flour makes about three kilos of dough. The filling is roughly half the weight of the masa; for meat fillings about 60% of it is shredded meat, which loses about a third of its weight when cooked, so you buy a little more raw meat than you might expect. Extra husks cover torn ones and lining the steamer.
Worked example
For 12 guests at 3 medium tamales each you make 36 tamales (3 dozen) needing 36 × 75 g = 2.70 kg of prepared masa. With fresh masa that is 2.70 ÷ 1.621 = 1.67 kg of masa, 0.50 kg of lard, 0.50 L of broth, 10 g of baking powder and 25 g of salt; plus 1.26 kg of filling (1.16 kg of raw meat) and 42 corn husks. Steam for 60–75 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How many tamales does 1 kg of masa make?
About 13 medium tamales from 1 kg of prepared masa (75 g each), 18 small or 10 large. One kilo of fresh masa becomes about 1.6 kg of prepared dough — roughly 21 medium tamales; one kilo of masa harina becomes about 3 kg — around 40.
How many tamales per person?
Two when there are other dishes, three as the main course, four for hungry crowds or if you want leftovers.
How do I know the masa has enough lard?
Beat the lard until fluffy, add the masa and broth and keep beating until a small ball of dough floats in a glass of water.
How long do tamales take to steam?
About 60–75 minutes for medium tamales once the water is boiling; they are done when the masa pulls away cleanly from the husk. Large ones need up to 90 minutes.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.