Chef notes
I love this recipe because you get all the flavor of traditional tamales with minimal effort. Leftover chicken helps speed things up but layering the filling in a skillet and topping it with the masa mixture keeps things really quick. No spreading, wrapping or tying required!
Swap option: Swap the corn for any frozen, canned or quick-cooking vegetables, like spinach, peas or kale.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as safflower or canola)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled chopped
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans
- 1½ cups picked leftover roast chicken (recipe linked above)
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup water
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1¼ cups masa harina
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups water
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Preparation
For the filling:
1.Preheat oven to 400 F.
2.In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
3.Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, cumin, chipotle, and adobo and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 1 minute.
4.Add black beans and all the bean liquid, chicken, corn and water, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese on top.
For the topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk together masa, baking powder and salt. Add water and butter and stir until it forms a thick batter (if the batter seems too stiff, add more water as needed).
To assemble:
Pour batter over chicken mixture, cover with foil, and bake until the topping feels firm and set, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.