Oaxacan Black Mole Tamales in Banana Leaves
Smooth lard-beaten masa, shredded pork and chicken and a spoonful of glossy mole negro, folded into square banana-leaf packets and steamed for an hour and a half.
In Mexico City almost any tamal wrapped in a banana leaf gets called oaxaqueño, but in Oaxaca's Valles Centrales the classic is filled with mole negro, black mole, over chicken, turkey or pork, says Excelsior; the leaf adds moisture, a light herbal note and a deeper yellow color than a corn husk, and the steaming can take up to two hours (Marisela Valencia, January 14, 2026:). Wikipedia lists Oaxaca with Chiapas, Veracruz and the Yucatán as places that wrap tamales in banana or plantain leaves. The recipe here is the one the Fundación Casa de México en España shares as the Oaxacan version: boiled banana leaves, pork and chicken cooked together for a broth, and mole loosened with the broth's own fat (¡HOLA! Cocina:).
Why it works the kitchen science
A leaf instead of a husk
The banana leaf holds in moisture and lends a light herbal flavor, so the masa steams soft and smooth around a saucy filling (Excelsior).
Fat from the broth
Loosening the mole with the fat skimmed off the meat broth, the way the Casa de México recipe does, ties the sauce and the meat together and keeps the mole glossy.
Step by step
- Step 1
Boil the banana leaves in a large pot about 20 minutes, until they lose their bright green color and turn soft. Drain, unfold and cut 16 squares of about 8 inches, plus strips for tying.
- Step 2
Put the pork, onion, garlic and salt in a pot, cover with the water and simmer, covered, over medium-low 30 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer 25 to 30 minutes more, until the pork is tender and the chicken reads 165°F. Lift out the meat, shred it, then strain the broth and skim 2 tbsp of the fat from the top.
- Step 3
Warm the skimmed fat in a saucepan over medium, add the mole paste and stir 2 minutes until it loosens. Whisk in about 2 cups broth a little at a time and simmer 10 minutes, stirring, until it thickly coats a spoon.
- Step 4
Beat the lard 3 to 5 minutes, until soft and fluffy. Beat in the masa a handful at a time, alternating with 1 1/2 cups broth and the salt, until smooth and spreadable. Add more broth if it feels stiff.
- Step 5
On each leaf square, shiny side up, spread about 1/3 cup masa in a thin layer about 5 inches square. Add 2 tablespoons mole and 2 tablespoons meat in the center. Fold the leaf in thirds over the filling, then fold the two open ends in so you have a square packet, and tie it with a leaf strip.
- Step 6
Line a steamer rack with leaf scraps, set the packets in layers seam side down, cover with more scraps and the lid, and steam over medium heat 1 1/2 hours, adding boiling water whenever the level drops.
- Step 7
Open one: it is done when the masa releases cleanly from the leaf. If it sticks, steam 15 minutes more. Rest 10 minutes and serve hot with any leftover mole.
Oaxacan Black Mole Tamales in Banana Leaves
Serves 8 (2 tamales each) · 16 tamales · 3 hr 55 min total
Leaves
- 1 (1 lb) package frozen banana leaves, thawed, cut into 16 squares about 8 inches (20 cm), plus a few thin strips for tying
Meat and broth
- 1/2 lb boneless pork leg or shoulder, in 2 pieces
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- About 8 cups water
Mole
- 8 oz (about 3/4 cup) Oaxacan mole negro paste
- 2 tbsp fat skimmed from the broth, or lard
- About 2 cups of the broth
Masa
- 9 oz (about 1 1/4 cups) lard
- 2 lb (1 kg) fresh masa for tamales, or 3 3/4 cups masa harina mixed with about 2 1/2 cups hot water and cooled
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the broth
Method
- Boil the banana leaves in a large pot about 20 minutes, until they lose their bright green color and turn soft. Drain, unfold and cut 16 squares of about 8 inches, plus strips for tying.
- Put the pork, onion, garlic and salt in a pot, cover with the water and simmer, covered, over medium-low 30 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer 25 to 30 minutes more, until the pork is tender and the chicken reads 165°F. Lift out the meat, shred it, then strain the broth and skim 2 tbsp of the fat from the top.
- Warm the skimmed fat in a saucepan over medium, add the mole paste and stir 2 minutes until it loosens. Whisk in about 2 cups broth a little at a time and simmer 10 minutes, stirring, until it thickly coats a spoon.
- Beat the lard 3 to 5 minutes, until soft and fluffy. Beat in the masa a handful at a time, alternating with 1 1/2 cups broth and the salt, until smooth and spreadable. Add more broth if it feels stiff.
- On each leaf square, shiny side up, spread about 1/3 cup masa in a thin layer about 5 inches square. Add 2 tablespoons mole and 2 tablespoons meat in the center. Fold the leaf in thirds over the filling, then fold the two open ends in so you have a square packet, and tie it with a leaf strip.
- Line a steamer rack with leaf scraps, set the packets in layers seam side down, cover with more scraps and the lid, and steam over medium heat 1 1/2 hours, adding boiling water whenever the level drops.
- Open one: it is done when the masa releases cleanly from the leaf. If it sticks, steam 15 minutes more. Rest 10 minutes and serve hot with any leftover mole.
Adapted from Fundación Casa de México en España, "Tamales oaxaqueños", published by ¡HOLA! Cocina (2024). We keep its 250 g lard, its 20 minute leaf boil, its fold-in-thirds packet and its 1 1/2 hour steam. It calls for 500 g of mole negro without saying whether that is paste or ready sauce; we use 8 oz of paste thinned with broth. Its ingredient list leaves out the masa amount, so we use Excelsior's ratio of 1 kg masa to 250 g lard and 2 cups broth (link above). We replace its whole chicken with 1 lb boneless thighs and keep its 250 g pork, so the meat fits 16 tamales. The simmer times, the mole method and the serving count are ours. ¡HOLA! Cocina. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Mole negro paste is a concentrate; thin it with broth until it coats a spoon like heavy gravy. Taste it: some brands are sweet, some salty.
- Excelsior's banana leaves are wiped and toasted on a comal until glossy instead of boiled; either way they must be soft enough to fold without cracking.
- Excelsior adds 2 tablespoons of baking powder to 1 kg masa for a lighter texture; the Casa de México recipe uses none.
- Packets steam best laid flat in layers; leave a little space so steam can move.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Any banana-leaf tamal is "oaxaqueño". Folklore: Excelsior says that is how Mexico City uses the word, while in Oaxaca's Valles Centrales the name goes with mole negro.
- Oaxacan tamales mean mole negro. Documented for the Valles Centrales (Excelsior); other Mexican regions that use banana leaves have their own fillings.
- Oaxaca is "the land of seven moles". Folklore: widely repeated; we saw it only in search summaries of an academic article, not checked.
- Banana-leaf tamales take longer than husk tamales. Documented as a range: Excelsior says up to two hours; the Casa de México recipe steams 1 1/2 hours.
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