INSTANT POT BEEF TAMALES

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This Recipe Makes 18-20 Tamales

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Instant Pot Beef Tamales (Whisper Quiet 8L)

There’s something deeply comforting about making tamales from scratch, the slow layering of flavour, the soft masa, and that rich, saucy filling tucked inside. Traditionally, tamales can take hours of tending, but using the Instant Pot Duo Plus WhisperQuiet 8L completely transforms the process.

I used this specific Instant Pot not just for its generous 8L capacity (perfect for batch cooking and steaming tamales upright), but also because of its WhisperQuiet steam release. If you’ve ever filmed or cooked around a pressure cooker, you’ll know how loud they can be and this one is noticeably quieter, making it ideal for content creation and a much calmer kitchen experience. It’s powerful, efficient, and honestly takes the intimidation out of recipes like tamales.

Why I Used Tri-Tip (And Better Cuts for Tamales)

For this recipe, I used tri-tip steak simply because it’s what I had on hand and it worked beautifully after pressure cooking, giving me tender, shreddable beef.

That said, if you’re planning ahead, these cuts are even better suited for tamales:

• Beef chuck: the top choice, thanks to its marbling and deep flavour
• Brisket: rich and tender when slow or pressure cooked
• Short ribs (boneless): incredibly flavourful and juicy

These cuts break down more naturally over time, giving you that classic, melt-in-your-mouth tamale filling.

Understanding the Chillies (The Heart of the Flavour)

Tamales are all about depth, and that comes from the dried chillies:

• Guajillo chillies: mild heat with a slightly tangy, fruity flavour; they form the base of the sauce
• Ancho chillies: deeper, smoky, slightly sweet notes that add richness
• Árbol chilli: small but fiery; optional, but perfect if you want a gentle kick

Together, they create a balanced sauce that’s bold, layered, and full of character, not just heat, but real flavour.

What Are Tomatillos?

Tomatillos are small green fruits (often mistaken for tomatoes) wrapped in a papery husk. They have a naturally tangy, slightly citrusy flavour that brightens up rich dishes like tamales.

In this recipe, they:

• Cut through the richness of the beef
• Add a subtle acidity
• Help balance the deep chilli flavours

Can you substitute them?
If you can’t find tomatillos in South Africa, you can use green tomatoes, just keep in mind:

• They’re less tangy, so you may want to add a squeeze of lime
• The flavour won’t be identical, but it’s a solid substitute

What is Masa Harina?

If you’re new to tamales, masa harina is the key ingredient. It’s a special type of corn flour made from dried maize that’s been treated with lime (a process called nixtamalisation). This gives it:

• That signature tamale flavour
• A soft, fluffy texture when mixed
• The ability to hold together when steamed

It’s very different from regular maize meal or cornflour so for authentic tamales, masa harina is essential.

No Lard? Here’s What I Used

Traditionally, tamale dough is made with lard, which gives it richness and softness. But since lard isn’t always easy to find in South Africa, I used:

• Butter (my preference for flavour)
• Or margarine as an alternative

Combined with a bit of oil, this still gives you a light, fluffy masa that spreads easily and steams beautifully.

Instant Pot Beef Tamales Ingredients:

Beef And Broth:

• 500 grams beef (tri-tip, chuck, brisket or similar)
• Water (to cover)
• ½ onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste

Chillies And Sauce:

• 2 cups reserved broth
• 5 guajillo chillies (deseeded)
• 2 ancho chillies (deseeded)
• 1 small árbol chilli (deseeded)
• ½ of 794 grams canned tomatillos (about 4 tomatillos or 397 grams)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons neutral oil

Masa:

• ¾ cup (170 grams) softened butter or margarine
• ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil
• 4 cups masa harina
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2-3 cups broth
• ½ cup reserved chilli-tomatillo sauce (for colour & flavour)

To Assemble:

• 16-20 corn husks (soaked in hot water 30-60 min)

 

Method:

1. This is the cut of beef that I used (as stated above, it’s what I had on hand). Tri-tip is normally a grilling or roasting cut, not a classic shredding cut like chuck or brisket. However, in a pressure cooker, it can still work well.
2. 
3. Trim off the very thick exterior fat or silver skin and cut into large chunks. (Note: I’m only using 500 grams for this recipe).
4. 
5. Prepare the ingredients that will cook with the beef.
6. 
7. As mentioned above, I’m using my Instant Pot Duo Plus with Whisper Quiet 8L now with a new sleek silver grey finish – however, other Instant Pots can be used.
8. 
9. Add the beef chunks to the inner pot.
10. 
11. Cover with water (just enough to submerge).
12. 
13. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt.
14. 
15. Close the lid. If you’re using a standard Instant Pot, make sure your valve is set to sealing before pressure cooking. But one of the best things about the Whisper Quiet model is that it automatically seals for you taking out that extra step completely.
16. 
17. 
18. Press the “Pressure Cook” button.
19. 
20. Press on the silver knob to select the time.
21. 
22. Turn on the knob to adjust the time to 55 minutes.
23. 
24. Then hit the “Start” button.
25. 
26. On most Instant Pots, you’ll see the pressure valve pop up once pressure builds, and drop back down when it’s safe to open. The Whisper Quiet doesn’t have a visible pop-up valve, instead, it alerts you on the screen with ‘Do Not Open Lid’ while pressurised and ‘Ready’ once it’s safe, making the whole process even more user-friendly.
27. 
28. Once the 55 minutes have counted down, the screen should display “00:00”.
29. 
30. Leave it as to Natural Release for 15 minutes. (It should count up to 15).
31. 
32. Once done, hit “Cancel”.
33. 
34. Quick release by moving the valve or switch to venting. This will release any remaining pressure in the Instant Pot.
35. 
36. It’s safe to open the lid when the screen displays “Ready” or the valve sinks in on other models.
37. 
38. Remove the beef and place it into a bowl. It should be beautifully tender and juicy, almost falling apart already.
39. 
40. 
41. Using two forks, gently shred the beef, but don’t go too fine, you still want some texture so the filling doesn’t turn mushy in the tamales.
42. 
43. 
44. Strain the broth, discarding the onions, bay leaves and garlic.
45. 
46. 
47. Next, bring out the chillies. I got most of the Mexican ingredients from Azteca (not sponsored! but they are very reliable as I got my order the very next day). All direct links are added on the ingredients list above.
48. 
49. Time to deseed the chilles so start by removing the stems, slice the chillies open and shake out the seeds, you can also scrape them out with a knife. This helps control the heat and keeps the sauce smooth without any bitterness. I’ve found Ancho to leave a orange hue and sting on my fingers but after washing your hands, it should be fine. Overall the chillies weren’t spicy for us.
50. 
51. Open up the can of tomatillos.
52. 
53. 
54. We’re only using 4 of them so you may store the remaining tomatillos in a container with the brine for another recipe.
55. 
56. Give the inner pot a quick rinse just to remove any chunks of onions or garlic that may remain. Add in 2 cups of the strained broth.
57. 
58. Make sure the broth is still hot and add the deseeded chillies and tomatillos to it.
59. 
60. Mix it around gently so the chillies are submerged in the broth as this is going to help soften it.
61. 
62. Close the lid and let them soak for 10 minutes until chillies are soft.
63. 
64. Transfer the soaked chillies, tomatillos, all the soaking broth, garlic, cumin powder, dried oregano and salt to a blender.
65. 
66. Blend until completely smooth.
67. 
68. Reserve ½ cup chilli-tomatillo sauce to flavour the masa later.
69. 
70. Rinse and wipe the inner pot clean.
71. 
72. Press “Sauté” on your Instant Pot and then hot “Start”.
73. 
74. 
75. Add in the neutral oil. This will prevent the sauce from sticking and make it glossy.
76. 
77. Pour in the sauce and mix together.
78. 
79. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring every now and again so it doesn’t burn.
80. 
81. After 10 minutes, the sauce should be nice and thick.
82. 
83. Next, add in the shredded beef.
84. 
85. Mix together and simmer for 5 minutes.
86. 
87. Once the beef is cooked with the sauce, set aside.
88. 
89. Soak the corn husks in a large bowl with hot water. I was done using my instant pot at this point so I used the inner pot to soak them. Leave them to soak for 30-60 minutes as this will allow them to soften and become more flexible.
90. 
91. 
92. Now onto the masa, this is the soft outer layer that wraps around the filling and steams to a light, fluffy texture. It’s what gives tamales their signature taste and structure. Since we don’t have lard in South Africa, I’ve used butter. Add the butter/margarine and neutral oil to a stand mixer, if you don’t have one, you can easily mix it by hand.
93. 
94. Beat butter (or margarine) and oil until fluffy.
95. 
96. This is the masa harina which we will be adding in next.
97. 
98. 
99. Add salt and baking powder.
100. 
101. Roughly mix with a spatula just until combined.
102. 
103. Pour in 2-3 cups of the strained broth.
104. 
105. Add in the reserved chilli-tomatillo sauce.
106. 
107. Mix together until combined.
108. 
109. The texture should be like a thick hummus.
110. 
111. To know if your masa is right, do a float test by filling a small glass or bowl with room-temperature water. Take ½ teaspoon of masa and gently drop it into the water.  If it floats, your masa is perfectly aerated and ready for tamales. That means it has enough fat, enough air whipped in and has proper hydration which should make your tamales come out light and fluffy.
112. 
113. If it sinks, your masa needs more aeration or fat. Fix it by beating the masa 2-3 minutes longer or adding 1-2 tablespoons more butter/oil. If it spreads apart in the water, the masa is too wet, fix it by adding 1-2 tablespoons masa harina. Mix and retest.
114. 
115. Allow the masa to rest 10-15 minutes. This allows the masa harina to fully hydrate, giving a better texture.
116. Once the corn husks are softened and become flexible, we can begin assembling the tamales.
117. 
118. Pat the corn husks slightly dry so masa sticks properly. Place husk smooth side facing up (this spreads easier). Use 2-3 tablespoons masa per husk.  Add masa to the top half of the husk. I used a dough scraper but you may use the back of a spoon (most common), offset spatula (best for smooth, even layer), a butter knife or even your fingers (very traditional).
119. 
120. 
121. Add 1-2 tablespoons beef filling in a line down the center. Don’t overfill as this will make folding messy.
122. 
123. Bring one side of the husk over the filling.
124. 
125. Then bring the other side over it (overlapping).
126. 
127. Fold the empty bottom end upward.
128. 
129. That’s the tamales folded, now continue until all the filling and masa is used.
130. 
131. Prepare the Instant Pot by placing the trivet inside the inner pot, then pour in 1 ½ cups of water. The water should be below trivet.
132. 
133. Place some corn husks over the trivet as the will support the tamales and prevent them from sinking into the water.
134. 
135. Stand tamales upright, folded side down, open side facing up. This keeps them sealed while steaming.
136. 
137. Stack them together making sure they won’t fall over.
138. 
139. Close the lid and press the “Pressure Cook” button.
140. 
141. Press the silver knob and adjust the time to 40 minutes.
142. 
143. Then hit “Start”.
144. 
145. Once the 40 minutes are done, allow it to natural release for 15 minutes.
146. 
147. 
148. Once done, press “Cancel”.
149. 
150. Open the lid when the screen displays Ready or the pressure valve sinks in. The tamales should be perfectly cooked.
151. 
152. Once done, let the tamales rest for about 10-15 minutes before opening. This allows the masa to firm up and set properly, so they hold their shape and don’t stick to the husk.
153. 
154. After allowing the tamales to rest, gently unwrap them to reveal the steaming, flavorful filling inside
155. 
156. 
157. If you enjoy Mexican flavours then these tamales will definitely hot the spot.

158. 

159. They actually quite resemble a pap and filling, with the soft, slightly crumbly masa surrounding the flavorful center, making each bite hearty and satisfying.
160. 
161. If you need to reheat these tamales, simply steam for 10-15 minutes or microwave (covered with a damp paper towel) for 1-2 minutes.
162. 
163. Store cooked tamales (in husks) in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  They can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months (wrap well to prevent freezer burn).
164. 

165. Tamales are a labour of love, but using the Instant Pot Duo Plus WhisperQuiet 8L makes the process smoother, faster, and honestly more enjoyable. From tender beef to perfectly steamed masa, it takes the pressure off (literally) while still delivering incredible flavour. And once you make these…you’ll understand why I’m convinced I lived a past life in Mexico.

166.