One of the American South's most singular regional foods, the Mississippi hot tamale is made differently from Mexican tamales: rolled in a cornmeal-masa mixture, packed loosely, and cooked in a simmering pot of seasone

Where to eat Mississippi Delta Hot Tamales in Jackson

2 editor picks for Mississippi Delta Hot Tamales in Jackson, ranked by editorial score. All Jackson signature dishes · Mississippi Delta Hot Tamales across every city.

  • Bully's Restaurant

    Order Oxtails with greens, mac and cheese, and a slice of sweet potato cobbler

    Bully's is Jackson's James Beard-winning soul food institution, with steam-table oxtails, neckbones, catfish, and homemade cobblers from a morning start.

    DetailsDirections

  • Big Apple Inn

    Order Pig ear sandwich and a smoke, under $6 total

    Big Apple Inn on Farish Street has served pig ear sandwiches and Delta hot tamales in a civil-rights landmark since 1939, for under $3 each.

    DetailsDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 242 hr 15 min

Ingredients

  • 2 cups masa harina
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 cup beef tallow or vegetable shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups warm beef broth
  • 500g ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Cornhusks for wrapping, soaked in water for 1 hour

Method

  1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper until fully cooked through; drain fat and set aside
  2. Mix masa harina, cornmeal, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl; cut in the tallow until mixture resembles coarse crumbs
  3. Add warm beef broth gradually and mix until a soft, pliable dough forms - it should hold its shape without sticking
  4. Spread 2 tablespoons of masa dough onto a soaked cornhusk, leaving a border on all sides
  5. Add 1 tablespoon of seasoned beef filling in a line down the centre of the masa
  6. Roll the cornhusk tightly so the masa wraps around the filling and seal the husk by folding the bottom up
  7. Pack tamales tightly standing up in a deep pot; add salted water to just below the tamale tops
  8. Simmer covered for 1 hour 30 minutes, adding water as needed to keep tamales partially submerged
  9. Serve hot in their husks with cooking liquid spooned over the top - unlike Mexican tamales, Delta tamales are served wet