Last Updated on October 16, 2025 by Krista Linares, MPH, RD
Tamales de rajas (aka green chile and cheese tamales) are my favorite vegetarian tamal. The poblano peppers are flavorful and combine really nicely with a mild, melty cheese.
Plus I love that it’s another way to sneak extra veggies in while enjoying tamales!
Tamales can be a bit labor intensive, which is why I love using super easy fillings like these tamales de rajas. It makes the whole process a lot more approachable when the filling is simple.
(But also don’t let that scare you. There are a lot of steps to make tamales but none of them are difficult.)
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What are rajas
Rajas are strips of roasted poblano pepper. They are a common vegetarian option in Mexican food, and you may find them as a vegetarian filling for tacos, tamales, and more.
Rajas are often combined with crema or cheese and served as a simple side dish.
How to make rajas
In addition to being a great vegetarian option, I love rajas because they are so easy to make!
Place the whole poblano peppers in your broiler for 10 minutes on each side (total of 20 minutes). Once the skin is blistered, remove from the broiler.
Let the pepper rest until it’s cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin. (You can also do this under running cold water to make it easier).
Remove the stem and seeds from the pepper, then cut the pepper into thin strips. Now your rajas are ready to use as a filling.
What type of cheese to use
For tamales de rajas con queso (green chile and cheese tamales), I recommend a nice melty cheese with a mild flavor. The best Mexican cheeses for this recipe would be queso Oaxaca and queso Chihuahua. You can also use Monterey Jack if neither of those are available.
Success tips for making tamales
- Use a big steamer pot: honestly, the bigger the better in this case. I recommend a large steamer specifically made for tamales (but any large stock pot with a steamer basket will work).
- Pre-soak the corn husks: Soak the corn husks in hot water for a minimum of 30 minutes before starting. This cleans them as well as makes them softer and easier to fold and wrap. Place in a bowl with hot water and weigh down with a heavy stone (I like to use the pestle from my molcajete).
- Texture of the masa: For tamales you want a higher moisture content masa than you do for tortillas. the dough should be wet and sticky, but still solid enough to roll and shape with your hands.
How to wrap a tamal
There are a few different techniques to wrap a tamal.
I like to fold one side of the corn husk over, just past the middle, so the edges of the masa meet. I gently press to seal the masa, then wrap the other side of the husk around to form a neat roll.
How long to steam
How long to steam the tamales will depend on the size of your tamales, your pot, and how full it is. This recipe of 12 tamales filled one pot with a little extra room to spare, and took 40 minutes to steam. A larger recipe might take about an hour.
I recommend you start checking for doneness at the 40 minute mark.
To know if the tamales are done, remove one from the pot and unfold one edge of the corn husk. If the dough is not sticking to the corn husk, the tamales are done.
If the dough sticks to the corn husk, rewrap it, place it back in the steamer and continue to steam, checking every 10 minutes.
Other notes
Most tamales traditionally use lard. Because this is a meat-free recipe, I opted to use vegetable shortening instead for a similar texture that works for vegetarian diets. My mom uses butter in her masa, but I haven’t tested it out myself!
You can replace the water in the masa with broth for a bit more flavor in the dough.
My recipe for tamales de rajas
Bean and cheese tamales
Equipment
Materials
- 2 cups masa harina
- 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.75 cups warm water approximately
- 1.2 cups refried beans
- 4 oz queso chihuahua or other melty cheese
Instructions
Prepare the corn husks
- Place the corn husks in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for a minimum of 30 minutes. You may need to weigh them down with a stone or something heavy to keep them submerged in the water.
- Separate the cheese into bite sized strings (queso chihuahua has a a similar texture to string cheese). These can be messy and even, we just want bite-sized pieces.
Make the masa
- In a stand mixer, beat the shortening until it's smooth and creamy.
- Add the masa harina, salt and baking powder. Beat quickly just to combine everything.
- Add the warm water a little bit at a time, mixing for 20-30 seconds before adding more water. Continue to add water and beat until the texture is sticky but not completely wet. It should be solid enough to break off pieces and roll into a ball, but it should be sticky to the touch.
Assemble
- Drain the water from the corn husks.
- Take one husk and lay it flat on your cutting board.
- Take a generous spoonful of the masa dough and spread it over the corn husk, leaving about 1/2 inch around all sides. The masa should form a rough rectangle within the corn husk.
- Spread 1.5 tbsp of refried beans in the center of the masa dough. Layer 3-4 pieces of string cheese on top of the refried beans.
- Fold one edge of the masa dough to about the center of the rectangle. Fold the other side up the meet the first side in the middle. You can use your finger to smooth the spot where the edges join. Then fold one side of the corn husk over the other and roll it to form a neat package.
- If needed, tie with a thin strip of corn husk.
- Continue with all 12 tamales.
Cook
- In a large steamer pot, boil a few inches of water. The water should not be touching the bottom of the steamer basket.
- Place the tamales vertically in the steamer basket.
- Cover and steam for 40 minutes.
- To check if the tamales are done, remove one tamal and gently unwrap. If the masa pulls away from the husk without sticking the tamales are done.
- If the masa sticks, rewrap it and steam for 10 more minutes at a time until done.
- Remove the tamales from the steamer basket and serve with salsa.