Tamales Negros: Sweet Black Tamales for Nochebuena

On Christmas Eve in Guatemala, you eat two tamales: one colorado and one negro. They are always served together – the savory red and the sweet black. You cannot have one without the other.

The tamal negro is built around a dark, sweet mole sauce made with Guatemalan chocolate, toasted seeds, dried chiles, prunes, raisins, and crushed champurradas (the crunchy cookies you find at every tienda). When all of this cooks down together, it becomes a thick, almost black sauce that smells like Christmas itself.

The 19th-century origins of this recipe show the convergence of Maya and Spanish colonial traditions – indigenous ingredients like cacao, chiles, and corn masa combined with European additions of almonds, raisins, and prunes.

Ingredients

For the Dark Mole Sauce

• 6 large ripe tomatoes
• 3 dried chile guaque, seeds removed
• 2 dried chile pasa
• 4 oz (115g) Guatemalan chocolate or dark baking chocolate (70%+)
• 60g (2 oz) sesame seeds
• 60g (2 oz) pepitoria (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup whole almonds
• 4 champurradas or Maria cookies, crumbled
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole allspice berries (pimienta gorda)
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup prunes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• Salt to taste

For the Meat & Masa

• 2 lbs (900g) chicken, cooked and shredded
• 5 lbs (2.25 kg) fresh corn masa
• 1 lb (450g) pork lard
• 3 cups reserved chicken broth
• Fresh banana leaves for wrapping
• Kitchen twine

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the chicken. Cook chicken in salted water with onion and garlic until tender. Shred the meat. Reserve 3 cups of broth.

Step 2: Toast everything. On a comal over medium heat, individually toast: the chile guaque and chile pasa until pliable (2 minutes each), sesame seeds until golden (3 minutes), pepitoria until they pop (2 minutes), almonds until toasted and aromatic (4 minutes), cinnamon stick, allspice, and cloves until fragrant (1 minute). Toast the crumbled champurradas or cookies until very dark – almost burnt. This darkness is intentional and adds to the color.

Step 3: Roast and blend. Roast tomatoes on the comal until charred on all sides (10 minutes). Combine all toasted ingredients and roasted tomatoes with 2 cups of chicken broth in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

Step 4: Cook the mole. Strain the blended mixture into a large pot. Add the crumbled chocolate, sugar, raisins, and chopped prunes. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated. The sauce should become thick, dark, and glossy. Taste and adjust sugar and salt – it should be distinctly sweet but not cloyingly so.

Step 5: Make the masa. Beat the pork lard until fluffy (5 minutes by hand). Gradually add the corn masa, alternating with splashes of broth, until smooth, soft, and spreadable. Season with salt.

Step 6: Prepare banana leaves. Clean and pass over a flame to soften. Cut into 12x12-inch squares.

Step 7: Assemble. Spread 1/3 cup masa on each banana leaf square. Add a generous spoonful of shredded chicken, then ladle 3-4 tablespoons of the dark mole sauce over the chicken. Be generous with the sauce – it is the star.

Step 8: Wrap and steam. Fold banana leaves into neat packages, tie with twine. Steam upright for 1.5-2 hours until masa separates from the leaf. Rest 15 minutes before serving.

Como Lo Hacemos en Guatemala (Local Tips)

Champurradas make the difference. These crunchy Guatemalan cookies (made with manteca and cinnamon) add texture and flavor to the mole that Maria cookies cannot fully replicate. If you have access to a Guatemalan bakery, get champurradas.

Guatemalan chocolate is key. Brands like “Chocolate Coban” or “El Rey” have a different flavor profile than Mexican or European chocolate – grainier, less sweet, with more roasted cacao character. Look for them at Central American grocery stores.

The sauce should be almost too thick. When you lift a spoon, the mole should coat it heavily. It will thin slightly during steaming. A thin mole makes a disappointing tamal.

Pair with a cup of chocolate caliente. The traditional Nochebuena combination is tamales (both colors), ponche de frutas, and a cup of hot Guatemalan chocolate.

Find Ingredients in the US

Approximate Nutrition (per tamal)

More Guatemalan recipes: Tamales Colorados (Red Tamales) | Ponche de Frutas (Christmas Punch) | Chuchitos

Related: Guatemala Food Guide | Holidays in Guatemala | Food Prices