Tamales de Rajas con Queso (Green Chile and Cheese Tamales)
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Updated Nov 16, 2025, Published Dec 19, 2016
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There’s nothing quite like a tamalada — a kitchen full of women talking, laughing, and spreading masa together. Those moments fill my heart with joy and always remind me of home in El Paso. Some of my favorite memories are cooking alongside my mom, listening to her stories, and learning family recipes passed down through generations.
These Tamales de Rajas con Queso (Green Chile and Cheese Tamales) are one of my all-time favorites and the perfect way to celebrate Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve — the biggest holiday gathering for many Latino families.
What Are Tamales de Rajas con Queso?
Tamales de rajas con queso are savory tamales filled with roasted green chile strips and melted cheese, wrapped in corn husks and steamed until tender. The word rajas means “strips,” referring to the roasted chile slices tucked inside.
Here on Muy Bueno, my version includes a rich and creamy twist — the filling is simmered in suero (whey) for a tangy flavor that balances the heat of the chiles. My mom brings suero from Licon Dairy in El Paso, Texas, but if you can’t find it locally, buttermilk is a great substitute.
The suero is what makes this recipe uniquely ours and gives the green chile a creamy tang and perfect saltiness. The filling alone is so good that we often make extra to serve as an appetizer or spooned over turkey and mashed potatoes during the holidays — it’s especially delicious at Thanksgiving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cheesy and spicy: Melted cheese and roasted chiles make every bite irresistible.
- Authentic family recipe: Inspired by my mom’s El Paso-style tamales.
- Perfect for holidays: Ideal for Nochebuena, Thanksgiving, or any special gathering.
- Make-ahead friendly: The filling can be made ahead and chilled until ready to assemble.
Ingredients & Substitutions
These simple ingredients come together to create an unforgettable tamal filling:
- Roasted green chiles: I love using roasted Pueblo chiles from Colorado, especially hot Mosco and Mirasol Dynamite varieties. Hatch chiles or Anaheim chile peppers also work well.
- Cheese: Use asadero, quesadilla, muenster, or Oaxaca cheese — they melt beautifully.
- Suero (whey): Suero is the liquid byproduct left after milk has been curdled and strained to make cheese. In Mexican cooking, it’s often used like buttermilk or crema — it adds a creamy tang and subtle saltiness that gives the chile and cheese filling its signature flavor. It’s especially popular in northern Mexico and El Paso, where local dairies like Licon Dairy sell it fresh. If you can’t find suero near you, buttermilk makes a great substitute.
- Garlic powder and salt: To season the filling.
- Masa and corn husks: Follow my masa para tamales recipe for the perfect texture.
(See the printable recipe card below for exact measurements and directions.)
How to Make Tamales de Rajas con Queso
Step 1: Brown the flour. Heat oil in a skillet over medium. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and nutty. You want a pale golden color, not dark.
Step 2: Season. Stir in garlic powder and salt. Toast for 10 to 15 seconds to wake up the spices.
Step 3: Add suero slowly. Whisk in suero a splash at a time to avoid lumps, then add the rest. Simmer until slightly thickened and glossy.
Step 4: Melt in the cheese. Lower the heat. Add shredded cheese. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Fold in the roasted green chiles. Add diced roasted chiles and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt.
Step 6: Cool completely. Transfer to a shallow dish and cool. Chilled filling is easier to spread and prevents leaks.
Step 7: Assemble and steam. Soak corn husks until pliable. Spread masa, add a strip of the cooled chile-cheese filling, and tuck in a little extra shredded cheese. Fold and steam upright until the husk releases cleanly, about 2½ to 3 hours depending on your steamer.
Here on Muy Bueno: If you cannot find suero (whey), use buttermilk. The flavor is close and still gives that creamy tang.
This recipe melts the cheese into the filling before assembly. If you prefer distinct bites of cheese and chile, see Vegetarian Green Chile and Cheese Tamales where the cheese is not melted first and is layered individually.
Recommended Tools
Here on Muy Bueno, I always say having the right tools makes tamale-making so much easier. Here are a few essentials:
- Stand mixer. An electric mixer effortlessly creams the lard, resulting in a light and fluffy masa.
- Steamer. Ideal for steaming tamales, lobster, corn on the cob and more.
- Instant Pot. Excellent for speeding the cooking process, follow the cooking directions on this Instant Pot Tamales recipe.
- Food processor or Blender. Ideal for dicing roasted green chiles and preparing other Mexican sauces and salsas.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Use chilled filling: It’s easier to work with and keeps tamales from leaking.
- Don’t skip the suero (or buttermilk): It’s what gives this recipe that signature flavor.
- Love green chile and cheese? Try my Vegetarian Green Chile and Cheese Tamales where the cheese and chiles are layered individually for a slightly different texture.
Serving Suggestions
These tamales are perfect served on their own or with a drizzle of Salsa Verde or Chile de Árbol Salsa for extra heat. They’re also amazing alongside Mexican rice, frijole de la olla, or a comforting cup of Atole de Vainilla.
More Tamales to Try
If you tried these Tamales de Rajas con Queso (Green Chile and Cheese Tamales) or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Summarize & Save This Content On
Tamales de Rajas con Queso (Green Chile and Cheese Tamales)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups roasted Anaheim or Hatch green chiles , peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup suero (whey), or buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 4 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, asadero, quesadilla or muenster, divided
- 1 batch masa para tamales
- Corn husks, hojas
Instructions
- Heat olive oil, add brown flour and stir for 3 minutes until lightly golden. Add diced green chiles and garlic powder and stir for 5 minutes. Add “brown flour in oil until lightly golden” before any liquid.
- Whisk in suero slowly, salt, and 1⁄2 cup of shredded cheese, and simmer for 7 minutes, stirring until cheese melts and mixture thickens. Reserve the additional shredded cheese to sprinkle over mixture in each tamal (about 1 tablespoon each). Let mixture cool before filling tamales.
Prepare Hojas (Corn Husks)
- Soak corn husks in water for an hour before using, rinse well with running water to take off any dust or corn husk fibers. To keep corn husks pliable and easy to work with, keep in water while filling tamales. Place a handful of wet corn husks in a colander to drain before using.
Spread Masa
- Place the wide end of the husk on the palm of your hand, narrow end is at the top. Starting at the middle of the husk spread 2 tablespoons of the masa with the back of a spoon in a rectangle or oval shape, using a downward motion towards the wide-bottom edge. Do not spread the masa to the ends; leave about a 2-inch border on the left and right sides of the husk.
Fill Corn Husks
- Spoon 1½ tablespoons of your chosen filling down the center of the masa. Fold both sides to the center; finish off by bringing the pointed end of the husk toward the filled end. Make sure it’s a snug closure so the tamal will not open during steaming. Secure by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal. This will keep the tamal from unwrapping during the steaming process, especially if the husk is too thick and will not stay folded.
Steam Tamales
- Use a deep pot or tamale steamer to steam tamales. If using a tamale steamer fill with water up to the fill line. Set the tamale rack over the water. Place tamales upright, with fold against the sides of the other tamales to keep them from unfolding. Cover pot with a tightly fitting lid. Set heat on high and bring to a boil, about 15 minutes. Lower heat and simmer for 2½ to 3 hours. Keep lid on tightly. To test if done, put one tamal on a plate and take off the corn husk. If it comes off without sticking to the tamal they are done.
Video
Notes
- Buttermilk is a good substitute for suero.
- This dish can be served as an appetizer or topping. We often make this dish for Thanksgiving. It tastes delicious over turkey and mashed potatoes.
- Use cooled filling. Add a little extra shredded cheese when assembling if you like.
- Place a penny at the bottom of the pot, when you hear the penny rattle that means the water level is low and it is time to add more water to the steamer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Some of your recipes are a little different from what my mother, great grandmother and grandmother use to make. All born in Arizona. But though different, much the same in tradition with Mexican food.
Wow! The flavor is amazing. I used Anaheim and Poblano peppers and Muenster cheese. So yummy! I also made them in the instant pot since I was already making the pork instant pot tamales. So very good. Just as time consuming as I thought but so worth it until the last bite!
These the best recipes that I have found. Thank you so much.
this probably sound crazy to you, but here it goes. I want to cook tamales in a muffin tin. Put masa in the tin going up the sides and put in the filling. Put aluminium foil over the tin, place in a water bath for steaming and bake in the oven. I am looking for a faster way to make tamales. What do you think will it work???
I shared my favorite recipe on Twitter! My username : @mmstarla // https://twitter.com/mmstarla/status/812371550229893120