The history of the tamal dates back to the Mesoamerica times. Rumors are, the village warriors would take them off to battle as a portable meal. The perfect mobile food, they are commonly wrapped in corn husks or plantain leaves before cooking depending on the region they come from. Tamales begin with a dough made from masa mixed with lard or vegetable shortening. After being wrapped in husks or leaves, they are steamed and cooked.
Tamales can be stuffed with sweet or savory fillings, depending on your preference. While tamales are tasty all year round, they have a special place in homes around el-lay during the holidays. They are the perfect alternative to the a-typical holiday eats at your next dinner party. But don’t try to make these at home. Tamales take hours and hours to stew the meats, make the masa, assemble and cook. Lucky for you, there are hundreds of places in LA to get the savory masa filled goodness. Here are just a few:
Tamara’s Tamales
13352 West Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
Tamara’s Tamales is your best bet for masa wrapped goodness west of the 405. This small tamale shop is situated just west of Culver City and east of Venice, tucked into a mini mall along Washington blvd. Tamara and Alice have been making tamales together since 1996 (and since they were kids with their families in East Los Angeles.) They make hundreds of tamales every day, which vary with fillings like beef, chorizo, pork, chicken, seafood, sweet, vegetarian, even vegan. Prices range from $2.25-$5.75 each or $24-$65 a dozen.
Loteria Grill
Studio City, Hollywood, Farmer’s Market
Let Jimmy Shaw and the team at Loteria Grill bring holiday yumminess to the table with some of their delectable Tamales. Choose from Pollo en Mole Pablano, Rajas con Queso Panela y Salsa Verde, Carnitas en Salsa Morita and Calabacitas con Elote (zucchini and roasted corn). They also have sweet tamales like Pina and Dulces de Elote. Tamales are $4 each, $22 for 6, or $40 for a dozen. Download the order form here.
La Mascota Bakery
2715 Whittier Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90023
A Los Angeles tradition since 1952, the lines at La Mascota Bakery are long all year round, and especially at Christmas time. Besides the sweet Pan Dulce and Bolillos, people flock to this Boyle Heights bakery for their delectable and cheap tamales. They’ve got your basic fillings, pork, beef, chicken, cheese, or sweet. Get their early to avoid the lines.
La Indiana Tamales
1142 S Indiana St
Los Angeles, CA 90023
Another East LA favorite, the Ramos family has been making tamales for over 25 years. Tamale fillings include green chili and cheese, red chili and beef, pork, chicken, sweet, and elote. They also sell just the ingredients if you want to take on making them yourself. Tamales here are cheap at $16.50 a dozen, so they won’t break the bank.
Tamales Lilianas
3448 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90063
Lilianas has two locations, one on Ceaser Chavez and one on E 1st St. A full restaurant and the latter being a more casual cafe. They’ve got all the usuals, red chili with pork, green chili with cheese, peppers with cheese, chicken, elote, and bright pink sweet tamales. Tamales are $1.50 each or $17 a dozen.
Mama’s Hot Tamales Cafe
2124 W 7th St
Los Angeles, CA 90057
A MacArthur Park favorite, Mama’s Hot Tamales was established as a community project by local leaders and “Mama” Sandi Romero. So not only are you getting amazing tamales, you’re helping out the local community. Mama’s tamales are made with fresh ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, chilies or fruit and cover the entire South American continent, including Guatemalan, Mexican, Colombian, Peruvian, Honduran and Salvadoran tamales. The tamales are individually wrapped in corn husks, banana leaves or avocado leaves depending on the country of origin. Tamales are $2.50 each or $30 a dozen.
Lupita’s Tamales
3027 N San Fernando Rd
Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90065
This Yelpers favorite in Glassell Park features traditional tamales including pork, chicken, cheese, sweet and even pineapple. They are cash only, so bring a few duckets. These are the cheapest tamales we’ve seen at $1.25 each or $14 a dozen.
Celaya Bakery
1630 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Another Yelp favorite, Celaya Bakery in Echo Park is the perfect place to quickly grab some delicious cheap tamales on your way home. They’ve got all the traditional versions here, a spicy green chile with chicken, red chile and pork, jalapeño with cheese, and of course, sweet tamales.
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[...] holiday meal with some really great, local tamales. Of course, there are a lot of great places to get tamales in Los Angeles. Celaya Bakery in Echo Park and Mama’s Hot Tamales Cafe are probably the most well-known in [...]