How many tamales per person
Plan 4 tamales per person when they are the main dish. With sides on the table, 2 to 3 is enough for most guests. If you send people home with some, add at least half a dozen each.
Dozens to make
| Guests | 2 each | 3 each | 4 each | 6 each |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 dozen | 2 dozen | 2 dozen | 3 dozen |
| 10 | 2 dozen | 3 dozen | 4 dozen | 5 dozen |
| 15 | 3 dozen | 4 dozen | 5 dozen | 8 dozen |
| 20 | 4 dozen | 5 dozen | 7 dozen | 10 dozen |
| 30 | 5 dozen | 8 dozen | 10 dozen | 15 dozen |
| 40 | 7 dozen | 10 dozen | 14 dozen | 20 dozen |
Guests times tamales per person, divided by 12 and rounded up to a whole dozen. Add any takeaway dozens on top.
What the sources say
Hola Jalapeno writes that she always plans for 4 tamales per person of each tamale recipe she makes. Her recipes make between 20 and 30 tamales. That reads as 4 of each filling per guest, so two fillings is up to 8 per person if every guest wants both. For a mixed spread I would count 4 per person in all and split it between fillings.
The 5280 tamalada guide is about making them together. Its host has run tamaladas for as many as 20 people, makes 5 dozen, and sends each guest home with at least half a dozen. Guests bring a filling, an appetizer or a dessert, so the party itself is not the only meal.
The 2 to 3 figure for a meal with sides is my own pick. Neither page gives it. 5280 builds each tamale from about 2 tablespoons of masa and 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling, so the counts above assume a standard size.
What changes the count
- Size. If you make minis, count more of them per person. The planner scales the masa and filling at half the standard amount for mini and 1.5 times for large, which are my numbers.
- Other food. Rice, beans, soup or a full holiday table bring it down to 2 or 3.
- Takeaways. If everyone leaves with a bag, plan the take-home dozens first.
- Leftovers. Hola Jalapeno covers freezing and reheating them, so extra is easy to use up.
Ready to work out the whole shopping list? Open the tamalada planner. For the masa amounts behind it, see how much masa per dozen tamales.