When to order Christmas tamales so your family does not go without

If you want to know when to order Christmas tamales, the honest answer from inside a tamale kitchen is: earlier than you think, and earlier than last time. Every December I take calls from families who assumed the week before Christmas would be fine, and every December I have to tell some of them that the days they want are gone. Tamales are the Christmas dish in Texas, every family wants them on the same two nights, and a kitchen that makes everything from scratch each morning has a ceiling.

The short answer: Order Christmas tamales as soon as you know roughly how many people you are feeding, ideally in November and no later than the first days of December. The two weeks before Christmas fill first, and Christmas Eve delivery goes to the families who ordered earliest. Plan three tamales per adult for Christmas Eve, then add a dozen for the freezer.

My grandmother started her Christmas tamales the week after Thanksgiving, and the neighbors who wanted a dozen knew to ask her before that. Nothing about the calendar has changed except that now the neighbors order online.

Why Christmas tamales sell out every year

Three reasons, and none of them is a sales trick. The first is tradition: in Texas, tamales are Christmas Eve the way turkey is Thanksgiving, and I explain where that comes from in why tamales mean Christmas in Texas. Nearly every family with Mexican roots, and a growing number without, wants tamales on December 24, and a lot of them want more on the 25th.

The second is the calendar. Christmas Eve is one day. Everyone wants delivery on the 23rd or 24th, and there are only so many hours in those two mornings. A kitchen cannot make a week of tamales in a day. If you want tamales in the freezer ahead of the rush, that is what our frozen tamales are for; the fresh ones are made for the day you order.

The third is that the season is already running. Día de los Muertos opens it in early November, Thanksgiving fills the third week of the month, offices book their December parties, and then the family Christmas orders land on top. By the time most people think about ordering, the kitchen has been busy for six weeks. The weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas fill first, every year, without exception.

When to order Christmas tamales: the timeline

This is how the season looks from my side of the counter. Exact cutoffs depend on the size of your order and on how the year is running, but the shape of the timeline does not change.

One note on hours: the kitchen is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM and closed on Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Check which weekday the 24th falls on before you assume a Christmas Eve morning delivery, and check the days the online store offers, or call or text us at (469) 888-8398; we will tell you exactly what is possible that year.

How many to order

Ours are big. One tamal is a full meal for most adults, so three per adult on Christmas Eve is generous, two per adult for a lunch on the 25th, and one or two each if the tamales are sharing the table with a ham or a turkey. Children eat one. Then add a dozen, because Christmas tamales are eaten for breakfast on the 26th, sent home with the cousins, and pulled out of the freezer in February. The full arithmetic is in how many tamales to order for Christmas dinner; the short version at $60 per dozen:

• A household of 6: two dozen, $120. Dinner on the 24th and breakfast after.
• A gathering of 12: four dozen, $240. Three each plus the freezer dozen.
• The whole family, 25 people: seven dozen at $420 and eight if the uncles are coming.
• A big Christmas Eve, 40 people: eleven dozen, $660.

Pork in red salsa is the Christmas tamal in most Texas families, with a little kick, and chicken breast in green tomatillo salsa is the milder one the kids and the in-laws reach for. Two thirds pork, one third chicken is the split I suggest when a family cannot decide. Both are on the menu, both made with gluten-free corn masa.

Ordering before the headcount is final

The number one reason people order late is that they are waiting to find out who is coming. Do not wait. Order for the middle of your likely range in November; tamales keep for days in the refrigerator and for months in the freezer, so an extra dozen is never wasted. If the count grows, a second order for a few more dozen is easy to place in the online store while the day is still open. Next day orders must be received and confirmed by us before noon the previous day. Only confirmed orders will be delivered as requested. Christmas headcounts move more than any other, because flights change and a sister decides to drive up after all. I wrote the whole method in how to book holiday catering early without knowing your final headcount.

What you choose in the online store: the date, chicken or pork and how many half dozens or dozens of each, and delivery or pickup. Delivery fees are shown at checkout, and you pay online. Pickup is at our Plano kitchen; the address and pickup time come with the order confirmation. The ordering page explains each step, and the same store takes a half dozen for two or ten dozen for the whole family.

Order once, eat all week

The families who never run out are the ones who order for the whole holiday, not just the one night. Tamales keep in the refrigerator for several days in their husks and freeze well for months, so a dozen ordered with the Christmas Eve delivery becomes New Year’s Day breakfast without a second order. Wrap them tightly, freeze them in the husk, and steam them straight from frozen; the method is in how to freeze and store tamales, and reheating without drying them out is in how to reheat tamales.

If you are the person who feeds the whole extended family, or you are ordering for a church, a school staff, or a team, the bulk tamales by the dozen page is the right starting point. Larger orders need more notice, which is exactly why the early part of the timeline above matters more the bigger your family is.

Ready to order your Christmas tamales?

Pick the date, chicken or pork, the number of dozens, and delivery or pickup in the online store of Maggie’s Tamales & Catering, and pay online. We deliver from Richardson to Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, and Far North Dallas, or you pick up at our Plano kitchen, and everything is made from scratch on the morning it goes out. The holiday tamales page covers Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year together, and if you want a stash in the freezer before the rush, our frozen tamales page has its own order form. Order online for Christmas now, while the day you want is still open.

Frequently asked questions

When should I order Christmas tamales?

As soon as you know roughly how many people you are feeding, ideally in November and no later than the first days of December. The two weeks before Christmas fill first, and delivery on the 23rd and 24th goes to the families who ordered earliest. You do not need a final headcount: order for the middle of your range, since leftover tamales keep for days in the refrigerator and for months in the freezer.

Can I still get tamales the week of Christmas?

Sometimes, but not reliably. By the week of Christmas every tamal in the kitchen is usually spoken for, because everything is made from scratch on the morning it is delivered and the days before Christmas Eve are the busiest of the year. Check the online store for any open days, or call or text us at (469) 888-8398. Next day orders must be received and confirmed by us before noon the previous day. Anything for a gathering should be ordered weeks earlier.

How many tamales do I need for Christmas Eve?

Plan three per adult if tamales are the dinner, two per adult for a lunch, and one or two each if they share the table with a ham or turkey. Children eat one. Our tamales are large, so these counts are generous. Then add a dozen for breakfast on the 26th and the freezer. For twelve people that is about four dozen, or $240 at $60 per dozen.

Do you deliver tamales on Christmas Eve in Dallas?

We deliver to Allen, McKinney, Fairview, Frisco, The Colony, Plano, Murphy, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Far North Dallas, and the delivery days around Christmas depend on the weekday the 24th falls on and on how full the kitchen is; the online store shows the days you can choose. The kitchen is closed Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. Families who order early get the widest choice of days, including the 23rd and 24th when they are available.

Can I order Christmas tamales without knowing the final headcount?

Yes, and you should. Order for the middle of your range, such as twenty to thirty people, as soon as you know the date. Tamales keep for days in the refrigerator and for months in the freezer, so a dozen extra is never wasted, and if the count grows you can place a second order for the extra dozens while the day is still open. Next day orders must be received and confirmed by us before noon the previous day.

How long do Christmas tamales keep after delivery?

Refrigerated in their husks in a sealed container, tamales keep for several days, and frozen tightly wrapped they keep for months. Steam them straight from the refrigerator or from frozen until they are hot all the way through, or use the oven wrapped in foil with a splash of water. Ordering an extra dozen with the Christmas delivery is the easiest way to have tamales for New Year’s Day without a second order.