As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate disclosure.

I was cleaning out my freezer the other day when I found that my mom had stashed some tamales in there from Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s hard to say which. Either way, I was trying to think of what to do with them outside of my usual go-to which is to serve them with a bowl of chili. Then I started to think about how they serve them at restaurants - which is generally as a main and not a side dish.

Enter this Cheesy Tamale Sauce! It’s easy. It’s cheesy. And you’re going to want to make it for your tamales from now on. You might think this sauce is something like enchilada sauce, but it’s actually very different. It starts out with a roux and builds from there with broth, a lot of seasonings, and finally cheese!

I made this sauce a bit more healthy by swapping in salt-free seasoning and of course unsalted broth. Other than that it’s a very straight forward sauce. Oh, well… except for the cheese! The cheese is the best part. I went with a reduced fat cheddar that I shredded myself. Why? The pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents to it that can thicken a sauce more than I’d like.

I served my Cheesy Tamale Sauce covered tamales with some roasted corn and zucchini with quest fresco and had a perfect little weeknight meal out of it.

Cheesy Tamale Sauce

Yield: 8

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Cook time: 5 MinTotal time: 5 Min

A spiced up cheesy sauce that's perfect when poured over tamales or really any Tex-mex or Spanish inspired dish!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. Flour
2 C. Unsalted Beef Broth
1 Tbsp. Salt-Free Ranch Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Hot Sauce (I used Tapatio.)
1/2 Tsp. Paprika
1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp. Oregano
1/2 Tsp. Cumin
3 Oz. Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar

Instructions

Place the 2 Tbsp. Butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat to melt.
Once melted, whisk in the 3 Tbsp. Flour and cook for a minute or so to make a roux.
Slowly whisk in the 2 C. Unsalted Beef Broth, 1 Tbsp. Salt-Free Ranch Seasoning, 1 Tbsp. Hot Sauce, 1/2 Tsp. Paprika, 1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder, 1/2 Tsp. Oregano, and 1/2 Tsp. Cumin and bring it all back to a simmer.
Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in the 3 Oz. Reduced Fat Shredded Cheddar until melted.
Season with salt and pepper as needed and enjoy right away!

Recommended Products:

Tapatio Hot Sauce

Nutrition Facts

Calories

65.2

Fat (grams)

3.86 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.35 g

Carbs (grams)

3.7 g

Fiber (grams)

0.24 g

Net carbs

3.47 g

Sugar (grams)

0.11 g

Protein (grams)

3.67 g

Sodium (milligrams)

497.83 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

9.86 mg

Nutritional Claims: Low Carb • Low Sodium • Sugar Conscious • Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Keto Friendly • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free •Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Crustacean Free • Mustard Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free