Steam the Tamales and Maintain Water Level
- Cover the stock pot or close the steamer and set the timer for ONE HOUR.
- Watch the amount of steam escaping from the lid. When it starts to decrease, go ahead and just add a little more water.
- When you need to add water, make sure to remove the pot’s lid carefully.
- To keep from getting scalded, tilt open the cover away from you...
Can you make tamales without a steamer?
There are many ways to cook tamales in a pot without an actual steamer basket. You just need to get creative to find something that keeps the tamales out of the water and can handle the heat and moisture of the steam. Use the same method of steaming in a stockpot as you would with a steamer basket, simply replacing it with the alternative tool.
How to store tamales before steaming?
The 5 Best Way to Reheat Tamales Easily at Home
- Best Way To Reheat Tamales. Tamales are really meant for storing because you can have it practically for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- The Best Ways to Prepare Tamales Before Reheating. ...
- Easy Homemade Tamale Recipe (Video)
- Store Up on Tamales. ...
- Alternative Methods. ...
What is the easiest way to make tamales?
Instructions
- Start by adding the corn husks to a large bowl and soaking them in the hottest tap water you've got. ...
- To make the dough, add 1.5 cups masa harina to a mixing bowl along with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. ...
- Add 6 tablespoons of lard and 3 tablespoons of butter to a mixing bowl and let it come to room temp. ...
How long should you steam tamales wrapped in Tamale papers?
- Set a round metal rack inside a large pot.
- Place a metal heat-safe bowl inside the pot upside down, resting it on top of the rack.
- Stand the tamales on end inside the pot, resting them between the bowl and pot.
- Place the lid on the pot.
- Steam the tamales for one hour, checking the water level every 15 minutes or so.
Can I use a stock pot for tamales?
These are the best tamale-steaming pots on the market for every budget, kitchen size and need. Our all-around favorite is the GasOne Stainless Steel Stock Pot, which is the kind of heavy-duty pot you can use for all kinds of recipes all year long, not just tamales.
How can I steam tamales without a steamer?
Steaming tamales without a steamer basket requires a setup that lifts the tamales above boiling water and also allows steam to penetrate them. You can use a metal colander or an overturned bowl in a pot of boiling water with chopsticks balanced on top. You can also grill or pan fry tamales.
What kind of pot do you steam tamales in?
We recommend using a Dutch oven, but if you don't have one, use a casserole dish that has a lid. The most important tool you will need is a steam rack. In either case, you will need to put a steam rack inside the pot or casserole dish. Then, you need to assemble the tamales lying down with the open end facing upwards.
How do you steam tamales in an instant pot without a steamer basket?
If you don't have a steamer basket, you can lay the tamales flat across the trivet that came with your Instant Pot or try standing them up on the trivet. If you only have a few tamales laying on the trivet, stick with the 5 minute steam time.
Is there another way to cook tamales?
If you don't have a steamer basket, you can create a makeshift steamer by setting a plate on bunched up aluminum. You could also steam the tamales in a pressure cooker or Instant pot. These methods work well regardless of how many tamales you're cooking.
What is the best way to steam tamales?
Fill the bottom of a steamer with water, up to the halfway point. Turn the heat to high and wait for the water to start boiling. Place the tamales in the steamer insert, ensuring the water is not touching them. Steam for 45-60 minutes until done.
What is the best pot to cook tamales in?
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 4-Piece Pasta/Steamer Set (12 Quarts) ... Oster Sangerfield Stainless Steel Cookware (3 Quarts) ... Smart Cook Tamale Steamer Vaporera Stock Pot (32 Quarts) ... Rachael Ray Cucina Nonstick Saucepot with Steamer Insert and Lid (3 Quarts) ... Bob's Red Mill Golden Masa Harina Corn Flour (22 Oz)More items...•
How long should tamales be steamed?
Steam the tamales for 35 minutes. Bring the water to a light boil. Place the tamales vertically, open-side up in the steamer, but don't pack them too tightly or they won't have room to expand. Cover with some extra corn husks. Cover and steam until the corn husk easily pulls away from the tamal, about 35 minutes.
How do you tell if tamales are done steaming?
If the masa sticks after 3 minutes, then it's not ready. Carefully fold and return to pot. Cook 5 minutes longer, then re-test. If husk is easily removed, tamales are fully cooked!
How long do you steam tamales in Instant Pot?
Place steam rack inside of Instant Pot. Fill with 2 cups water. Arrange tamales, open end up, standing upright. Seal lid and pressure cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
Can you steam tamales in crock pot?
You can make perfect tamales at home by steaming/cooking them in your crockpot slow cooker. This truly is the easiest way to make them and you can fit up to 20 at one time in your pot!
How do you steam in an Instant Pot?
Then to actually steam you would:Place the cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot inner pot.Place your steamer basket into the Instant Pot.Add the ingredients you wish to steam into the basket.Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set to sealing.Click on the steam button and cook for your planned time.More items...•
Did you make this recipe?
Line the steamer with a single layer of banana leaves. Place the banana leaves into the steamer to provide a barrier between the boiling water and the tamales. Make sure that the entire base of the steamer is covered with the leaves.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Vanna Tran, a trusted member of wikiHow's volunteer community. Vanna Tran is a home cook who started cooking with her mother at a very young age. She has catered events and hosted pop-up dinners in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 5 years. This article has been viewed 672,899 times.
All About Tamales
Whilst they are considered to be a traditional Mexican dish, tamales actually have multiple traditional original recipes from a variety of countries.
How to Steam Tamales
How to cook tamales? The most common way of steaming tamales is by using a steamer with multiple compartments. A pressure cooker or slow cooker can do in a pinch. Homemade tamales are amazing, especially pork tamales.
I want to reheat or steam frozen tamales..
If you have not made the tamales fresh from scratch, or perhaps have frozen a batch, you can definitely still steam frozen tamales.
So, can I bake tamales in the oven instead of in a steamer?
Absolutely! There are countless ways to steam your tamales, as long as they are encased in the vital corn husk or banana leaf coverings.
My tamales are mushy or have stuck to the husk..
This is a sign that they have not been left in the steamer, pot, or oven long enough to cook properly.
Where did I go wrong with my tamales?
Making tamales as a beginner isn’t always the easiest thing to do. There is skill and a whole lot of luck involved to make every batch perfect every time.
What about the husks?
Corn husks or banana leaves are used to encase the tamale and keep them in their structure. Husks can often be quite stiff, so it is recommended to wash them thoroughly and peel them apart in cold water to loosen them up.
How To Steam Tamales Using Steamer
When you use a steamer to steam tamales make sure you keep tamales above a bed of banana leaves or corn husks. They will work as a barrier between boiling hot water and tamales.
Ways Of Steaming Tamales Without Steamer
As discussed before oven, pressure cooker, instant pot, and rice cooker can also be used for steaming tamales.
How To Steam Tamales Using Oven
Keep the oven at a low temperature otherwise, the tamales will get dried. Then put the steam rack in the casserole dish and put tamales over it with the closed end facing the casserole dish.
How To Steam Tamales Using Rice Cooker
Add about two inches of water to the rice cooker. Now put the steam rack inside it. Put a bed of banana leaves or corn husk all over the rack and then place tamales on top of it.
How To Steam Tamales Using Steamer Basket
For this method, you need a pot and steamer basket and the entire process is the same as above. Pour about 2-3 inches of water in the pot and then in a steam basket place the tamales with their closed-end facing the basket.
How To Steam Tamales In Pot Using Aluminum Foil
Make four balls of aluminum foils two inches solid thick and wide. Pour an inch of water into the pot. Put these four balls in the pot. Place the balls in a square shape and then put a ceramic or thick glass plate that is heatproof over the balls.
Steaming Frozen Tamales
You can use any of the above methods to steam frozen tamales the only difference is while fresh tamales take 90 minutes to steam, the frozen ones will take 150 minutes to steam. So in this case keep track of water levels in regular intervals.
The Basics of Steaming Tamales
The goal of heating tamales is to cook them or heat them through so they'll be soft and moist. If your tamale recipe calls for cool or warm water when preparing your masa, you'll need to steam your tamales for 30 minutes to one hour because your masa won't be fully cooked when you start the steaming process.
Arranging the Tamales
You can arrange your tamales lying down, piling them on top of each other, or you can arrange them standing up. If you're lying them down, face the opening of the corn husk upward so the insides don't fall out when you lift the tamales out of the pan. If you arrange your tamales standing up, arrange them so the open end is facing up.
Steaming Without a Steamer Basket
Metal and bamboo steamer baskets aren't the only setups that work for steaming tamales. Other techniques may take some ingenuity and finesse, but they can certainly get the job done.
Other Methods for Heating Tamales
Steaming isn't the only way to heat tamales, although it is arguably the best method because of the abundant moisture. Some of the other methods won't get you a traditional outcome, though they will still yield tasty food.
Testing Tamales for Doneness
Cooking tamales fully is important for both quality and food safety. An undercooked tamale can be gummy and pasty. It can also present a risk of foodborne illness, especially if your filling includes a protein such as meat or beans.
Did you make this recipe?
Bunch up 3 aluminum balls and place them in a pot. Tear off 3 equal-sized pieces of aluminum foil and bunch each of them into a ball that's about the size of your fist. Set each ball into the bottom of an 11-quart (10.4 liter) pot.
Did you make this recipe?
Put 2 cups (473 ml) of water and a steamer basket into a pressure cooker. Pour 2 cups (473 ml) of water into the bottom of a pressure cooker, then unfold and set a steamer basket into the pot.
Did you make this recipe?
Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of water into the pot and add a steamer basket. Measure 1 cup (240 ml) of water into the inner pot of your instant pot. Unfold a steamer basket or steamer rack and set it in the pot. The basket should be raised up enough so that the water doesn't come through the basket.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson, and Vanna Tran, a trusted member of wikiHow's volunteer community. Vanna Tran is a home cook who started cooking with her mother at a very young age. She has catered events and hosted pop-up dinners in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 5 years.
Crockpot
If you have a crockpot or slow cooker, you can use it as a simple and easy way to reheat tamales. It involves simply placing the tamales on a rack in the pot. Most crockpots come with a rack that you can use for steaming purposes, but you can use a colander if you don’t have one.
Metal Strainer
Another option that works similarly to a crockpot is a metal strainer in a pot on the stove. To do this, you will have some technical know-how to figure out how to keep the tamales suspended above the water while keeping the lid closed so that the steam can work its magic and properly reheat the tamales.
Bowl and Chopstick
You may also use a bowl and chopsticks within a pot on the stove. Unfortunately, this is not a full-proof method and needs a certain amount of expertise to play a balancing act, so the tamales don’t end up dropping into the water. The chopsticks act as the rack that suspends the tamales above the boiling water.
Oven
An oven may not seem like the best way to steam, but it does work. The challenge of an oven is that it usually dries food out. So if you want to reheat tamales and keep them soft and moist, you will have to prevent this from happening.
Rice Cooker
A rice cooker is a worthy substitute for a steamer since it relies heavily on steaming. Rice cookers often have a basket where the tamales can be raised above the steaming water. Pour water into the rice cooker until it’s about 2 inches deep, ensuring it doesn’t touch the rack.
Pressure Cooker
To use a pressure cooker to steam tamales, pour about two cups of water into the cooker, then place the tamales in the basket before activating your appliance’s pressure setting. Allow the pressure cooker to heat up to the hottest setting. When the water is hot enough to produce steam, you can reduce the heat.
Expert Tips
Frozen tamales can be steamed in any of the methods described here for fresh tamales. They will need to be placed more carefully so they are not overcrowded, and they will need extra time to steam—about two and a half hours if they were not cooked before freezing. If you’re merely reheating them, they will take about 30 minutes.
How do you steam tamales on the stove?
It would help if you had a pot, a steamer insert, or a colander to set in the pot. Cover it with a towel or cheesecloth and get the water boiling.
What is the best way to steam tamales?
The gold standard of reheating tamales, steaming helps the Mexican delicacies retain their original flavour and texture.
How can I steam without a steamer?
There are a few ways you can steam tamales on the stove. You can use a dish or pot with water or boil on the stove with a lid.
Do you need a steamer to make tamales?
No, you do not need a steamer to make tamales. Place the tamales in a pot with an inch of boiling water at the bottom. Cover the pool and steam for 20 minutes.
Can you steam tamales in foil?
If you’ve already cooked the tamales but need them to keep warm for a while, aluminum foil is a fantastic heat conductor.
Can I steam tamales in the oven?
Remove the tamales from the bag and place them in a hot steamer for 15-20 minutes or until soft (5-10 minutes more if frozen).
How do you steam on the stove?
The easiest way to steam food over the stove is to get a skillet with a steaming rack inside. Fill the skillet 2/3 of the way with tap water and put it on the burner until it’s boiling.
How to Steam Tamales in a Steamer Basket
Add a little water (about 1 inch) into a deep pot. Insert a steamer basket inside the container. Let the water be precisely below the steamer basket.
Use of a metal rack
In a deep pot, set a circular metal rack. Add almost an inch of water into it to rest just below the rack top.
Use of an aluminum foil
Rip up a couple of pieces of aluminum foil and crumple them into balls – 3 of them (almost 2 inches – width and height.).
Steaming Tamales in the Oven (Dutch oven)
Preheat your oven to 225 degrees-250 degrees Fahrenheit. Low temperature is the best as high temperatures could dehydrate your tamales.
Steaming Tamales in a Rice Cooker
In a rice cooker bowl, place in a rack. Add at least 2 inches of water (not more than 5 inches.). The water should be below it. You don’t want the rack submerged in hot water.
Final thoughts
We all love tamales, don’t we? – The pockets of corn dough stuffed with either sweet or tangy fillings, wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves. The fillings vary from cheeses and meats to vegetables, fruits, mole and chilies.
