How to Reheat Tamales: 7 Methods for Perfect Results
A dry tamale is not a bad tamale. It is a good tamale that got reheated wrong.
Steam them if you can. That is how the kitchen that makes our New Mexico tamales does it, and it keeps the masa soft all the way through. In a rush, wrap two frozen tamales in a damp paper towel and microwave them for about 2 minutes as a starting point, let them rest a minute, then check several spots in the center of each tamale with a thermometer: 165°F. For crispy edges, thaw them first and use the air fryer.
Our tamales
How to reheat tamales in a steamer
Best all round. This is how we do it.
- Frozen 30-40 min
- Fridge 15-20 min
- Soft and moist
Show the steps
- Put two inches of water in a pot. Set a steamer basket on top. The water should not touch the basket.
- Bring the water to a gentle simmer. Not a boil. A hard boil throws water up into the masa and makes the outside soggy while the middle is still cold.
- Stand the tamales up with the open end facing up. Snug, so they hold each other, but not crushed. Open end up keeps water from pooling in the masa.
- Put the lid on. If it doesn't seal, lay a sheet of foil over the pot first.
- Steam. Check each tamale with a thermometer: the center should read 165°F, and the masa should pull away from the wrapper clean.
- Take them off the heat and wait 3 to 5 minutes. The masa firms up as it rests, and the wrapper peels off in one piece.
Don't skip the rest. A tamale straight out of the steamer is gummy and tears when you unwrap it.
No steamer basket? Ball up some foil, drop the balls in the pot, and add water below them. Stand the tamales on the foil. A metal colander in a pot with a lid works too.
Oven already on for something else? The oven method is next.
How to reheat tamales in the oven
Good for a big batch when the stove is busy.
- Frozen 25-30 min
- Fridge 15-20 min
- A little firmer
Show the steps
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Wrap each tamale in foil. Press the air out. The foil is what keeps the steam in. Without it, the oven bakes the water out of the masa.
- Lay them on a sheet pan in one layer with a little space between.
- Bake. Flip them once halfway.
- Unwrap them and check the center of each tamale with a thermometer: 165°F.
Don't put them in the oven bare. That is how tamales turn into bricks.
Only need one or two? The microwave is faster.
How to reheat tamales in the microwave
Fastest. Fine for one or two at a time.
- Frozen 2 min for two
- Fridge 1-2 min
- Soft, edges can dry
Show the steps
- Wrap each tamale in a damp paper towel. Damp, not dripping. The wet towel turns the microwave into a small steamer.
- Put one to three on a plate with space between them.
- Microwave on high. Two frozen tamales take about 2 minutes, and from the fridge 1 to 2 minutes. Treat those times as a starting point.
- Let them sit one minute, then check several spots in the center of each tamale with a thermometer, because microwaves heat unevenly. Every spot should read 165°F. If not, add 30 seconds, let them rest again, and recheck.
Don't microwave them dry. Thirty seconds too long with no towel and the masa goes hard.
Want it fast and still fluffy? Microwave for a minute to thaw, then finish in the steamer or the Instant Pot, which is next.
How to reheat tamales in an Instant Pot
Set it and walk away. Best for frozen tamales.
- Frozen 15-20 min
- Fridge About 10 min
- Very moist
Show the steps
- Pour one cup of water in the pot.
- Set the trivet or steam rack inside.
- Stand the tamales on the rack, open end up. Don't lay them flat and stack them. Steam needs to move around each one.
- Lock the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on high pressure: 5 minutes from the fridge, 10 to 15 from frozen.
- Let the pressure drop on its own for 5 minutes, then release the rest.
- Lift them out with tongs and check the center of each tamale with a thermometer: 165°F. Wait 2 to 3 minutes before unwrapping.
Don't quick-release right away. The sudden drop pulls moisture out of the masa.
Want the outside crisp instead of soft? Air fryer, next.
How to reheat tamales in an air fryer
Crispy outside, soft inside. Thawed tamales only.
- Frozen Thaw first
- Fridge 8-10 min
- Golden, a little crunchy
Show the steps
- Thaw the tamales first. Overnight in the fridge, or a minute in the microwave. Frozen tamales dry out in the air fryer before the middle gets warm.
- Heat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Take the husk or paper off. Brush or mist the tamales with a little water or oil so they don't dry.
- Lay them in the basket in one layer with space between them.
- Cook 8 to 10 minutes. Flip once halfway.
- Check the center of each tamale with a thermometer: it should read 165°F, and the outside should be light gold.
Don't stack them. The bottom ones steam and the top ones burn.
No air fryer? A hot skillet does the same job on the stove.
How to reheat tamales on a skillet or comal
Charred and smoky, the way a lot of New Mexico kitchens do breakfast.
- Frozen Thaw first
- Fridge 8-10 min
- Firm crust, smoky edges
Show the steps
- Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium heat.
- Leave the husk or paper on. It chars a little and passes a light smoke into the masa.
- Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side. Flip when the wrapper shows char marks.
- Cover with a lid between flips. That traps heat so the middle warms up.
- Before you serve, check the center of each tamale with a thermometer: 165°F.
Don't try this with frozen tamales. The outside burns before the middle thaws.
Cooking outside? The grill works the same way.
How to reheat tamales on the grill
Real smoke. Good for cookouts and big parties.
- Frozen Thaw first
- Fridge 8-12 min
- Charred outside, firm masa
Show the steps
- Heat a gas grill to medium, about 350°F, or let a charcoal fire burn down to medium.
- Thaw the tamales all the way. Keep the husk or paper on. It shields the masa from the flame.
- Set them right on the grate. Cook 4 to 6 minutes per side and turn them two or three times.
- Watch the wrapper. Paper scorches faster than a corn husk. If it flares, move the tamales to a cooler spot.
- Pull them when a thermometer reads 165°F in the center of each tamale and the outside has a little char.
Don't crank the heat. High heat burns the wrapper before the tamale is warm.
That's all seven. Here they are side by side.
Side by side
Times are from the fridge, then from frozen.
| Method | From the fridge | From frozen | Texture | How many | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steamer | 15 to 20 min | 30 to 40 min | soft, moist | 6 to 20 | you want them like new |
| Oven | 15 to 20 min | 25 to 30 min | a little firmer | as many as fit | the stove is busy |
| Microwave | 1 to 2 min | 2 min for two | soft, edges can dry | 1 to 3 | you have two minutes |
| Instant Pot | about 10 min | 15 to 20 min | very moist | 4 to 10 | they're frozen |
| Air fryer | 8 to 10 min | thaw first | crisp outside | 2 to 4 | you want crunch |
| Skillet | 8 to 10 min | thaw first | charred, firm | 2 to 5 | breakfast |
| Grill | 8 to 12 min | thaw first | smoky | as many as fit | you're outside |
Frozen changes the plan. Here's why.
Frozen or from the fridge
Steam, oven, and Instant Pot heat with moisture, so the middle thaws before the outside dries. Air fryer, skillet, and grill are dry heat. They char the outside while the middle is still ice.
The shortcut: microwave frozen tamales for about a minute to thaw them, then finish with any method you like. You get the speed of the microwave and the texture of the steamer.
Our tamales come wrapped in parchment paper and ship frozen, so this is how they start.
Got a bag? Here's how to keep them.
How to store tamales
- 2 hon the counter
- Then into the fridge. After two hours, bacteria grow fast in cooked food.
- 3-4 din the fridge
- Let them cool, then seal them in a container or a zip bag with the air pressed out. Lay a paper towel on each side. It soaks up the water that would make the masa gummy.
- 2 yrin the freezer
- Ours come frozen with a 2-year shelf life from the production date printed on the package. Keep them frozen until you cook them. If you rewrap any, write the flavor on the bag so you can tell them apart.
Something still went wrong? Here's the fix.
When it goes wrong
The masa is dry
It was heated without moisture: oven with no foil, microwave with no towel, or air fryer too hot. Wrap it in a damp paper towel and microwave 30 seconds, or steam it 5 more minutes.
The middle is cold
It needed more time, or it went in frozen when you thought it was thawed. Steam it 10 more minutes. Steam is the most forgiving heat.
The outside is soggy
Water got in. The tamales were sitting in the water, or the boil was too hard. Next time, keep them above the water line and the water at a simmer. Let them rest 3 to 5 minutes and the masa will firm up.
The masa is gummy
It picked up water in the fridge. Use the paper towel trick when you store them. To fix a gummy one, put it in the oven or the air fryer. Dry heat firms it up.
The wrapper is stuck
It needed a few more minutes. Heat it a little longer and let it rest. Hot masa lets go of the wrapper on its own. If the wrapper charred on the skillet or grill, unwrap it from the other end.
Questions people ask
Do I take the husk or paper off before I reheat them?
No. The wrapper keeps the steam in and holds the tamale together. The one time you take it off is the air fryer, because you want the outside to crisp.
How do I reheat tamales with no steamer?
Wrap them in foil and bake at 350°F, about 15 to 20 minutes from the fridge or 25 to 30 minutes from frozen, until a thermometer reads 165°F in the center of each tamale. Or ball up some foil in the bottom of any pot, add water below the foil, stand the tamales on top, put the lid on, and steam until a thermometer reads 165°F in the center of each tamale.
How long do tamales last in the fridge?
3 to 4 days in a sealed container. A paper towel on each side keeps the masa from going gummy.
Can I freeze tamales?
Yes. Ours come frozen and have a 2-year shelf life from the production date, so the bag goes straight in the freezer.
How hot should the middle be?
165°F for every tamale. That's the USDA number for reheated food. Poke a thermometer into the thickest part of the filling.
Can I reheat them twice?
You can, but the masa gets a little worse each time. Heat only what you'll eat. Keep the rest frozen.
Holidays are tamale time.
A dozen in the freezer means dinner on any night the house is full. Ours come frozen, handmade in Deming, three fillings.
Shop tamalesMore on tamales: What to serve with tamales. New Mexican tamales vs Mexican tamales.