How to Steam Tamales Without a Steamer? - The Ultimate Guide

Tamales are popular in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and many other regions.

They have one of the best crusts and are bursting with flavor! It is a traditional dish that has to be made in a specific way to be considered authentic.

Making tamales is extremely easy, just prepare the filling, roll it in dough, cover it with corn husks, and then steam it. But what do you do when you don’t have a steamer handy?

How do you make steamed tamales without a steamer?

There are many ways to make tamales without using a steamer. The classic method is to use foil balls or inverted cups to create a makeshift steamer and then cook the tamales over boiling water, but there are other ways to steam them too!

How to make authentic tamales

Tamales are native to Mexico and have been a popular food all over the world. They are prepared in many different ways and it is common to find them in abundance in any grandmother’s house.

The original recipe for tamales consists of a simple mixture of meat and pork fat with a spicy sauce that is wrapped in a dough.

The whole thing is then folded into a corn husk and steamed for about an hour or until done.

The reason tamales are such a great meal is that they have a balanced nutritional profile and flavor. Since the exterior is not fried, it is a great alternative to other types of food.

The original recipe is a balance between spices, umami flavors, herbs, and more. Although there are many manipulations that can be done in general, tamales are best served traditionally and unadulterated.

Here’s a quick rundown of all the steps needed to make amazing tamales at home. Don’t forget to also check out our authentic recipe below.

meat preparation

Since we are going to talk about how to make tamales without steam, we must start at the beginning.

Remember that the tamales will be prepared the same way no matter how you cook them. We’ll just add some clever ways to get by without a steamer.

The first step to prepare this endearing dish is to obtain good quality meat. You can also use any leftover pork, as this is how tamales were traditionally made so as not to waste any of the animal.

Visit your local butcher in person! This step is important because you need very specific pork shoulders.

Ask the butcher to provide boneless, cubed pork shoulders that have balanced marbling. You want to look for a decent amount of fat, but also a nice chunk of lean meat on the shoulder. 

The fat is important as it will render and add flavor to the tamales as it cooks and will also help emulsify the sauce mixture with the broth.

If you can, we strongly suggest getting the freshest meat possible or any freshly slaughtered and prepared meat will work well as well.

Wash meat at home by rinsing it under clean water. Be very careful when handling meat.

Once washed, dry it with a paper towel and put it in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

How to make the sauce

To make authentic tamales and overcome the slight disadvantage of not being able to cook them with a steamer, you have to get the sauce right! The sauce is what will give life to the tamales and make them irresistible with each bite.

To begin with, we will have to extract all the flavor of the meat.

The best way to do this is to make a thick, flavorful broth mixed with caramelized onions, whole spices, garlic, herbs, and of course, the pork shoulders!

Pro Tip: If you stir-fry the diced pork shoulders before adding the water, the flavor of the broth and meat will change dramatically once everything is done. 

Traditionally, the sauce contains Ancho and Guajillo peppers which lend an extremely authentic and spicy, yet tame, flavor to the mix.

Mix it all with part of the broth and add a little oil to emulsify and that’s it! 

It’s that easy! Just mix the prepared sauce with the shredded pork and you have the tastiest tamale filling ever (outside your grandmother’s house, of course!)

Prepare the dough

The dough is what will give the tamales their characteristic shape and flavor. It will also act as a container for the filling and provide just the right volume in each bite.

The preparation of the dough is very simple, since you will only need high-quality dough flour, baking powder, kosher salt, lard and a little broth.

Mix it all together until it’s the right consistency, then spread it all over the corn husks.

Hydration of corn leaves

The corn husks will protect the dough from falling apart and dehydrating.

But before assembling the tamales, you’ll need to rehydrate the corn husks in hot water for at least 20 minutes. 

Corn husks can be found at any local store, but we strongly recommend that you get high-quality, damage-free husks online.

There is simply no other way to do it if you want to make authentic tamales. Get the best leaves possible, as they will create a barrier and act as a mold for the tamales as they steam.

montage of everything

Here is a checklist for making a traditional tamale:

• Meat
• Broth
• Dip
• Flour dough for coating
• corn leaves

Once you have all these main ingredients, it’s just a matter of putting it all together and making the tamales!

To assemble them, all you have to do is place a bit of the whipped dough on a hydrated corn husk and press with plastic between the dough using any round object (such as the bottom of a frying pan).

Shape into a circular disk, place some of the meat/sauce mixture, and fold in the corn husk (you can also tie them with twine).

Steam the tamales

This is where things get a bit tricky, especially if you don’t have a steamer.

You see, with a steamer, all you have to do is place the tamales on top of the steamer so that they are all standing upright in the pot.

Fill the steamer and close the lid. Steam for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the corn husks are cooked through. 

Take them out of the pot and let them rest for a while before opening and eating the tamales.

However, if you don’t have a steamer, there are a few things you can do to recreate the same experience in an unconventional way.

How to make tamales without a steamer

Here are some substitutes for the steamer:

overturned cup method

To use this method, you’ll need two things: a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot and 3-4 heatproof cups.

To carry it out, you will have to make sure that all the utensils and accessories are heat resistant. Since the tamales will cook for about an hour, you don’t want anything to crack or break.

1. Start by placing 3-4 cups upside down in a large pot. Fill it until the water is half the height of the cups. 
2. Now place a heatproof plate on top of the cups to create a stable base for the tamales. Make sure that the plate is not the same diameter as the pot. Ideally, you should use a smaller plate that can completely cover the cups. 
3. Carefully place the tamales on the plate. You can choose to place them vertically or horizontally, depending on the depth of the pot you are using. 
4. If you want to stand them up to fit more tamales, we recommend using smaller heat-proof cups to lower the height of the plate.
5. Bring the water to a boil and inspect your makeshift steamer to see if the plates or cups are moving.
6. Place the lid on the pot and allow the tamales to cook as usual. 

sieve steamer method

The strainer-steamer method is slightly better than the cup method because it will allow more steam to pass through the tamales as they cook.

For this method, you will need a round strainer, a large pot, and some heatproof glasses.

1. Place 3-4 medium-sized glasses, upside down, in a large heavy-bottomed pot. 
2. Fill the pot halfway or until the water is half the height of the glasses. 
3. Carefully and safely place the sieve over the cups and check that everything is stable. 
4. Place the tamales upright or horizontal on the sieve. If you place them horizontally, we recommend that you do not place more than two layers to avoid damaging the bottom tamales. 
5. Place lid on top and cook tamales as usual. You will notice that this method circulates the steam more efficiently than the iron method. It can even result in a tastier, more cooked tamale too! 

stick method

This method is for people who want to go the extra mile to ensure they get as much vapor as possible.

For this method, you will need chopsticks or several barbecue sticks and cups or aluminum foil balls.

1. Place the cups or aluminum foil balls in the bottom of the pot as described in the previous method.
2. Begin by placing the chopsticks in the pot. You will want to create a base for the tamales.
3. Place the second layer of chopsticks/BBQ sticks in the opposite direction, so that you create as little space between the chopsticks as possible. This will prevent the tamales from slipping between the open spaces. 
4. Place the tamales on the chopsticks and put the lid on. Steam for about 1 hour or until tamales are done.

The best tamale recipe

Here’s a great traditional recipe that you can use with any of the above methods!

Ingredients:

Meat ingredients:

• • 2 pounds (900 g) boneless pork shoulder, cubed
  • 3 tablespoons (40 ml) canola oil for cooking
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 3 bay leaves 
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 sprigs of oregano
  • 5.5-6 cups of water

• Salt and pepper to taste)

Chili Sauce Ingredients

• 3 ancho chiles
• 3 guajillo chiles
• 1/2 cup broth
• 1.5 tsp toasted ground cumin
• 6 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt to taste)

Leaf ingredients:

• 40 corn husks
• Boiling water to cover the leaves
• 3.25 cups (395 g) masa flour
• 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
• 1 tablespoon (14g) kosher salt
• 1 1/3 cups (257 g) lard
• 2.5 - 3 cups (600-700ml) pork broth

Instructions

• In a heavy-bottomed pot, add a little canola oil and raise the heat until the bottom of the pot is very hot and slightly smoking. 
• Arrange the diced pork shoulders and turn them once on each side. You can brown all the meat in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pot.
• Add all the meat ingredients listed above and cook until the onions are translucent. Now add water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and allow the broth to cook until the meat is completely done, which should take about 2-3 hours.
• Take out only the meat and shred it. Strain the broth into another container with a strainer. Press the discarded ingredients with the back of a spoon to release all their flavors. 
• Make the chili sauce by hydrating the two types of chiles in half a cup of hot broth. Keep them submerged by placing plastic wrap and a weight on them. Once hydrated, beat and mix all the sauce ingredients until you get an emulsified sauce that is neither too thick nor too thin. 
• Mix half a cup (or more) of the prepared sauce with the shredded meat and reserve it. 
• Now, hydrate the shells and keep them submerged in boiling water for at least 20 minutes. 
• In a bowl, mix the dough flour, salt and baking powder. 
• In another bowl, add the lard and beat until creamy. Now add the dry dough mixture and mix everything until you get a smooth and flexible dough. 
• Place the dough on a corn husk and shape it by placing plastic wrap over it and compressing it with the bottom of a round pan. Add the chile meat filling and fold in the corn husk. Optionally tie it with a small strand of leaf for posing points.
• Steam the tamales using any of the methods described above and cook them for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve them hot and enjoy! 

Related questions

Now that you know how to steam tamales without a steamer, we’re sure you’ll be able to expand this method to other types of recipes as well!

Here are some questions related to tamales and the different methods of steaming:

Can you make tamales without corn husks?

Yes, you can make tamales without corn husks, although traditionally, it’s best to always use corn husks.

However, if you don’t have them on hand, use parchment paper or aluminum foil to substitute them.

Can you steam tamales in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you can use the steam setting on the Instant Pot to steam the tamales. Just close the lid, put it on “seal” and cook them on high pressure for about 40 minutes or until fully cooked.