Steaming Tamales in the Microwave is a quick and easy way to make a delicious dinner. My family LOVES tamales, and making them in the microwave takes no time at all.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Frozen Tamales
You basically need tamales. You can buy any flavor of tamales – chicken, beef, pork, even veggie or hatch chili, etc.
You’ll also need several paper towels and water.
How do you make Tamales in the Microwave?
If you are able, defrost the tamales in the fridge overnight. If you don’t have time for that, pierce the bag they’re in, and defrost in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Now that your tamales are no longer frozen, you can steam them in the microwave.
Get your paper towels. You’ll need about 6-8 paper towels if you have a dozen tamales to heat up. If you’re only heating 2-3, then you’ll need just 1-2 paper towels.
First, get all the paper towels wet. I just do this in the sink. Then, wring them out as much as possible, so they are just damp.
Do not remove the husks on the tamales! That’s what keeps the tamales nice and moist.
I wrap 3-4 tamales in 2 paper towels. Then, set them on a plate. If you don’t have a plate, you can just set them in the microwave on the turntable.
Set the microwave for 2-3 minutes on HIGH and let them cook. For more powerful microwaves with higher wattage, I only do 2 minutes, for lower wattage, I do the full 3 minutes.
If your microwave doesn’t have a turntable, you’ll need to rotate the tamales after 1 to 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave.
Be careful taking them out of the microwave. They will be HOT!
Carefully unwrap the tamales from the paper towels and pile them on the plate.
When you’re ready to serve them, remove the husks as you add them to each person’s plate and top with a sauce, if preferred, and fix them to your liking.
We eat tamales like enchiladas, so I usually make a sauce to put over the top. We like are:
- no bean chili
- queso
- chili con carne
- red enchilada sauce
You can also eat tamales like a finger food and just pick them up and dip them in something or eat them plain. I love them either way!
If you want an interesting way to serve tamales, we LOVE this tamale casserole. I use it with leftover tamales and shred them up and make a delicious TexMex style casserole.
Recipes to make with Tamales
- How to Make Microwave Avocado Cilantro Lime Rice
- Microwave Refried Beans
- Dorito Casserole in the Microwave
- Microwave Mexican Casserole
- Too Easy Tamale Dip in the Microwave
- The EASIEST Beef Enchiladas in the Microwave
- Salsa Chicken in the Microwave
Frozen Tamales in the Microwave
Ingredients
- 1 dozen tamales
- paper towels
- water
Instructions
- If you are able, defrost the tamales in the fridge overnight. If you don't have time for that, pierce the bag they're in, and defrost in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
- Now that your tamales are no longer frozen, you can steam them in the microwave.
- Get your paper towels. You'll need about 6-8 paper towels if you have a dozen tamales to heat up. If you're only heating 2-3, then you'll need just 1-2 paper towels.
- First, get all the paper towels wet. I just do this in the sink. Then, wring them out as much as possible, so they are just damp.
- Do not remove the husks! That's what keeps the tamales nice and moist.
- I wrap 3-4 tamales in 2 paper towels. Then, set them on a plate. If you don't have a plate, you can just set them in the microwave on the turntable.
- Set the microwave for 2-3 minutes on HIGH and let them cook. For more powerful microwaves with higher wattage, I only do 2 minutes, for lower wattage, I do the full 3 minutes.
- If your microwave doesn't have a turntable, you'll need to rotate the tamales after 1 to 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave.
- Be careful taking them out of the microwave. They will be HOT!
- Carefully unwrap the tamales from the paper towels and pile them on the plate.
- When you're ready to serve them, remove the husks and fix them to your liking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 1345mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 7gSugar: 1gProtein: 21g
Any nutritional information on justmicrowaveit.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate.
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