How Long Does It Take to Cook Tamales on the Stove?
Cooking tamales on the stove takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the size of your tamales and how many you’re steaming at once. I’ll walk you through timing for a tamalera pot, a Dutch oven or regular pot, a pressure cooker, and a slow cooker, so you know exactly what to expect no matter what’s in your kitchen.
Quick Answer: How Long Does It Take to Cook Tamales?
Tamales take about 1 to 2 hours to steam on the stove in a tamalera, Dutch oven, or regular pot with a steamer basket. A pressure cooker cuts that down to about 35 minutes, while a slow cooker takes the longest at 3 to 6 hours on high. No matter the method, tamales are done when the husk peels away from the masa cleanly.
Recipe at a Glance
- What it is: A timing guide for cooking tamales on the stove, covering tamalera, Dutch oven, pressure cooker, and slow cooker methods.
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Dish type: Cooking technique / method guide
- Difficulty: Easy
- Ready in: 35 minutes (pressure cooker), 1 to 2 hours (tamalera or stovetop pot), 3 to 6 hours (slow cooker)
- Method: Tamalera, stovetop pot, pressure cooker, slow cooker
- Key ingredients: Tamales, water, corn husks
- Flavor: N/A, technique guide
- Best for: Tamale-making day, holiday batches, Christmas season, no-fuss slow cooker cooking, weeknight pressure cooker shortcuts
What Affects Tamale Cooking Time
The size and thickness of your tamales makes the biggest difference in cook time, thicker tamales need more time for the heat to reach the center.
I learned this watching my older sister make tamales. She taught me how the filling, the thickness of the masa, and the size of the tamal all affect steaming time, and why you don’t want to make your tamales too large or spread the masa too thick. Keep them a reasonable size and they’ll usually be done within an hour.
The filling matters too. Traditional tamales filled with shredded beef, chicken in salsa verde, or pork in red chile will usually take a little longer than vegan or vegetarian tamales, since meat is denser and slows down how fast the masa cooks through.
If you’re using meat, make sure it’s fully cooked before it goes onto the masa. Steaming brings everything up to temperature, but it isn’t a substitute for cooking raw meat first.
This section covers fresh, raw tamales. If you’re working with frozen tamales, jump down to the frozen tamales timing section below, since the cook time is different.
How to Cook Tamales in a Steamer (Tamalera)
The traditional steamer for cooking tamales is called a tamalera. It’s a stovetop pot made of steel or aluminum, sized to hold the tamales upright while they steam. You can find one at your local Hispanic grocery store or on Amazon.
Fill the tamalera to its water line, add the steamer tray, and arrange the tamales upright with the folded side facing the pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium low once it’s steaming steadily. Steam for 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, checking water levels along the way so the pot doesn’t run dry.
For the full step-by-step, including how to line the pot with corn husks and troubleshoot a loose lid, see my complete guide to steaming tamales.
How to Check That Tamales Are Cooked Through
After steaming for at least an hour, lift one tamale out and let it rest for about 5 minutes. If the husk peels away from the dough easily and the masa looks smooth, it’s done.
If the husk sticks, rewrap it, steam for another 30 minutes, and check again. Small batches sometimes finish in as little as 45 minutes, while a full pot can take closer to 2 hours.
Once the husk peels away cleanly, slice the tamale open and check the center. The masa and filling should be hot all the way through. If the inside still looks squishy or sticky, it needs more time.
Let finished tamales rest on the counter for a few minutes before serving, this firms them up and makes them easier to unwrap.
How to Steam Tamales in a Dutch Oven or Pot
No tamalera? A Dutch oven or large pot with a steamer basket works just as well.
Add 1 to 2 inches of water, set the steamer basket or rack inside, and arrange the tamales upright without overcrowding them. Cover with foil (poke a small hole) before adding the lid, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, checking water levels as you go, and test one tamale for doneness before serving.
For the complete walkthrough, including banana leaf stacking and troubleshooting tips, see my full guide: How to Steam Tamales Without a Steamer.
How to Cook Tamales in a Pressure Cooker
A more detailed guide for steaming tamales in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker can be found on my in-depth guide: How to Steam Tamales with an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.
But here’s a quick run through: Pour a hot cup of water into the pressure cooker, place the steaming rack or steaming basket inside – make sure the water doesn’t go above the steamer rack.
Arrange the tamales in an upright position, or stacked for banana leaf tamales. You won’t be able to fit too many, it’ll depend on the size of your pressure cooker – as well as the size of the tamale you’re cooking. Secure the lid on, then set steam valve to sealing, select Pressure Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to finish the cooking program then let it fully naturally release, carefully open the pot and let it sit for a few minutes before removing the tamales.
How to Cook Tamales in a Slow Cooker
A slow cooker works well if you’re not in a rush, and it has one advantage over the stovetop: since the lid traps the moisture instead of letting it escape as steam, you don’t have to babysit the water level the way you do with a tamalera.
Place a steamer rack in the bottom of the slow cooker, and line the bottom with leftover corn husks. Add water until it reaches just below the rack, never touching the tamales.
Arrange the tamales upright, leaning them against the side of the slow cooker or a foil ball in the center so they don’t tip over. Cover the tamales with a layer of corn husks or a clean dishtowel before putting the lid on, this catches the condensation that drips down as they cook so it doesn’t turn the masa soggy. Cook on HIGH for 3 to 6 hours.
Check a tamale for doneness starting around the 3 hour mark, the same way you would with any other method, the husk should peel away from the masa cleanly.
How Long Do Pre-Cooked Tamales Take to Steam?
Reheating tamales is quicker than cooking them from raw, you’re just bringing them back up to temperature, not cooking the masa through. In a steamer, this usually takes about 15 minutes, longer for large batches.
It might seem long for something that’s already cooked, but the corn husk slows down how fast the heat reaches the center. Watch them closely, over-steaming reheated tamales makes them fall apart.
For more reheating methods, including stovetop, air fryer, and oven, see my full guide: How to Reheat Tamales.
How Long Does It Take to Cook Frozen Tamales on the Stove?
Frozen tamales that were already cooked before freezing usually take about 30 minutes on the stove, up to 40 minutes for a large batch, this gives the heat time to penetrate fully and steam evenly.
If you’d rather not wait that long, thaw the tamales in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking, then steam using any of the methods above. Thawing first cuts down the cooking time since you’re not fighting through a frozen center.
For the complete breakdown, including Instant Pot, microwave, and air fryer timing for both raw and frozen tamales, see my full guide: How to Cook Frozen Tamales.
How to Keep Tamales Warm
The easiest way to keep tamales warm is to leave them in the steamer with the lid on and the heat off. They’ll hold their heat for a while, and the residual steam can even soften the masa a little more.
Taking tamales to a party? Skip hauling the steamer pot. Arrange them on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and they’ll stay warm until you’re ready to serve.
For leftovers, see my guides on how to store tamales and how long tamales last.
Can You Overcook Tamales?
Yes, tamales can overcook. Over-steamed tamales turn soggy and can fall apart, so it’s worth checking a little before you think they’re ready rather than after.
Batch size affects this too. A large batch takes longer to steam than a small one, so for smaller batches, check frequently once the husk starts separating cleanly from the masa, that’s your cue to test the filling and see if they’re done.
Can You Eat Cold Tamales?
If you cut into a tamale and the center is still cool, don’t eat it. This is especially important for meat tamales, since the filling hasn’t reached a safe temperature yet. For vegan and vegetarian tamales, it’s more about texture and flavor, they just won’t taste good cold.
Put the tamale back in the steamer and let it finish heating through until the center is piping hot.
How to Reheat Tamales in The Microwave
If you don’t want to use the tamalera steamer to reheat tamales, you can instead put the tamales in the microwave and heat them.
However, this does tend to dry the dough out and can make it chewy, dry and fall apart, kind of unpleasant.
How to Cook Frozen Tamales in The Oven
Alternatively, wrap the tamales in a layer of aluminum foil and put them in the oven at 425 degrees F. Heat them for 10 minutes, and then flip them over and heat them for a further 10 minutes.
Check that they are hot throughout before serving.
How to Serve Tamales
In many Mexican homes, tamales are served just on their own, sometimes with just a bit of salsa. No side dishes required.
If you do want something to go alongside them, homemade refried beans are a natural pairing. A simple pico de gallo, salsa verde, or a spicy chile de arbol salsa all work well too.
For more ideas, see my full guide: What to Eat with Tamales .
Final Thoughts
No matter which method you use, the key is patience, tamales need time for the masa to cook through fully. Test one before you assume the whole batch is ready, and always let them rest a few minutes after steaming, this is what makes them hold together and taste their best.
Browse my picks for tamales steamer pots on Amazon if you’re shopping for one.
Tamales Recipes to Try
Here are very useful tips for making traditional Mexican authentic tamales, and also some delicious vegan tamales and vegetarian tamales recipes for you to try.
- Masa For Tamales | No Lard Recipe
- The Masa Float Test for Tamales
- How to Prepare Corn Husks for Tamales
- How To Spread Masa for Tamales
- How to Fold Tamales
- How to Store Tamales
- How Long do Tamales Last
- How to Steam Tamales Without a Steamer
- How to Reheat Tamales
- How to Cook Frozen Tamales
- Easy Tamales Verdes Recipe | Jackfruit & Mushroom Vegan Tamales
- Vegan Tamales Recipe | Tamales Rojos
- Birria Tamales
- Bean and Cheese Tamales
- Sweet Tamales | Piña Colada Tamales
- Cheese and Jalapeño Tamales Recipe | Tamales de Rajas
- Pibipollo | Vegan Tamales for Day of The Dead
- Tamazole (Vegan Tamal in Pozole)
- Tamales Waffles
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
How Long Does It Take to Cook Tamales on the Stove?
Equipment
- 1 Steamer Pot tamalera
Ingredients
- 20 small tamales
- water enough water for the steamer pot
Instructions
- Fill the tamalera steamer pot to the indicated line, then place the steamer rack on it. Make sure the water doesn't leak through the steamer rack holes.
- Arrange the tamales upright on the steamer tray. Make sure you place the folded side against the metal, so they don’t unfold. You want to pack the pan firmly but not so tightly that the dough can’t expand.
- Cover the steamer with the lid and bring the pot to a boil. Make sure the lid seals tightly and if not you can cover the pot with aluminum, make a small hole in the center then place the lid on the steamer pot. Alternatively you could also use extra hydrated corn husks to cover the tamales then place the lid to steam.
- Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour. After this time carefully remove one tamale from the pot and let it rest for 5 minutes before testing for doneness. Peel away the corn husk and if it easily peels away from the tamal then it's ready, if not continue to steam for another half hour, check again and repeat if necessary.
- Once steamed or cooked through, turn the heat off and allow the tamales to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
(Please notice that this article contains Amazon affiliate links, which may earn us a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support helps us continue to provide valuable content.)
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born published cookbook author and recipe developer with 20+ years of cooking experience. Raised in the U.S. and now living in North-Central Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens. Read more…
