How to Steam Tamales Without a Steamer

Don’t own a tamalera? No problem. I’m going to show you how to steam tamales without a steamer using tools you probably already have in your kitchen, a large pot, an Instant Pot, or even just a metal colander and some foil.

I learned to make do without a tamalera myself. When I lived abroad in Europe, long before Instant Pots were even a thing, there was no tamale steamer anywhere in sight. I ended up using a big soup pot with a metal steamer basket, and my tamales turned out just as good as the ones I grew up eating from my mom’s tamalera back home.

Whether you’re missing a steamer basket entirely, only have a regular stockpot, or want stovetop and Instant Pot instructions plus troubleshooting all in one place, this guide covers every method I’ve actually tested, how long each one takes, and how to tell when your tamales are done.

Why Mexican Tamales Are Traditionally Steamed

Steaming is how tamales have always been cooked in Mexico. Long before anyone had a dedicated tamale pot, families steamed tamales over an open fire using clay pots, and the tamalera we use today grew out of that same idea, a pot with a raised rack that keeps the tamales up out of the water while the steam does the cooking.

A tamalera isn’t a requirement though, it’s just the traditional tool.

What actually matters is creating that same setup: tamales standing upright, staying dry, with steam circulating around them. That’s true whether you’re in a kitchen in Jalisco or an apartment without a single piece of Mexican cookware, which is exactly the situation I found myself in living abroad.

Equipment Tips

If you’re buying a steamer basket, look for one with legs or a stand that lifts it a couple of inches off the bottom of the pot, that gap is what keeps water away from your tamales. The collapsible metal kind sold for vegetables works perfectly.

Don’t have a steamer basket at all? A metal cooling rack that fits inside the pot does the same job in a pinch. Just make sure whatever you use to elevate the tamales is heatproof and won’t melt or warp over an hour of steaming.

For the pot itself, wider is better than tall. A wide pot lets you fit more tamales standing upright in a single layer, which cooks more evenly than a narrow pot where tamales get crowded.

How to Steam Tamales With These Easy Methods

One of the easiest parts about homemade tamales is the steaming process. Below you’ll find every method I use, starting with the traditional tamalera, then the steamer-free alternatives.

Before you begin, make sure you’ve read through the other steps in my tamales making series.

How to Steam Tamales with a Tamalera Steamer

These Mexican delicacies, are traditionally steamed in a steaming pot called a tamalera. You can purchase them at your local Mexican or Hispanic food store, or of course Amazon.

To steam tamales in a tamalera it’s first filled with warm water to the maximum water level indicated inside of the pot. Then the steamer shelf is put into place, the corn husks arranged around the steaming shelf, then the raw tamales are placed on top of the corn husks.

Once the tamales are arranged (try not to pack in too tightly), then you can cover them with extra corn husks or with aluminum foil and make a small hole in the foil, place the lid on the tamalera steamer and steam on the stove.

The flame needs to be set to high and the water needs to come to a boil. This will take about 15 minutes, then the heat is turned down to low and the tamales are allowed to steam.

The steaming time for a tamalera steamer pot will be anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours. This will highly depend on the size of your tamalera pot and how many tamales are inside of it.

After about an hour you can start checking for doneness. More tips on that below.

Don’t own a tamalera pot? Continue reading.

How to Steam Tamales without a Steamer

If you don’t happen to own the traditional Mexican tamale steamer, don’t stress it because you can still cook your tamales without one.

There are several different methods and you can choose which one works best for you based on what you have at home.

You can use an electric pressure cooker or a large pot, a vegetable steamer basket or rack from your pressure cooker are great tools to use with either the pressure cooker or pot.

But even if you don’t have either the vegetable steamer basket or Instant Pot, you can still use some very basic items to steam the tamales.

Let’s begin.

How to Steam Tamales with an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

For me, when I don’t want to use my tamalera, the easiest way…and quite possibly the best way and how to steam tamales without a steamer is to use a pressure cooker.

When I use the pressure cooker I always use a metal vegetable steamer basket or the steam rack that comes with my Instant Pot. This is what I use to stand up the tamales for steaming.

What you do is place the vegetable steaming basket or the steaming rack into the pot of the Instant Pot (or whatever brand of electric pressure cooker you have). Then pour in boiling water just enough water that it only reaches to the bottom of the basket or rack. Don’t let the water go above either because you don’t want your tamales to touch the water.

Next you can lay hydrated corn husks on the steamer basket or steam rack — definitely don’t skip this for the steaming rack, but the vegetable steamer basket will be sturdier.

Now place the raw or frozen tamales on top of the basket or rack, arranging them carefully so that the tamale masa dough doesn’t squeeze out of the sides of the corn husks. So it’s important not to overcrowd the tamales.

I can fit about 18 to 20 tamales into my 6qt pressure cooker. You may be able to fit around the same or less, depending on the size of your tamales and the pressure cooker you use.

Do not place tamales on top of the ones standing upright. Just one layer is all you should do.

Cover the tamales with hydrated corn husks. Place the lid on the pressure cooker. Set the valve to Sealing, set pressure to low pressure (I’ve also cooked on High Pressure and it doesn’t make much of a difference.), set time to 35 minutes.

Let the tamales cook and once the timer goes off allow the pressure to naturally release. It should take about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Then you’re ready to eat your tamales!

Please note that I have also tried using the steam function and I find that the pressure cook function is a better function to use. But feel free to test it out yourself.

How to Steam Tamales in a Pot

Another easy way to steam tamales without a steamer is inside a regular pot.

That’s right, you can steam tamales right inside a regular stock pot or medium pot. There are a couple of different methods you can use for this and it’s a very reliable alternative for how to steam tamales without a steamer.

The first method is to use a vegetable steamer basket like we did with the pressure cooker method. Just make sure it’s wide enough to cover the inside circumference of your pot.

Place it inside then pour in a couple cups of water, or enough that the water level is right below the bottom of the steamer basket.

You’re going to also arrange some hydrated corn husks on the basket before arranging the tamales on it. Make sure to stand up the tamales upright and fit just enough without squeezing them in to tightly.

You can now cover the tamales with more hydrated corn husks or aluminum foil, then place the lid on the pot — make sure it’s a tight seal. Turn to high heat and allow the water to come to a boil. Once boiling you can turn the heat down to low or medium-low and steam.

The cooking time here is similar to using the regular tamalera steaming method. You can start checking on the tamales after about an hour.

Make sure you keep an eye on them and that the steaming water doesn’t dry out. You can always add more water by pushing one tamal aside, or removing it, then lifting the corn husk on the bottom so you can carefully pour in more water into the bottom of the pot. Make sure you don’t get water on the tamales!

You can start testing for doneness after about an hour — again steaming time will depend on how many tamales are in your pot as well as the size of them.

How to Steam Tamales in a Pot with Aluminum Foil

If you don’t have a steamer basket then you can use aluminum foil with a heat-proof plate to steam your tamales.

What you would do is make a few large balls of scrunched up aluminum foil and place them inside your pot to create a layer of aluminum foil. Then take a plate, flip it upside down, and place it on top of the foil balls. (You could also use an overturned bowl.)

Next pour in the water, making sure that it doesn’t touch the plate. Then arrange the tamales on the plate, making sure it doesn’t tip over. Cover the same with hydrated corn husks or cover the pot with aluminum foil, make a small hole then place the tightly sealed lid on the pot and steam just the same.

How to Steam Tamales in a Pot with Disposable Pie Pan

Another alternative to steaming tamales without a steamer is to use a disposable pie pan inside a regular pot.

You can use the steaming rack from your pressure cooker or create the aluminum foil balls to hold up the disposable pie pan.

But first make some holes around the bottom of the pie pan so that no water or moisture gets trapped inside it and leaves you with soggy tamales sitting in all that water and preventing them from cooking properly.

Once the pan has holes you can set it on top of the steaming rack or the foil balls. Make sure it’s large enough for the inside of your pot and it doesn’t tip over or to one side or another.

Pour water to the pot before placing the pie pan with the wholes inside the pot, just make sure there’s enough water but that it doesn’t reach the bottom of the pan. Then arrange the tamales inside of it and steam just like you would with the other pot methods.

Steaming Tamales Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you steam tamales without a steamer?
In a regular pot with a steamer basket or rack, tamales take about 1 hour 30 minutes over medium heat. This is the same timing as using a tamalera, the pot itself doesn’t change the cooking time, only the setup does.

How do I know when tamales are done?
Remove one tamale with tongs and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before unwrapping. If the masa pulls away from the corn husk cleanly, it’s done. If it sticks to the husk, rewrap it, return it to the pot, and steam for another 15 to 20 minutes before checking again.

What if the masa is still sticking to the husk after the full cook time?
This just means it needs more time, it’s not ruined. Keep steaming in 10 to 15 minute intervals and checking a test tamale until the masa releases cleanly.

Can I steam frozen tamales using these same methods?
Yes. You don’t need to thaw them first. Uncooked frozen tamales need about 60 minutes, and pre-cooked frozen tamales only need 35 to 40 minutes. For the full breakdown across every method, including Instant Pot and microwave, see my how to cook frozen tamales guide.

What if I don’t have a steamer basket?
You can use a metal cooling rack, a heatproof plate propped up on balls of aluminum foil, or a disposable pie pan with holes punched in the bottom. Any of these will keep the tamales up out of the water so they steam instead of boil.

Can water touch the tamales while steaming?
No. Water should stay just below the bottom of the steamer basket or rack. If water touches the tamales directly, the masa turns soggy and can fall apart. Check the water level partway through and add more hot water along the side of the pot if it’s running low.

Important Tips

When steaming corn husk tamales you really don’t want to have multiple layers. Just create the one layer of tamales. This way you neither squash the tamales and risk masa spilling out the sides, and also it will prevent the tamales from taking longer to cook.

The exception to this would be if you’ve made banana leaf tamales. Since these are completely wrapped into small pouches, you can stack them without a problem of spillage. In fact that’s what is done when cooking tamales with banana leaves.

I think covering the tamales with either hydrated corn husks or aluminum foil is important. This single layer prevents the steaming droplets or moisture to drop back onto the tamales as they’re cooking. This means that they’ll stay dry and cook faster.

If you don’t have either extra hydrated corn husks or aluminum foil then you can use a clean kitchen towel to cover the tamales. But what I highly recommend you don’t use are paper towels or a damp paper towel to cover your tamales when steaming.

These don’t hold up well and there’s no guaranteed that they won’t fall apart and into the tamales — nobody wants to eat their tamales with bits of paper towels. So for best results use either corn husks or aluminum foil for steaming.

More Tamales Making Tips

Make sure you read through all of the helpful tamale making tips in my series. If I haven’t answered one of your questions don’t hesitate to reach out.

• How to Prepare Corn Husks for Tamales
• Masa For Tamales | No Lard Recipe
• The Masa Float Test for Tamales
• How to Spread Masa on Corn Husks for Tamales
• How to Fold Tamales
• How Long Does It Take to Cook Tamales on the Stove?
• How to Reheat Tamales
• How to Cook Frozen Tamales
• How Long do Tamales Last
• How to Store Tamales
• What to Eat with Tamales | 24 Tamales Side Dishes

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