How Long Does It Take to Cook Tamales on the Stove?
Have you ever wondered how long it takes to cook tamales? Let me show you the best way to to cook this traditional Mexican dish and get the best results for your homemade tamales. You can use a tamalera pot, a pressure cooker or a Dutch Oven.
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 our, 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.
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Notes
Calorie and nutrition amount will depend on the type of tamales you make. But for the calculations I used my homemade vegan birria tamales. You can get that recipe here https://mexicanmademeatless.com/birria-tamales/To cook tamales in a Dutch Oven or a pressure cooker please read the full article.