How to Reheat Tamales in the Oven

how to reheat tamales in the oven

Tamales are a decadent, cheesy-chicken meal to add to your lunch or dinner. Like many other delicacies, they taste better when consumed fresh. However, if you have two or three days old tamales frozen in the refrigerator, that’s fine too. Some problems may arise only when storing and reheating the tamales aren’t done correctly.

Undercooking or overcooking leftover tamales can ruin the taste and texture. If you want to avoid having soft & soggy or dry & crumbling tamales, then the oven is the best way to reheat them. Warming up the leftover tamales is an art, and today we will be helping you learn how to do it right.

How to Reheat Tamales in the Oven: Step-by-step Guide

Ovens have been of help to humans for a very long time, especially when they need to reheat tamales. A stand oven is one of the easiest methods you can choose to warm up your leftover tamales. It would be best if you simply had a piece of aluminum foil to wrap it up and place it on a baking sheet on an oven tray.

Reheating tamales in an oven will make them crisp and turn them brown. So, it’s highly recommended not only because of its ease and convenience but also because it retains the quality. Many people believe they know how to reheat tamales in their ovens, but the natural way to do it is detailed in the following steps.

What are the Benefits of Reheating Tamales in an Oven?

Using a microwave might be everyone's go-to when looking to reheat your leftover tamales, but it does not retain the quality of your favorite food like an oven. One of the advantages of using an oven instead is that the heating rods in the oven evenly distribute heat to the tamales, so they become as crisp as they were before.

Using an oven can also help maintain the delicious and soft interior, not overcooking it, so it doesn’t lose its moisture. So if you want to eat your two-day-old tamales and ensure it’s of the same quality, an oven will give you close enough results. 

Storage Tips: How to Store Tamales?

Tamales are easy to preserve. You need a refrigerator. If you’re planning to have the leftovers soon, you can wrap them and place them in the fridge. Perhaps you’re unsure when you’re going to eat them again. If that’s the case, leave them in an airtight container and put them in the freezer.

Whether cooked or not, tamales must be stored in aluminum foil to retain flavor. If you use plastic wrap instead, your tamales will remain fresh for about 2-3 days. 

Place them in the refrigerator and cool them before deciding to wrap them up and freeze them. Tamales do, after all, spoil quickly if not stored adequately, so you must make sure you’re doing it right. If you remove the husk, wrap them up tightly in foil, and freeze the tamales, you may even be able to have them within 6 months.

What Can You Do With Reheated Tamales?

Rice

In Mexico, rice is considered a staple food, and it can be complemented with various side dishes, tamales being one of them. To give your rice more flavor, chicken broth can be used when cooking rice. Blend it with chopped cilantro and scallions, add lime juice and jalapeño to that, and you’re good to go.

Diced Fruits

If you’re looking for something, a little savory and a flavor profile that leans sweet and juicy, a bowl of fresh fruits will do it for you. Dice up some mangoes, watermelon, and oranges, then mix them with some honeydew. You can sprinkle some cayenne pepper powder to give it a good kick of flavor.

Cornbread

Cornbread is a wholesome dish, but the Mexican version is a savory meal filled with cheeses, chilies, and sweet corn. Tamales complement cornbread very well because it’s made of corn as well. The combination of the different flavors ranging from salty to sweet, makes the meal exceptional.

Egg & Salsa

Maybe you want tamales as the main meal and not a side dish. Perhaps you can add toppings to your tamales dishes, like a few fried eggs and some salsa. Add some chili powder to that, and your tamales will have a good appearance of red mixed with golden yolk.