Gwynedd Stuart
When I set out to find the best frozen tamales, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting a lot. In two separate taste tests, I did try some frozen and shelf-stable tamales that were as stodgy and bland as you’d expect, but a precious few kept me coming back for bite after bite of fluffy masa and filling..
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When I lived in Chicago, one of my favorite activities was hanging out at the local bowling alley (I was part of a media league and, no, I was not good) and waiting for the tamalero to come around with this little Playmate cooler full of hot, foil-wrapped tamales. Truly, a man shouting “Tamales, tamales, tamales!” might still be one of my favorite sounds. I’d always get a couple of green chile and cheese tamales and then greedily eat them with my filthy bowling hands. The pre-pandemic world was so carefree!
I didn’t expect any of the frozen tamales we picked up at the grocery store—even the best grocery store tamales—to compete with that experience, but a few came close. We wanted fluffy, flavorful masa and an ample amount of filling. I cooked most of these in the microwave, but some of them are WAY better if you make them in a steamer on the stovetop—trust me, I found some pork tamales that are well worth the extra effort. Now bust out the good hot sauce and let’s talk tamales.
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- El Monterey Beef Tamales
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El Monterey is a very accessible grocery store brand, and even though they make the best taquitos we’ve ever tasted, I wasn’t sure how well they’d pull off a tasty, authentic tamale. I was pretty impressed with these beef tamales. They’re pleasantly snack-sized. The shredded beef filling is so savory and well spiced that it infuses the masa around it with a nice, zesty flavor. These suckers could use a little hot sauce, but they’re the best beef tamales we tried and also the store bought tamales you will absolutely be able to find at your local supermarket.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Goya Sweet Corn Tamales
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Goya’s elotes tamales are like fluffy, tube-shaped corn muffins. Sorry if I sound like a broken record, but I can’t stress enough how dang fluffy they are inside! I cooked mine in a microwave-safe bowl with a half-inch of water in the bottom and it steamed up nicely inside the husk. I love that you could serve these in a savory or sweet preparation. Drizzle them with crema and sprinkle them with cotija and cilantro if you want a savory snack or serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert—they’re gonna be so good either way!
- Tucson Tamale Green Chile & Cheese
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If you also love green chile and cheese tamales and won’t be hanging around a Chicago bowling alley anytime soon, these are the best frozen tamales to seek out. The flavors are so simple but so satisfying—the cheese is salty and the chile pepper is bright. They even taste like they might have a little bit of lime zest in the mix—it’s very lovely, even if there isn’t all that much filling. Another thing about these microwavable tamales: They’re huge! These are burrito-sized tamales. These are full-meal tamales. They’re the best frozen tamales if you’re good and hungry. And, if you don’t eat meat, they’re the best vegetarian tamales, too.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Bueno Hand-Made Pork Tamales
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These did not cook up very well in the microwave, but I’m so, so glad I brought them home and made them in a steamer basket because they really are worth the extra effort. The flavor of the filling blew me away. The shredded pork is tinted red with chili powder and other spices and it tastes phenomenal. I tried these alongside another brand of pork tamales and there was truly no competition. They’re made with vegetable shortening, but you’d really think there was lard in the mix—they’re that flavorful.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Del Real Chicken in Green Sauce Tamales
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The best frozen tamales need a flavorful filling, yes, but they also need flavorful masa. Tamales are mostly masa—it needs to be seasoned and it needs to taste good. Del Real’s chicken tamales are the best frozen tamales we tried, and that’s largely because the masa is just so fluffy and flavorful. The chicken is savory and the sauce it’s in tastes like good salsa verde. Granted, these aren’t very “saucy,” but they don’t need to be. They’re flavorful and well balanced, and they’re the best store bought tamales we found.
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
Best Beef Tamales
Best Corn Tamales
Best Vegetarian Tamales
Best Pork Tamales
Best of the Best
Other tamales we tried
Mama Julia Pork Tamales, Fillo’s Walking Tamales Bean Salsa Verde, Fillo’s Walking Tamales Bean Salsa Roja, Fillo’s Walking Tamales Bean Salsa Habanero, Del Real Pork Tamales, Tucson Tamale Green Chile Pork & Cheese, Bueno Vegan Tamales
Jessica Block
Hebba Gouda
