Commissary Tamales (No-Steam Method)

Real tamales take hours and require masa, a steamer, and corn husks. In prison, you don’t have any of that — but inmates figured out how to make tamales using crushed corn chips as the masa substitute. It’s genius. The corn chips get mixed with hot water into a thick dough, wrapped around a spicy meat filling, rolled in a chip bag or plastic wrap, and cooked with just hot water. The result tastes shockingly close to the real thing.

This recipe adapts that technique for your kitchen. Crushed Fritos or corn chips become the dough, the filling is a savory mix of seasoned meat and cheese, and you steam them in foil instead of corn husks. They’re not traditional tamales, but they’re creative, tasty, and a tribute to one of the most impressive commissary inventions out there.

Sarah Mitchell

Commissary Tamales (No-Steam Method)

Real tamales take hours and require masa, a steamer, and corn husks. In prison, you don't have any of that — but inmates figured out how to make tamales using crushed corn chips as the masa substitute.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 440

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 large bags Fritos corn chips (9.25 oz each), finely crushed
• 1 cup hot water (for the dough)
• 1 can chili with beans (15 oz)
• 1 summer sausage stick (5 oz), diced fine
• 3 tablespoons squeezable cheese
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• Aluminum foil for wrapping

Method

 

1. Crush the Fritos into a very fine crumb — you want a flour-like consistency. Place in a large bowl.
2. Add the hot water a little at a time, mixing with your hands or a fork until you get a thick, pliable dough. It should hold together when you squeeze it.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the chili, diced summer sausage, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and hot sauce. This is your filling.
4. Take a handful of the corn chip dough and flatten it into a rectangle on a piece of aluminum foil, about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the meat filling down the center. Add a line of squeezable cheese.
6. Use the foil to help you roll the dough around the filling, like a tamale. Twist the ends shut.
7. Repeat with remaining dough and filling — you should get 8-10 tamales.
8. Place the foil-wrapped tamales in a pot with a steamer basket. Steam for 15-20 minutes.
9. If you don't have a steamer, wrap the tamales tightly and submerge in hot water (just off the boil) for 20 minutes.
10. Unwrap carefully — they'll be hot. Serve with extra hot sauce and cheese.

Notes

The finer you crush the Fritos, the better the dough holds together. Don't add all the water at once — you can always add more, but you can't take it back. The dough should feel like wet sand that holds its shape. These taste even better the next day — the corn flavor deepens as they sit. You can also use crushed Takis for a spicy twist on the dough.