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Commissary tamales wrapped in aluminum foil on a metal cafeteria tray, one unwrapped showing corn chip dough with chili and cheese filling inside, crushed fritos bag nearby, bare institutional table
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
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
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.