34 Leftover Tamale Recipes [Meat Ideas & More]

If you have leftover tamale filling, then you absolutely need to make this slow cooker soup. It is creamy, hearty, and full of tasty tamale slices.

I especially love that this recipe can be made in the slow cooker. All you need to do is add everything to the pot and you are ready to go! Come back a few hours later to a perfectly cooked soup, hot and ready to eat!

Feel free to choose your toppings for your tamale cakes. Think about what taco toppings you like and add these to your tamale cakes. Avocado, tomatoes and sour cream are my favorite toppings. 

Do you have some leftover tamale masa in your fridge? Maybe you ran out of corn husks or meat filling and have just too much of the corn masa. Don’t worry, these sweet corn cakes will help you use up all that great masa!

The masa tamale filling is sweetened and then scooped before cooking. The little balls become beautiful, two-bite corn cakes that will rival any Mexican restaurant. These cakes are almost sweet enough to be served as dessert! 

I like to dip these corn cakes in a chipotle mayo while my husband likes to squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. Some mango salsa may also be a great addition. 

Use your leftover tamale masa to make classic pupusas. Pupusas are like cheese-stuffed cornbread.

They are pan-fried until golden brown and the cheese is gooey and melted. You are going to want to eat them all. 

I have made this recipe using Mexican blend cheese, plain shredded cheddar cheese, and also cotija cheese.

Each variation is delicious and a little different. You will never grow tired of eating pupusas made from tamale masa! 

Do you have some extra plain masa? Tamales are typically made with a special flour called masa.

One bag has more than enough flour to make lots and lots of tamales. I always have extra dry masa leftover that I need to use. 

You can use the cups to serve people their own little, individual dips. They can even eat the cups afterward! 

Use your leftover masa flour to make traditional sopes. Sopes are kind of like a thick tortilla. They are a little chewy and a tiny bit crunchy on the outside. Essentially they are delicious!

Sopes are made with masa flour, just like tamales. These are a great way to use up leftover masa flour. Top your sopes with any leftover tamale meat or just some classic shredded lettuce.

I have even made dessert sopes with marinated strawberries and chocolate sauce. Get creative- sopes go with everything! 

I love all kinds of pizza but I had never tried Mexican-style pizza until I found this recipe. I was looking for a way to use my leftover masa harina flour from making tamales and stumbled upon Pizza Azteca.

Let me just say that I went out and bought more masa just so I could make this pizza again. 

Of course, the multiple types of grated cheese are especially great. Oaxaca cheese on a pizza is probably my new favorite thing!

If you have a lot of leftover tamale meat, you should try making a tamale pie! Tamale pie is essentially a layer of tamale meat topped with fluffy cornbread. The pie can be scooped onto a plate and enjoyed straight from the oven. 

I love the combination of savory and sweet with this tamale pie. It is also a fantastic way to use up extra tamale meat.

You may even find yourself making extra tamale meat just so you have enough to make this pie! 

If you have leftover turkey tamale meat, you should definitely make this one-pot cheesy tamale pie. I absolutely love one-pot meals that don’t require hours in the kitchen.

I especially love only needing to clean one pan! This recipe checks all those boxes and, on top of it all, it uses up all my leftover tamale meat. 

Savory tamale turkey is mixed with black beans, gravy, salsa, enchilada sauce, and spices. If your tamale meat is already seasoned, you can cut back on some of the spices in the recipe. 

Chicken tamale pie is one of my favorite dishes to make with leftover chicken tamale filling. The shredded chicken filling of tamales is perfect when topped with a sweet corn pudding. This recipe will show you how to make it!

I made this recipe once when I had a whole lot of extra chicken tamale filling and, after baking the pie, I wrapped and froze it.

It froze really well! I love having freezer meals ready to thaw and serve and this tamale pie is now one of my favorites. 

I use my leftover tamale beef to make this simple tamale pie. The recipe uses ground beef so leftover beef tamale meat does work best.

However, you can definitely make this pie with chicken, turkey, or even leftover tamale pork

Try adding a little cayenne pepper to the cornbread mix to make the dish a little spicier. I tried this the other day and it was the perfect extra touch. 

I love anything that is bite-sized. There is something so satisfying about being able to pick up food with your hands and bite right into it.

These easy tamale muffins fit the bill! They are small, delicious, and a super way to use up your leftover tamale meat. 

Skip the second half of the recipe that shows you how to cook tamale meat- you already have it! Just make the corn muffin batter then stuff the muffins with your premade meat.

Grab your premade tamales and get ready to create a very flavorful casserole. The sauce in this tamale casserole is what I love the most. It is full of delicious spices that compliment the soft tamales perfectly. 

This tamale casserole is covered in tons of cheese. I use Mexican blend shredded cheese and also cotija cheese.

I jump at the chance to add veggies to a meal. I am always looking for ways to make dinners healthier and veggies are often the answer. That is one reason I love this tamal casserole- it has lots of healthy veggies! 

In addition to soft, tender tamales, this casserole has lots of poblano peppers.

Poblano peppers have a smokey, slightly spicy taste that goes well with the neutral tasting tamales. All the salsa in the recipe also helps make the casserole flavorful and authentic tasting.

The sweet cornbread crust and savory taste of beef tamales is what I love about this recipe. I also love that it makes enough to feed a whole crowd.

Not only do I get to use up my leftover tamales, but I also can make food for an entire party! 

This recipe uses red enchilada sauce but you can also use green. Both types of sauce will make a great beef tamale casserole and be real crowd pleasers.

A little hint- double the cornbread topping to stretch your leftover tamales even more. 

If you love tacos and you also love tamales, then you will definitely love this casserole.

Chop up your leftover tamales and toss them with the shredded chicken. Red enchilada sauce adds a ton of great flavor while shredded cheese and creamed corn make the dish pretty irresistible. 

I have also made this dish using green enchilada sauce and it was quite good. Green enchilada sauce is a little mild so, if you choose to use green sauce, you may want to increase the hot sauce!

Do you have leftover tamales and also leftover chili? If your answer is yes, then you definitely need to put them together and create this delicious tamale and chili bake. It is insanely good! 

I especially love this recipe because it takes about 5 minutes to put together. Leftover tamales are lined up in a pan and then the leftover chili is poured right on top.

Add a little cheese and bake until the chili sauce is bubbling. The end result is an incredible, delicious dinner that every chili tamale lover will adore. 

Anyone who needs a gluten free leftover recipe is in lucky! This delicious tamale casserole not only uses up any leftover tamales you may have, but it also is completely gluten free. Make this casserole recipe and everyone will be able to enjoy it without worry. 

If you can’t find poblano peppers, feel free to use jalapenos or green bell peppers. I have used both kinds of peppers and they both work well. 

Green enchilada sauce, chicken, and tamales all go together so well. That is why this green chili tamale casserole is so, so good. I made it the other day in just 15 minutes! A perfect dinner doesn’t have to take long!

Use your leftover tamales to replace the masa harina mix. You already have that part made!

Monterey jack cheese is really good with the enchilada sauce but regular Mexican shredded cheese will work too! 

Do you like soups that have a little bit of spice? So do I. This Texas tamale soup has just the right amount of heat to make me swoon. I just can’t get enough of that spice!

In addition to spice, the tamale soup is also full of veggies. Creamed corn. Onions, pinto beans, poblano peppers and tomatoes are all added into the broth.

Not only is Texas tamale soup a great way to use up leftover tamales, it is also a complete meal in one bowl!

Do you like soups that have a little bit of spice? So do I. This Texas tamale soup has just the right amount of heat to make me swoon. I just can’t get enough of that spice!

In addition to spice, the tamale soup is also full of veggies. Creamed corn. Onions, pinto beans, poblano peppers, and tomatoes are all added to the broth.

Not only is Texas tamale soup a great way to use up leftover tamales, it is also a complete meal in one bowl!

This tamale soup is full of cheese making it gooey, salty, and just a little bit sweet. I think I could eat the entire pot of this soup without even blinking. It is just so good!

Cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes add a good amount of spice to the broth. The tasty tamales make it filling and hearty. And, of course, the Colby cheese is the perfect finishing touch. 

Tamales are a traditional Mexican food so it makes sense to combine them with a different type of Mexican dish. Tacos plus tamales? You just can’t go wrong there! 

The recipe uses beef tamales but I have found that chicken tamales or even plain tamales work well, too. The recipe is so flavorful and the taste of tamales really blends well with everything! 

I do like to add some extra peppers to the soup but spicy foods are my favorite. Extra jalapeno really makes this taco soup irresistible. 

I love the creamy, thick broth of this delicious tamale soup. I also love how it uses leftover chicken tamales, something I always make too many of. They are never wasted, though, when I have this recipe on hand!

Save this recipe for the wintertime when a thick, creamy soup is something you crave. This recipe is enough to feed a big crowd so invite everyone over to enjoy some tamale soup!

Not only does this soup taste good, but the name of it is pretty fun, too. Hot tamale soup! Everyone lines up for some hot tamale soup!

This soup is served hot and it is loaded with spicy flavors. Chili powder, cumin, and cayenne are all responsible for the heat in this soup. Cinnamon is another interesting ingredient that adds a unique flavor and heat. 

Use any kind of leftover tamales in this recipe. Plain tamales are my favorite but beef is also great. 

Dumpling soup is one of my all-time favorite soups. I just love the tender pieces of dough inside a bowl of warm soup.

This recipe gives instructions on how to make tamale filling using masa harina. You can totally skip this step and chop up your leftover dumplings to go in the soup.

Add the tamales at the end of the recipe when the veggies and chicken are all ready cooked and ready to go. The tamales don’t need to cook any longer! Once they are hot, they are ready to eat. 

This is a very easy and quick recipe that you can whip up just in time for breakfast. I like to serve the hash alongside fried eggs. I put the eggs right on top of the tamale hash so the runny egg yolks seep into the hash. 

This recipe only requires four simple ingredients. You will need leftover tamales, Mexican tomato sauce, avocado oil, and salt. Chop everything together in a skillet and you are done!

I love jalapenos in just about every dish. They happen to go great with leftover tamales since both foods are classic South American ingredients.

This recipe will show you how to turn your leftover tamales into a delicious, perfect breakfast. 

I like to make my eggs have a runny yolk so the yolk acts like a sauce dripping down the tamale hash. 

Scrambled eggs with tamales are such an easy breakfast. Adding tamales to the scrambled eggs makes the meal heartier and far more filling.

All of the ingredients are mixed together and seared in a saute pan. Be sure to chop up the tamales into small pieces so they blend easily into the eggs.

I like to double the amount of cheese in the recipe, too. I just really like tamales and cheese! 

This recipe combines a few of my favorite things- casseroles, leftovers and Tex-Mex food. The result is amazing! 

It is such an easy way to put a fantastic breakfast on the table. It is especially impressive since it is made mostly with leftover tamales. 

Tamales are made with masa harina flour. I often have leftover masa flour that I need to use up. The best way to do it is by making pancakes! 

These blueberry masa harina pancakes have a sweet, subtle corn flavor that goes really well with blueberries.. I have also made these pancakes with strawberries and they are great too.

Try adding a little lemon zest to make the pancakes even more summery. Who knew tamales and pancakes could be made with the same ingredients! 

Get ready to have one of the tastiest breakfasts around. Forget acai bowls and smoothie bowls, it is time for a tamale bowl! 

I am crazy about these tamale bowls because you can customize them as much as you’d like. Use your leftover tamales as the base of the bowl and then top them with your favorite breakfast ingredients. 

I like to use fresh avocado, salsa, eggs, and cilantro. The recipe here also adds kidney beans and some chili powder. No matter what you top your tamale bowl with, you just can’t go wrong! 

Tamales are often served as a weekend meal. They do take quite a while to prepare so it is often a dinner reserved for a saturday. That means on Sunday, it is time to eat the leftovers!

The tamales are mashed with a little salsa and sometimes peppers or corn is added to the mix. Reheat your leftover Saturday tamales and eat like you are in Guatemala on Sunday! 

Looking for a tasty one-pan breakfast? These tamale hash-baked eggs may be just what you need.

There are only 4 ingredients in this breakfast but the taste is out of this world. This is a recipe that tastes like it is straight out of a fancy restaurant but you actually made it yourself!

Chopped beef tamales are sauteed with some onions in a large skillet. 

Eggs are cracked into the pan and grated mozzarella tops the whole dish. Once the egg yolks bake to be slightly runny, the hash is ready to serve! 

I do like my egg yolks runny like the recipe instructs but my kids like a firmer yolk.

You can totally make the recipe either way with great success. Simple breakfasts like this make the morning time so much better.