Tamale pie has beef in a zesty sauce topped with a simple cornbread topping and baked until fluffy and golden.
What is Tamale Pie?
A tamale is a delicious favorite, with a masa (corn) dough wrapped around meat and steamed in corn leaves until tender. This dish is definitely not a traditional tamale but plays on the corn and meat flavors.
This quick dish starts on the stovetop and is then baked to perfection with cheese.
We love tamale pie because it’s easy to make, inexpensive, and ready to go in less than an hour!
Ingredients and Variations
PROTEIN This is a super basic recipe with ground beef and cheese. Sub any favorite cheese, and feel free to use ground turkey or chicken in place of beef.
VEGGIES This recipe has corn of course, but it also works perfectly with leftover veggies, too! Try adding shredded zucchini, frozen diced veggies, a can of diced tomatoes, jalapenos, or sliced black olives.
TOPPINGS Top with sour cream, salsa, or even guacamole!
How to Make Tamale Pie
Tamale Pie is short on prep time but big on taste!
- Brown Beef – Brown onion, beef, & garlic, drain fat (per recipe below).
- Make Sauce – Add taco seasoning & enchilada sauce. Place beef in a casserole dish.
- Mix Topping -Mix topping ingredients and spoon over beef mixture.
- Bake – Top with cheese and bake.
Tips for Success
A great tamale pie is hearty, flavorful, and filling!
- For best results, as the ground meat is cooking, use a spatula to separate it so it is finely ground.
- Adding egg to the cornbread topping mixture gives it structure and extra flavor.
- Once tamale pie is cooked, it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat by placing it in a preheated oven, or microwaving a single portion. Adjust seasonings and serve it up again!
- Freeze tamale pie in an airtight container and label the outside with the date on it. It stays tasty for 2 to 3 months. Let the tamale pie thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
While the tamale pie is cooking, set out your favorite toppings including the sour cream, salsa, and guacamole!
More Ground Beef Casseroles
- Stuffed Peppers
- Beef Taco Pasta Skillet – ready in 30 minutes
- Beef and Macaroni Soup
- Unstuffed Peppers
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
Did your family love this Tamale Pie? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Tamale Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper diced, green or red
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Topping
- 1 box corn muffin mix 8.5 oz
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup corn kernels canned, fresh, or frozen
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 egg
- chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Combine beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a 10" ovenproof skillet. Cook until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add taco seasoning and ¼ cup water. Simmer until water evaporates. Stir in enchilada sauce. Top with 1 ½ cups of cheese.
- Combine corn muffin mix, sour cream, corn, milk ,and egg. Spread over the beef mixture.
- Top with remaining cheese and bake 35-40 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Very tasty,i added diced tomatoes to the meat mixture and green onions to the corn bread.
This recipe is so delicious, everyone had seconds and are asking me to make more!!
This is delicious! Easy and yummy !
1. A friend told me easiest way to drain fat is by using a turkey baster ….it works and I always have an empty glass jar on hand ….best advice ever !
2. Per reviews I drain a small can of chopped jalapeños and add to cornbread mixture AND also put remaining cheese in cornbread mixture plus some more cheesecon top
It’s a keeper and delicious
Thank you for recipe :)
Can this tamale pie be prepared, stored in the refrigerator uncooked overnight and baked the next day?
I have never tried storing it before cooking but it should work well. Once tamale pie is cooked, it can also be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat by placing it in a preheated oven, or microwaving a single portion. Adjust seasonings and serve it up again!
the first time i made this was a disaster. the cornbread sank to the bottom . .what a mess. this time around i used a smaller pan, added some sugar to the cornbread mix, threw in a jalapeno and some peas and carrots and boy it turned out great.
Do you put the meat mixture in the casserole dish first, then pour the topping over? Or do you mix it all together in the skillet you browned the beef in and then transfer to a casserole dish?
Hi Jessica, we add the meat mixture to the casserole dish and then top with the corn muffin mixture and cheese.
Always great recipes.
Yummy! Found the recipe after my husband asked if I’d make him a tamale pie. He had two servings and wants me to make it again. Followed the recipe with the exception of omitting the bell pepper and adding about 2/3c. of pinto beans.
Is the baking dish 9X13?
We bake this in a 2-quart dish. Which would be approximately an 8×8 dish.
Every time I say I’m making tamale pie (with this recipe) my husband goes nuts. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
I love recipes like this, perfect as written and easy to modify to suit individual tastes or to make use of odds and ends floating around from meals made earlier that week.
I added a half can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (drained), a diced bell pepper, and a chipotle pepper with some adobo sauce to the ground beef mixture, replaced the water with chicken stock, and added cumin, chile powder, and cayenne pepper since I was out of taco seasoning. The result was delicious.
That sounds delicious, thank you for sharing!
I am glad I tried this tamale pie, because it was very easy to make and above all very tasty. The next time I cook this pie, I will put the cheese in the corn mill mix instead on top of the cornbread mix. I used my own cornbread mix. Turn out great. Delicious
This was surprisingly satisfying! You just can’t help but go back for seconds! The whole family enjoyed it and it was pretty quick to throw together. Will definitely be adding it to the regular rotation.
very delicious and so easy. great weekday meal.