Tamale pie is a cozy weeknight comfort food the whole family will love.
Savory ground beef is simmered in a zesty enchilada sauce and then baked under a cheesy cornbread topping for a quick and hearty one-pot dinner.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Zesty meat filling and a sweet cornbread topping are a simple combo that delivers big flavor.
- Recommended Tools: Use a meat chopper to finely crumble the ground beef as it cooks.
- Swaps: Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and swap the fresh for frozen veggies.
- Budget Tip: Add instant white rice or a can of black beans to stretch the recipe further.
Ingredient Tips for Tamale Pie
- Meat: Lean ground beef works best in this recipe. Drain excess fat to avoid a greasy filling. You can also replace all or a portion of it with ground chicken or turkey.
- Veggies: Corn is a classic veggie in Mexican recipes and adds a pop of color and sweetness to tamale pie. Sneak in some shredded zucchini or carrots, or a bag of frozen peas and carrots!
- Topping: Similar to the cornmeal dough (masa) used to wrap tamales, this dish has tamale flavor without the work. Corn muffin mix is slightly sweet and keeps this dish easy to prepare.
How to Make Tamale Pie
- Make the meat mixture (full recipe below) and top with cheese.
- Prepare cornbread topping and spread it over the top of the meat.
- Top with the remaining cheese and bake.
Leftovers to Love Later
Store the tamale pie in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat single portions in the microwave.
Freeze portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Mexican-Inspired Meals
Did you enjoy this Tamale Pie Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
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 large skillet*. Cook until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Add taco seasoning and ¼ cup water. Simmer until the water evaporates. Stir in enchilada sauce.
- Transfer the beef mixture to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with 1 ½ cups of cheese.
- In a medium bowl, combine corn muffin mix, sour cream, corn, milk, and egg. Spread overtop of 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.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pie
Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex Mex© 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.
Delicious! I used two pounds of ground beef, but still kept the one box of jiffy. The bread to meat ratio was exactly right for us.
Love it
Made this tamale pie recipe for the family recently. Needless to say, it will be a keeper.
This recipe is delicious! I subbed Dave’s Famous Jalapeño cornbread for the jiffy and it gave it an extra little kick. Will definitely be making again!
Easy to make, simply delicious!
just made this. was a hit
soooo good
I made this Tamale Pie for dinner tonight. It was quick, easy and delicious. Perfect weekday meal. Thanks for the recipe.
So you use a pie dish or a 8×8 or 9×13 casserole dish?
Hi Christina, we bake this recipe in a 2 quart dish.
Delicious and easy to make, thanks
Could shredded chicken be substituted for the beef?
Hi Sarah, we have tried this recipe with ground chicken with good results. Shredded chicken should work well too!
I added a few things to beef mixture, a jalapeño, 1/2 can of corn, 1/2 can chopped green chilies, and red beans. Cooked it for about 20 minutes before putting in casserole dish. Followed the rest.
Then for corn bread I added the rest of green chilies.
Sounds delicious, thanks for sharing!
I would like to make this recipe, but my husband cannot have tomato-based products because he had tongue cancer and the tomato is too acidic. Do you have any ideas as far as moisture and flavor that or not tomato based?
While I haven’t tried it, are roasted red peppers a suitable substitute? You could try pureed roasted red peppers or another favorite vegetable.
Delicious! Only changes/additions I made were to add Del Monte Mediterranean Corn Medley (398 ML drained) and tube Polenta slices (browned in Bacon grease) on top and bottom. No Jiffy Mix in Canada. But, that worked very well. DH loved it! Would definitely make again. Sorry about the Ml’s. Ever since they changed ‘normal measurements’ to this Euro stuff, I’ve been lost! Best Holly too.
Do you drain the corn?
Yes, it should be drained. Enjoy Sabrina!
I haven’t been disappointed with one of your recipes yet so it’s no surprise that this was delicious and so easy. Whole family approved!
This recipe looked so good so I made it today. Excellent! Someone here in comments added green Chili’s and I thought I picked up a small can of green olives but they were like ground up but both were good in the casserole. I bought some avocado dip and had some sour crème on the side. It was a wonderful mixture. I will definitely be making it again. I enjoy making your recipes.
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Linnea!
We didn’t love this. The cornbread layer was too thick (and I used a smaller than recommended package of cornbread mix). The ratio of bread to meat was just off.
Made last night and added sliced jalapeños and kidney beans to the meat mixture. It was fantastic!! Since it’s just hubby and me, I froze the rest to enjoy another time. Thank you for a delicious recipe! I’m loving your site!
I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes Kim!
I think would make some corn muffins to go with this
That sounds delicious!
This was deliciousand so easy to make. I didn’t have any enchilada sauce, so I made my own out of tomato sauce and spices, plus I used the rest of the can of corn in the meat filling after taking 1/2 cup out for the topping mix. Everyone loved how it tasted. It’s on my rotation now.
Sounds delicious, Chris! Thanks for sharing.