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.
I made this, but added black beans and fire roasted corn to the base AND the corn bread. it was delicious!
This was amazing! My 86 year old mother, who is really picky, asked for a helping to take home!
I swapped out the water for low sodium chicken broth, and also added corn to the meat.
Added it to my “Keeper” file! :)
I appreciate you and your delicious recipes.
Keep them coming.
Thanks!
This was just too good! I made it last night for my family and another one for my daughter’s family tonight! So easy and delicious!!
Very good. I used the spicy taco mix
Anything by Holly is delicious! I automatically save the recipes.
Excellent. Fun to make. Absolutely delicious. I used your recipe for taco seasoning (two thumbs up), thank you for sharing. Loved using my oven proof skillet!
Good job Holly! So easy and so good! It’s always nice when you have everything at home and don’t have to go to the store! Thank you!
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.