Tamale Pie, or Tamale Casserole, is a family favorite recipe that we love to have any time of year. It’s filling and comforting during cooler months, but it’s an easy meal to prep and bake for a quick weeknight meal without much effort during the summer. If you love reader-favorite Easy Creamy Corn Casserole, then this recipe is perfect for you because it has a lot of the same textures and flavors with a meaty filling underneath.
Why is it called Tamale Pie?
If you’ve never had traditional tamales, this casserole version won’t give you an accurate impression of them, but the name tamale pie probably comes from the combination of a cornbread topping and savory meat filling that is reminiscent of meat-filled tamales made with masa flour and cooked in corn husks. The amount of time and effort to make tamale pie is way less than traditional tamales which are known for being fairly labor intensive. So it’s perfect for everyday occasions when you are craving tamales and need an easy solution! I have made this easy tamale pie recipe with shredded rotisserie chicken instead of ground beef and added diced jalapenos to the cornbread layer on top for more of a kick, but this ground beef version is my favorite classic approach to tamale pie casserole that is just homey and good. Your family is going to love it. Check out my Homemade Hamburger Helper, Easy Jambalaya, Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers, or Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas for more easy one-dish dinner ideas!
Why We Love This Recipe
Made all in one dish, it’s convenient and relatively mess-free with fewer dishes to clean up! Easily change up the meat, seasoning, or veggies in this dish to suit your personal preferences. Save time using a Jiffy Cornmeal Miffin Mix, or make your own homemade cornbread topping!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Oil – You’ll need some oil for sautéing the veggies. I’ve used vegetable oil, but canola oil or olive oil would work fine too. Onion & Garlic – Use freshly diced onion and freshly minced garlic for a great savory flavor. Beef – Use good-quality ground beef for the best results here. We tend to use 85/15, although ground bison is another really great option that is even leaner. So good! You really should try it! Seasoning – A simple combination of ground cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper will add classic Tex-Mex flavors to this dish. Chiles – You can choose mild or hot fire-roasted diced green chiles, depending on how spicy you want this dish to be. Enchilada Sauce – Use your favorite kind of enchilada sauce that you can get from the grocery store or make your own Red Enchilada Sauce. Cornmeal Muffin Mix – I’ve used Jiffy Cornmeal Muffin Mix or Bob’s Red Mill corn muffin mix to save some time on making the cornbread mixture (and since I often have a random box floating around in my pantry that needs to be used up), but you can use your favorite brand, or make your own Corn Muffin mix, or see the ingredients needed in the substitutions below. Egg – To bind the cornmeal mixture and help the topping rise. Sour Cream – Gives the cornbread topping a moist richness, and balances the flavors well. Creamed Corn – I’ve used a can of creamed corn to save some time here again. Use your favorite brand, or make your own from scratch and freeze leftovers for using whenever a recipe calls for creamed corn. Honey – Adds a bit of sweetness and brings a honey flavor to the topping. Cheese – You can buy pre-shredded cheese, or shred it yourself. We use ½ sharp cheddar cheese and ½ Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack cheese. For Serving – You can use your favorite toppings here, but we love freshly chopped cilantro, sour cream, pico de gallo, and slices of avocado or some guacamole.
How to Make This Recipe
Tips for Success
I’ve used a large skillet (mine is a 12-inch skillet) for this one-dish recipe, but you can use a 9×9 inch (or similar) casserole dish, or keep it in one pot by using a Dutch oven if you prefer. Let the dish sit for about 10 minutes before serving, so the meat mixture can thicken slightly after cooking it.
Substitutions and Variations
Change the meat. This recipe will work well with any kind of ground meat. Try ground pork, ground bison, or ground turkey, or even shredded chicken for a different texture. Add some beans. Stretch your meat even further by adding a can of inexpensive pinto, black, or kidney beans to the ground beef filling before topping the casserole with the cornbread layer. Vegetarian. You can easily make this meal vegetarian by using two cans of pinto or black beans, or my Instant Pot Refried Beans instead of meat. You may also want to add extra veggies to bulk it out a bit. Add veggies. Add more vegetables to this dish by chopping them fairly small and adding them once the beef is cooked. Try red bell pepper or green peppers if you prefer them. Sweetcorn works well too, as do carrots, zucchini, and black olives. Turn up the heat. Add diced jalapeños, some of your favorite hot sauce, or the hottest green chillies you can find.
More Delicious Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes
Ground Beef Enchiladas Pork Carnitas BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos Crock Pot Pork Green Chili Chicken Quesadillas Fresh Mango Salsa Mexican Restaurant-Style Salsa
Try my Mexican Rice, Grilled Mexican Street Corn, Easy Refried Bean Dip, and this Homemade Gucamole. Serve some salad sides like Grilled Corn Salad, or my Homemade Coleslaw too. Don’t forget to serve it all with these Horchata Mexican Drinks!
White Chicken Enchiladas with Rotisserie Chicken
Doritos Taco Salad
Navajo Tacos (Indian Fry Bread)
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
