Tamale Pie

Delicious Tamale Pie is loaded with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapenos with a cheesy cornbread topping. All the flavor of tamales in casserole form. Friends and family love this tasty pie and comfort food dish. It always gets rave reviews.

This hearty dish is a meal by itself, but if guests are coming or it is a special occasion, I love to serve this pie with a layered taco salad, raspberry margaritas, and 7-layer dip.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Ground beef: Use ground beef with a little fat in it. Fat is what gives it flavor.
• Canned tomatoes: I use fire-roasted tomatoes, but you can use any diced tomatoes.
• Cornmeal: Yellow cornmeal is traditional in tamales, but you can use white cornmeal, too.
• Sour cream: full-fat sour cream is best
• Milk: Whole or 2%
• Cheese: shredded extra sharp or sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend cheese.

How To Make Tamale Pie

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

First, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno when the beef is about halfway brown. Continue cooking until the beef is brown and the onions and bell peppers are soft.

Then, reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for about 10 minutes while you mix the topping.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Then, stir in the sour cream, milk, beaten eggs, oil, cheese, and corn. Stir just until combined.

Spoon the meat mixture into a baking dish, spreading evenly. Top with the cornbread mixture using a spatula to even the top. Then top with a little more cheese and jalapeno rings. Finally, bake for about 40 minutes or until the topping is set and golden brown.

Preparation Tips

• Substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken for the ground beef if desired. 
• You can substitute diced or crushed tomatoes if you can not find fire-roasted tomatoes.
• If you are sensitive to spicy foods, omit the jalapenos or substitute them with a small can of drained green chiles. Please see the section below on picking the best mild jalapenos.
• If the pie browns too much before the topping is completely set, top with a piece of aluminum foil loosely placed over it.
• Let it cool for about 10 minutes. I find it best to cut through with a sharp knife and use a sturdy spatula to plate it.
• Top the casserole with sour cream, black olives, jalapenos, tomatoes, or cilantro. 

Serving Suggestions

I like to balance this with easy Mexican coleslaw or Doritos taco salad. Other delicious side dishes are refried beans, cilantro lime rice, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, and bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers.

Storage and Reheat

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.

Freeze in a sturdy freezer container for up to 2 months or wrap the whole casserole in 2 layers or plastic wrap. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

More Tasty Tex-Mex Recipes

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Easy Tamale Pie Recipe

A fun and easy family friendly Tamale Pie loaded with seasoned ground beef, onions, and tomatoes all topped with cheesy cornbread

5 from 51 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal beef

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Tamale Pie Filling

• 1½ lbs. ground beef
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 red pepper finely diced
• 1 jalapeno minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounces) can corn drained (reserve ½ cup for topping)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1½ tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Cornmeal Topping

• ¾ cup yellow cornmeal
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese reserve 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
• 1 jalapeno sliced in rings
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray an 11×7 inch casserole dish.
• Browning the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. After 3-4 minutes add the onions bell peppers and jalapeno. Continue cooking until the beef is browned and the onions and bell peppers are soft.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute stirring continuously. Remove any excess grease from the skillet.  Add the fire roasted tomatoes, corn, tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Then mix in the sour cream, milk, beaten eggs, oil, cheese, and reserved corn. Stir just until combined.
• Spoon the beef mixture into the casserole dish spreading evenly. Top with the cornbread mixture using a spatula to even the top. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and jalapeno rings. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs. Garnish with cilantro.  Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

• Substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken for the ground beef if desired. 
• You can substitute diced or crushed tomatoes if you can not find fire-roasted tomatoes.
• If you are sensitive to spicy foods, omit the jalapenos or substitute them with a small can of drained green chiles. Please see the section below on picking the best mild jalapenos.
• If the pie browns too much before the topping is completely set, top with a piece of aluminum foil loosely placed over it.
• Let it cool for about 10 minutes. I find it best to cut through with a sharp knife and use a sturdy spatula to plate it.
• Top the casserole with sour cream, black olives, jalapenos, tomatoes, or cilantro. 

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 581mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1422IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 4mg

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