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
Easy Tamale Pie Recipe
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
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Jocelyn
I have not heard of tamale pie before, it looks sort of like a lasagna! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s great to try something new.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jocelyn! Enjoy!
Paula Montgomery
Wow, I haven’t had tamale pie since I was living at home with parents. My mom made the best IMO 🙂
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Paula! Enjoy!
Stephanie
I love this tamale pie recipe! I always love a good hearty meal like this one. Easy to make, always delicious, and a family favorite.
Lavanda
This was the perfect blend of comfort and flavor! I love how customizable it is with the meat options and spice level adjustments. Thanks for a great recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome!
Tammy
This recipe is my kind of comfort food. Wonderful meal for a cold night. It was delicious and easy to make!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Tammy!
Daniel Franks
Reminds me of my mother’s recipe. I too am familiar with olives inside, touch of Spain in the mexican flavours. Really delicious. Please do migas! Not found a recipe I like yet 😉
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Daniel! So glad thzt you like the tamale pie. I will add it to my consideration list.
Tim
This is a wonderful Tamale pie recipe; only thing I modified was adding sliced black olive to meat mixture and sliced Anaheim chilis on top of cornbread rather than Jalepeno.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tim! So happy that you liked the tamale pie!
Rob D.
Beth, your recipe got rave reviews and I love the tips on variations and how-to options. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
That is awesome, Rob! The pleasure is all mine!
Vickie
We had this for dinner last night, it was fabulous!
Trying to cook in the heat and moving, challenging!
But this was so worth it! Thankyou for this great recipe!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Vickie! Good luck with the move. We moved in the heat too. Moving is exhausting.
Sangeetha
This Tamale Pie recipe sounds absolutely mouthwatering! I love the idea of combining the flavors of tamales with a cheesy cornbread topping. It’s a brilliant twist on a classic dish, and I can imagine how comforting and satisfying it must be. I can’t wait to try this recipe
Moni
I absolutely loved your Tamale Pie recipe! It was easy to follow and the end result was incredibly delicious. The combination of flavors was perfect, and the step-by-step instructions made it a breeze to recreate. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Moni! I am so glad that you liked the tamale pie!
Barbie
Thanks for the great recipe! It is a real keeper. We are including this in our regular rotation file.
RomyRaves
Thanks for sharing. This looks so delish. I need to make it for my family – tasty and savory while filling us up! Looking forward to trying this one.
Ivana Mearns
Very, very delicious. The perfect comfort food, with nice warming spices, definitely a five star recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ivana! I am so glad that you liked it!
Steph S
This was so yummy and easy! Thank you for the recipe! We really liked it.
Stephanie
Oh my gosh, this is such a delicious meal! I omitted the jalapenos since my husband is the only one here who would like them. The cornbread topping is what takes this recipe over the top for sure.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! Yes I agree about the cornbread topping!