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Home » Recipes

Easy Recipe for Tamale Pie

10 Reviews / 4.8 Average
This easy one-dish meal features the flavors of tamales in the simplicity of a pie. It will definitely be making another appearance at our house! Try it if you're a fan of Mexican-inspired recipes.
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Easy Tamale Pie on 100 Days of Real Food

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We were recently planning to have friends over for dinner when I asked my husband what he thought I should cook. He randomly said, "How about tamales?!" I was like "Whaaaa?" And that's how this easy recipe for tamale pie came to be!

One-Dish Recipe for Tamale Pie

First of all, I've never made tamales in my life, and I'm honestly not sure if I even like tamales all that much (I was looking for ideas from the plethora of options I have actually cooked before LOL).

Secondly, I have a hard-and-fast rule to never experiment with new recipes on dinner guests. I think it's always best to make something you know will turn out well, and leave the possible recipe fails for your immediate family only! Anyone else with me on that?

Recipe for tamale pie on a white plate with sour cream on top

Tamales Without the Corn Husks

So, after we made homemade pizza with our friends (haha), I thought it would be nice to fulfill my husband's desire for tamales with an Easy Tamale Pie. Since I'm not a huge fan of regular tamales myself, and I didn't feel like hunting down corn husks to make the traditional version, this easy mash-up of cornbread, chiles, and other goodies was the best of both worlds.

By incorporating traditional tamale ingredients, you can still enjoy the authentic flavors in a one-dish meal that comes together in less than an hour!

And bonus, he loved it! So this easy one-dish meal will definitely be making an appearance again at our house. Maybe even for dinner guests. :)

Recipe for Tamale Pie With Cornbread

Not only does the cornbread in this tamale pie make it a lot quicker and easier to make than the original, it's also completely freezer-friendly and packed with flavor! If one-dish Mexican recipes are your thing, you've got to give this one a try.

Easy Tamale Pie 2

Easy Tamale Pie

This easy one-dish meal features the flavors of tamales in the simplicity of a pie. It will definitely be making another appearance at our house! Try it if you're a fan of Mexican-inspired recipes.
10 Reviews / 4.8 Average
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Egg Free, Gluten Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients
  

For the meat layer

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ onion (diced)
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 bell pepper (cored, seeded and diced (any color))
  • ½ jalapeño (or other hot pepper, minced)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (fire roasted variety is a good option for this)
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels

For the tamale topping

  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 cup cornmeal (finely ground)
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (finely shredded)

Suggested accompaniments

  • sour cream
  • avocado
  • cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof large skillet) heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions while stirring until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the ground beef to the pan and cook while breaking it up with a spatula until almost brown all the way through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the bell and hot peppers and cook until soft, another 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the seasonings onto the beef mixture and stir until well combined. Add the diced tomatoes and corn kernels and bring to a light boil then turn off the heat.
  • Meanwhile, in a small pot combine the milk, cornmeal, butter, and salt. Bring to a light boil while whisking constantly. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, only takes a minute or two, scrape out of the pot and spread on top of the meat mixture into one even layer.
  • Top with shredded cheese and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. If preparing in advance may take longer to bake if putting it in the oven cold.
  • Garnish with sour cream, avocado and/or cilantro (if desired) and serve.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Easy Tamale Pie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 727 Calories from Fat 441
% Daily Value*
Fat 49g75%
Saturated Fat 22g138%
Cholesterol 137mg46%
Sodium 943mg41%
Potassium 680mg19%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 1925IU39%
Vitamin C 41.1mg50%
Calcium 344mg34%
Iron 3.9mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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3.8K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Tami says

    December 20, 2022 at 11:32 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! My husband it’s a keeper! It will be in the regular rotation. Thank you.

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      December 26, 2022 at 9:31 am

      Tami- Glad to hear you both enjoyed it. - Nicole

      Reply
  2. Agnieszka says

    November 17, 2020 at 11:16 am

    Thank you, this was a very good dish. Even my husband who doesn't like corn enjoyed it.

    Reply
  3. marcia diagostine says

    November 10, 2020 at 10:05 am

    Which cast iron frypan size would be better, 10" or 12'?

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      November 12, 2020 at 10:07 am

      Hi, a 12" would be best. - Nicole

      Reply
  4. Caroline says

    May 18, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    This has become one of our favorite meals!

    Reply
  5. Jacqueline says

    April 24, 2020 at 9:15 pm

    4 stars
    This is delicious! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
  6. Suzanne C says

    June 11, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    5 stars
    Pre-teen sons love this. "Like a Mexican pot pie". We will be revisiting this on a regular basis. Would be really easy to increase the recipe for a lasagna pan to "feed the team" or just my boys as they consume vulumes of food as teenagers in a couple years.

    Reply
  7. Sarah Schiller says

    June 18, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    5 stars
    This was an easy dish that my 13 year old daughter made tonight. We used ground turkey instead of beef and then garnished the dish with sour cream, salsa and crushed blue corn chips. We'll put this into our rotation (and I"ll teach my other 2 kids to make it too!)

    Reply
  8. jeri lynn says

    June 05, 2018 at 12:07 am

    it sounds soo yummy and easy--my two fave things! i will definitely be making it this summer.

    btw, there is no word "tamale" in spanish. it's tamal for singular, and tamales for plural. it's a mistake made super often, but i just thought you should know. (I teach spanish:)).

    Reply
  9. Marla says

    June 04, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    This looks delicious and easy! What size skillet did you use?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      June 19, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      Hi there. I've used both a 10" and 12" inch skillet.

      Reply
      • Laurie says

        March 29, 2019 at 1:56 pm

        I am sort of new to the cast iron skillet usage. Is it okay to put something acidic, like the canned tomatoes, in the cast iron and bake in it? I remember reading something in the information that came with my skillet, that acidic foods may harm the skillet. This recipe sounds so good!

      • 100 Days Admin says

        April 01, 2019 at 11:15 am

        Hi Laurie, it's best to not cook acidic food in a brand new cast iron skillet. You want to make sure your skillet is well seasoned before doing so. - Nicole

  10. Julie guerrini says

    June 02, 2018 at 12:24 am

    5 stars
    This was a very easy recipe to follow and I'm happy to say that it turned out and was delicious! I'll definitely add some sour cream and avocados next time.
    I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes.

    Reply
  11. Nayeli says

    May 24, 2018 at 9:15 am

    Hello Lisa

    I like reading your blog, I think that is more interesting than others because you write anything that we need for cook your recipes so I´ll follow you.

    Reply
  12. elizabeth says

    May 18, 2018 at 8:49 am

    4 stars
    I made this for dinner the other night, but had to make plenty of substitutions... I had no hamburger, but had shredded chicken. I had no corn, but had black beans. I had no cornmeal, but had masa harina. We also did not top with cheese.

    So, while I didn't follow the recipe exactly, it still turned out delicious and satisfied my craving for tamales!

    The only note I have would be to use additional tamale topping (maybe another half recipe?)... but this could've been due to using masa or the size of the pan that I used.

    Reply
  13. ali says

    May 08, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    How spicy does the pie turn out with the recommended ingredients? My kids are little, so I usually opt for less spice than what recipes call for. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      May 14, 2018 at 8:48 am

      Hi. You can always lighten-up on the cayenne and/or omit the jalapeno pepper.

      Reply
  14. Anne DeVaughn says

    May 02, 2018 at 1:32 pm

    Trying to stay away from meat..do you think this would work well with black bean substituted for meat? One 150z can? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      May 14, 2018 at 8:46 am

      Hell0. I've made it with refried black beans and it was delish. :)

      Reply
  15. Tricia says

    April 16, 2018 at 8:20 am

    I've tried something like this before, but with the cornbread on the bottom. (Cooked it first, then added the meat and cheese and cooked again until the cheese melted). I'll have to try it this way! My husband likes pork tamales, so I would use shredded pork.

    Reply
  16. Tamara says

    April 16, 2018 at 8:00 am

    5 stars
    It's A Unicorn!

    I am a pretty good cook, but with two teenage boys and the husband it's hard to find a meal that everyone agrees is great and takes little time- The boys in the family have name these meals "Unicorns" - At the last minute saw your post and already had a ground beef browned and in the fridge so it worked perfectly - Everyone agreed this is a "Unicorn" and asked me to add it to the rotation. - may add black beans next time in addition to the beef
    Thanks!

    Reply
  17. FCollene says

    April 09, 2018 at 10:26 am

    I like to double recipes and freeze one for later...how would you recommend doing that for this recipe? Thank you!

    Reply
  18. Valerie says

    March 21, 2018 at 9:52 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious and husband approved. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  19. Hydeeann says

    March 20, 2018 at 11:01 pm

    I was looking last minute for a quick and simple dinner, saw this on IG, and it totally fit the bill! I used roasted peppers from a jar in place of the fresh, and they worked beautifully. Every single person in my large family likes this dish! We have had it twice in two weeks. It’s going in the rotation, for sure. It’s a keeper! Thanks for such a tasty dish.

    Reply
  20. Sherry Parker says

    March 17, 2018 at 9:12 am

    I’m so sorry the above comment was autocorrect, do you think Masa flour will work the same in this recipe ?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      March 21, 2018 at 9:48 am

      Yes, masa will work.

      Reply
  21. Jessie Nelson says

    March 14, 2018 at 10:19 am

    5 stars
    We made this the day it posted. Now, we actually make tamales at Christmas every year, but they can be bland, and they take forever! This was easy and super tasty. I will be making this on a regular basis. Thank you for posting recipes that consistently work beautifully.

    Reply
  22. Rebekah says

    March 12, 2018 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight for dinner. Definitely adding it to our rotation! Yum! Made it exactly as instructed except I drained the meat (we used 80/20) and the topping mixture thickened up a lot but didn't come to a boil. So I just poured it over the top and went with it. Topped it with the cilantro, sour cream, and avocado. It was so good! Thanks for this great recipe!

    Reply

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Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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