This tamale pie is so cozy and delicious! A savory chili-like stew, topped with a golden cornmeal crust- a healthy, comfort food meal that is vegetarian and gluten-free adaptable!
Here’s an easy weeknight dinner recipe for Tamale Pie that can be made with ground chicken, turkey, or beef, or keep it vegetarian and use ground vegetarian “meat.” We add beans and veggies and enchilada sauce to create the flavorful filling on the stovetop.
Whisk up a quick batch of cornbread batter to spread over top before baking in the oven. When it comes out, it is transformed into a golden cornbread-crusted pan of deliciousness!
Why you’ll love TamalE PIE
What I love about this one pot meal is how fast and easy it is to put together, letting the oven do half the work. It is also very adaptable- use whichever meat or veggie meat you like! We add lots of veggies for extra nutrition, but you do you. Add cheese for extra richness, or vegan cheese. You can even use leftover chili as the base. A fun easy recipe you’ll love!
How to make Tamale Pie
Step 1: Make the filling on the stovetop with veggies and your choice of meat – chicken, turkey or beef- or try vegetarian ground “meat”. You can even use leftover chili!
Step 2: Stir in enchilada sauce – either store-bought or make our easy blender sauce- see recipe notes.
Step 3: Make the cornbread topping, whisking ingredeints in a bowl.
Step 4: Add cheese for extra richness, or leave it off for a leaner option. Jack cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, or vegan cheese would be good here.
Step 5: Spread the cornbread batter over the stew, then top with jalapeños. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
Step 6: Then, into the oven, it goes to bake! Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400F.
The Cornbread will bake over top of the filling, and when it comes out, it will be golden, puffed, and delicious! My husband loves it rubbed with a little pat of butter; up to you!
Serving suggestions
Top with a dollop of sour cream or avocado, hot sauce and fresh cilantro. Serve with a leafy green salad or our Mexican Slaw.
Storage and Make Ahead
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If using cast iron, store it in a different airtight container, as cast iron can rust in the fridge. Reheat in a 350F oven or in the microwave.
- If making ahead, feel free to make the filling up to 3 days ahead. The cornbread batter should be made close to baking time as the baking powder is activated once wet.
- You can also make this with left over chili- just make sure it is a little saucy.
Simple Delicious Tamale Pie, a simple weeknight meal, easily vegetarian, adaptable, and perfect for weeknights! Let us know what you think in the comments below.
More Favorite Cornbread Recipes
- Vegan Cornbread Muffins
- Classic Homemade Cornbread
- Cornbread Casserole
- Zucchini Cornbread
- Cornbread Stuffing with Cranberries and Pecans
Tamale Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Main
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Simple, Delicious Tamale Pie with your choice of ground turkey, beef, or veggie meat topped with a delicious cornbread crust. Vegetarian and Gluten-free are adaptable.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 lb ground meat (chicken, turkey, or beef) or use vegetarian ground “meat”.
- 1 red bell pepper
- 14-ounce can black beans, drained (or sub extra veggies or more meat)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano (or use regular)
- 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (or sub 1 can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes and perhaps double the spices)
- 1/4– 1/2 cup water
- 4-ounce can of drained green chilies (optional)
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro- optional
- 1 cup grated cheese- optional (jack, cheddar, mozzarella or vegan cheese- anything melty)
Cornbread Topping
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup milk, plant-based milk, or buttermilk, more as needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 1 jalapeño, sliced- optional
- more cheese- totally optional
Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream (or avocado) and hot sauce ( all optional).
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Make the filling: In a 10-11 inch ovenproof skillet or dutch oven, saute onion, garlic, ground meat and bell pepper in the olive over medium heat until meat is golden brown, about 10 minutes. ( If using vegetarian meat option, no need to brown first – cook the onion, garlic and bell pepper until tender, then add the ground veggie meat. Use a metal spatula to prevent sticking. If the veggie meat continues to stick no worries scrape it up when you add the liquids.)
- Add the corn and beans, salt and spices. Stir in the enchilada sauce and a little water and optional canned chilies, bring to a simmer over low heat. Taste, adjust salt and spices. If it feels dry, add a little more water to loosen. ( If you used tomato sauce instead of enchilada sauce you may want to add more spices- cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano). You want this stew base to be flavorful and robust in flavor and just slightly liquidy. If it is too liquidy, simmer on low so some of the liquid dissipates. And while it’s simmering, make the cornbread topping.
- Make the Cornmeal Crust: Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk , and oil in a small bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk. If it seems dry, just add a few more tablespoons of milk until the consistency seems spreadable.
- Stir in optional cilantro into the filling and sprinkle with the optional cheese. While the stew is still simmering on the stove, spread the cornbread batter in a thin layer over top. Top with thinly sliced jalapeño ( or more grated cheese)
- Simmer for 1-2 minutes more (you want the stew to be hot before putting it in the oven), place over a sheet pan to catch any overflow and place on the middle rack.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, check, then continue baking for an additional 5 minutes or until puffed and beautifully golden. Brush with butter if you like.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado and hot sauce.
Notes
If you dont have an oven proof skillet, bake this in a 9- 10 inch round pie plate, or a 9×9 inch baking dish.
These can also be baked in mini cast iron skillets.
Leftovers keep 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Do not store this in the cast iron skillet as it can rust.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 347
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 1085.7 mg
- Fat: 13.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.4 g
- Fiber: 6.4 g
- Protein: 20.2 g
- Cholesterol: 70.9 mg
This has become one of our staples.
Great to hear!
This is a keeper! i didn’t have enchilada sauce, so I used plain tomato sauce. Instead of a bell pepper, I subbed poblano and I added a tablespoon of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Perfect!
Love it!
Can you use a package of corn meal mix, like Marie callendars?
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not? Let us know if you end up using it- curious!
Wow 🤤. Incredible recipe! This looks real good and I am sure it tastes the same.
Thanks Swan, give it a try!
This recipe is delicious! My son is both celiac and vegetarian, and we were able to easily modify the recipe to fit his needs! He came home from camp wanting cornbread- and this hit the mark for him, and was a filling meal with several leftovers!
Oh good! Great to hear Molly!
I would love to make this dairy free, think I could sub coconut milk for the buttermilk in the crust?
Yes, or how about soy milk or nut milk?
Knowing that cornmeal drains our B vitamins and masa does not, I would like to try masa. Do you foresee any problems with trying masa, and if not, what adjustments do you suggest?
Thank you for your recipes. I have only tried zuchini lasagna so far and loved it.
Hey Cora- I have not tried this with masa so really not sure here how to convert. If you do try it will you let me know?
Yes, I will definitely let you know. BTW, I find that I can make your zuchinni lasagna with lamb and serve it to people who don’t even like lamb. They still love it.
Ha! Funny! 😉
Delicious! I made it vegan by making ground “meat” with riced cauliflower and finely chopped walnuts and spices. I used a flax “egg” and almond milk in the cornbread.
Oh perfect! Love that it worked!
Made this last night. Anything I can do, one skillet, in my cast iron I love. I omitted the water, my bad, but I hate diluting. Came out perfect. I always use your 5 minute enchilada sauce recipe whenever I can, (timesaver and delicious). I would have liked a little more cornbread topping, (easy fix). Like you husband I like sour cream and cilantro on everything. I also plated it in a pool of hatch chili sauce which easily took care of the semi-dryness I created by not adding the water. Next time just the extra 1/2 cup enchilada sauce I had leftover. Like always, you make “feasting at home” a joy!
Hi Dana- yes, I think it needs the water so it doesn’t get dried out (or extra enchilada sauce). Thanks!
Made this last night. Anything I can do, one skillet, in my cast iron I love. I omitted the water, my bad, but I hate diluting. Came out perfect. I always use your 5 minute enchilada sauce recipe whenever I can, (timesaver and delicious). I would have liked a little more cornbread topping, (easy fix). Like you husband I like sour cream and cilantro on everything. I also plated it in a pool of hatch chili sauce which easily took care of the semi-dryness I created by not adding the water. Next time just the extra 1/2 cup enchilada sauce I had leftover. Like always, you make “feasting at home” a joy!
thanks so much!
I did, and I thought about leaving out the 1/2 cup of water as the onion, ground turkey, pepper mixture had a lot of fluid in it when it had cooked down.
I will just remake this one and see if recipe needs some adjusting. 🙂
Looking for advice. The batter for the cornbread was too thick to spread thinly, I followed the recipe. It also ended up boiling over in the oven. I used a 10″ cast iron skillet, did I miss something? Tasted great!
Hi Maureen- I was planning on making this, this week. Will you double-check that you added all the liquid ingredients in the recipe? Just curious.
What kind of cheese would you recommend? And if I did mini pies what time in oven would you recommend
Pepper Jack, Mozzerella or cheddar! You would just have to gauge the time for mini pies, look for the golden crust and bubbling around the edges. 🙂
Hi, the notes at the top say 425, but the instructions at the bottom say 400. Could you clarify please? Thanks!
400F 🙂 thanks I’ll adjust.
I really like this recipe. Delicious! Quick to fix, super flavorful, and the one pot makes an easy cleanup. Thanks Sylvia!
Just pulled this together with Impossible meat and vegan substitutions for the cornbread. It was delicious! Satisfied my picky meat and potatoes teen and my vegan teen and my husband loved it! Thank you!
What were the vegan substitutes for the cornbread?
Thank you; this is a great recipe that isn’t too difficult and does not require a ton of cleanup. The spices can be doctored as mentioned and a plethora of substations can be made which makes things even easier. It came out great and is so delicious. Bonus that it also looks quite impressive. I’m already looking forward to making it again 🙂
So glad you liked it!!!
Made this with ground chicken and it turned out beautiful!
Could this be made and assembled ahead? BTW, I LOVE your recipes!
Thanks Shannon, the filling for sure could ( warm to room temp before baking) but I would recommend making the topping right before.
Made this twice now, it is amazing! Every recipe I’ve tried has been wonderful! Thank you so much.
Awesome Nancy! So happy you have been enjoying this!
My son LOVES this recipe. So easy after a busy day at work. Thank you!
Oh this makes me so happy! Im so glad!
This was really good, and healthy too, which I really appreciate! Thanks
Perfect! Thanks for additional info for alternatives…
Best
Merci pour cette recette que je vais m’empresser de faire. Je suis sûre que cela va me plaire . Bisous Chris06
Sylvia,
I have had trouble working with those soy bits being marketed as vegan beef replacement. I put them in a skillet and they stick to the pan. I put olive oil in first, and they become a sludgy me, and I never get the consistency of little chewy bits. How do you cook them? i love the taste and texture, but now wonder if I should be roasting them or something else absurd.
Doug, they do stick! It’s annoying!!! I use a well oiled pan and a metal spatula to scrape up the bits. In this recipe, when you add the liquids they will be easy to scrape up, so just do that and don’t worry too much, it should still turn out. 🙂
Thank you, Sylvia!. As always, looking forward to making your recipes. Tamale Pie will be this coming weekend. I can’t make the Chile Rellenos because the Poblano Chiles they get in this town are the size of jalapeños. Surely I can find a company that ships large Poblanos nation wide.
You’re tastes are awesome. you hanks for sharing your recipes with us!
Thanks Doug. You could also try pasilla peppers. Sometimes our peppers here are small too, sometimes they are enormous…not a lot of consistency. 🙂