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This one pot Tamale Pie is easy and delicious, made with ground beef, corn, enchilada sauce, and spices, topped with a tamale inspired masa topping. It's a cozy skillet dinner my family loves.
Why is Tamale Pie SO GOOD?! This is the cozy casserole I crave.
I'm obsessed with the flavors in tamale pie, and the complete comfort-of-a-dinner that it is. Plus you know I love a recipe that cooks in one pan!
This isn't your average tamale pie (no box of jiffy mix, here!). We use the good stuff to make a legit and EASY corn topping that bakes up like a soft cornbread over the saucy beef filling. My kids love this so much they take it as leftovers in their thermos for school lunch. It's flavorful and delicious and always on my mind when the cooler weather starts rolling in.
Try more of my one pan meals, like Pad Thai, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, Greek Chicken and Potatoes, Slow Cooker Lasagna, and Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi!
How to make Tamale Pie:
Cook the Beef: Brown the ground beef in a deep skillet with a meat chopper, then add the diced onion and sauté a few minutes.
Make the Filling: Stir in the enchilada sauce, corn, chiles, chili powder, coriander, and cumin, and cook 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese.
Add Topping and Bake: Mix the masa topping and pour over the meat mixture, then bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with avocado and sour cream, if desired.
Tamale Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Filling:
- 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, , finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 10 oz can red enchilada sauce, , or homemade
- 1 can creamed corn
- 8 oz can diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Masa Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups Masa Harina, (corn flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
Optional Topping Ideas:
- avocado, sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce
Instructions
- Filling: Cook ground beef in a deep 12-inch skillet* or cast iron pan, crumbling it into small pieces as it cooks, until browned. Add diced onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes.1 ½ lbs lean ground beef, 1 yellow onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add enchilada sauce, corn, chiles, chili powder, coriander, and cumin and cook for 5-10 minutes. Taste and add additional spices (chili powder, cumin, salt or pepper), as desired. Stir in cheese.10 oz can red enchilada sauce, 1 can creamed corn, 8 oz can diced green chiles, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
- Make Topping: Mix the corn flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir in the chicken broth, milk, butter and cheese. Pour evenly over the top of meat mixture.1 ½ cups Masa Harina, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup milk, ½ cup melted butter, ½ cup shredded cheese
- Bake 400 degrees F for 40 min. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve topped with avocado and sour cream, if desired.avocado, sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe March 2023. Updated September 2026.
I’ve never tried tamales before, so this was a new experience for me, but in a good way!
Even though I goofed on the recipe, by adding a 15 oz can of Enchilada sauce, the hubs and I both like it. I did double the spices after tasting and before putting on the topping. That was the only deliberate change, lol. I will definitely be making this again.
I’m glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the tamale pie even with the unintentional addition of enchilada sauce! Sometimes accidents can lead to delicious discoveries. Doubling the spices is a great idea and it’s always good to make a recipe your own. I hope you make it again soon!
We absolutely loved this recipe! I added a can of black beans (drained) and used my own corn bread recipe (I didn’t have masa harina on hand). Also added 1 t garlic powder and upped the chili powder and cumin to 2t (we like things spicy!) This is a keeper and the filling is so smooth because of the cheese. Thanks so much for giving me a new recipe!
Thank you for trying out the tamale pie recipe! I’m so glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed it. The addition of black beans and garlic powder sounds delicious, and it’s great to know that your own cornbread recipe worked well as a substitute. Experimenting with spices is always a fun way to make a recipe your own. Thank you for sharing your experience and I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe is now a keeper in your household!
Really liked the recipe. We had homemade enchilada sauce that we added along with a can of black beans and green onions. The topping was more savory than boxed cornbread and also added some more green onions to the topping before baking. Garnished with sour cream, pickled jalapenos and cilantro.
Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe! It’s great to hear that you enjoyed it and also added your own personal touch by using homemade enchilada sauce and adding black beans and green onions. Your toppings of sour cream, pickled jalapenos, and cilantro sound like a delicious addition as well. It’s always wonderful to see people take a recipe and make it their own. Thank you for trying it out and sharing your feedback!
Made this for dinner last night and we both loved it. Easy to make and such good flavor! Thanks! A fun recipe we can make together again.
I made the enchilada sauce from scratch and this was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you took a few extra minutes to make the enchilada sauce from scratch!! I absolutely LOVE TBFS homemade enchilada sauce and will never go back to canned sauce again. Thanks for coming back to comment!
It was excellent
I absolutely love this recipe, and so does my husband. So quick, easy, and delivery!
I did use packages cornmeal mix, And will try it with Mexican Cornbread mix next time. Thanks for this amazing, tasty recipe.
Oh I do love your recipes – especially from scratch!! Going to try this as a substitution for the real tamales, which we do not get in Germany! No masa either!
This looks very good. I love seeing your recipes.