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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 thought this recipe was flavorful, and easy for a one pot dinner. I would include draining the beef after cooking in the instructions, because personally I don’t like dishes to be too greasy. I did like the option of using cornbread for a topping which is what I did. My husband liked it as well.
Easy to make. Delicious. My kids even ate it. Had to substitute corn meal and that worked out just fine.
My family really enjoyed this, the little kids took out tortilla chips and ate it as a dip. I don’t have social media, so can’t post a picture.
This was a fun recipe to try. I thought I had masa but I was out so I had to use a cornbread mix. It was good but I’d love to try out again with the masa!
Made this for Pi day and it was a winner!
Wow! It was so simple to make and full of flavor!! I love one pot meal recipes. The ingredients were so easy to throw together! We topped ours with sliced avocado, sour cream and pickled jalapeños for a little more heat. Definitely making this again and maybe meal prepping as a freezer meal!
We had this for dinner tonight. I left out the corn and made my own enchilada sauce and it was delicious! Definitely making this again!
Super easy and delicious! My family loved this recipe. It really is like a tamale without all of the work.
Made this for supper tonight! My picked eaters even like it! Thanks!
I will be adding this one to my recipe file. It was easy to follow and turned out very tasty. My husband complemented me on it, so when that happens I know that I need to make it again.