Best Ever Tamale Pie Recipe
This one-pan tamale pie is an absolute classic comfort food recipe bursting with flavor and a buttery cornbread topping. It's super easy to prepare, a favorite with the kids, and ready in just over an hour.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 828kcal
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1½ pounds Ground beef
- 1 Sweet onion peeled and chopped
- 1 Red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Frozen corn
- 15 ounces Crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 4 ounces Chopped green chiles 1 can
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Chile powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1½ cups Cheddar cheese shredded
For the Tamale Top:
- 2¼ cups Corn flour masa
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2+ cups Chicken broth
- ½ cup Melted butter
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Preparations
- Finely dice the sweet onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
Filling
- Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook ground beef for a few minutes, breaking it up into pieces as it browns.
- Once browned, move it to one side of the pan and sauté the chopped onion, diced bell pepper, and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, frozen corn, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- Once mixed, remove from heat and set aside.
Tamale Top
- In a mixing bowl, combine the corn flour (masa), baking powder, and salt.
- dd the chicken broth and melted butter, stirring until you achieve a smooth, spreadable batter. Then, fold in ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Assembly and Baking
- Pour the cornbread batter over the meat mixture and spread it evenly across the skillet, covering the edges.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake the tamale pie for 35 - 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Once the cornbread becomes golden and firm, remove it from the oven.
- Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onions!
Recipe Notes
Using a casserole dish
If your skillet isn't oven friendly, just pour the beef mixture into a casserole or baking dish and then top it with the masa topping.
Checking the cornbread topping
To check if the topping is thoroughly cooked, insert a toothpick into the cornbread, and if the stick comes out clean, it is ready.