Quick and Easy Tamale Pie

If you’re looking for an easy recipe that will get dinner on the table without dirtying every dish in the kitchen, this Quick and Easy Tamale Pie is for you! It’s a hearty, one-dish meal made with seasoned ground meat, beans, salsa, green chiles, and plenty of shredded cheese, all topped with a savory cornmeal layer.

Why I love this recipe so much

Life is busy, and most days, despite my enormous love of feeding my family and anyone else who will let me, I struggle to find the time to put dinner on the table. I wish I had time to linger over cookbooks and spend hours making dinner, but I don’t. I’m just a normal person doing everyday things like cleaning toilets, doing laundry, taking care of my mom, my plants, my dog, and my husband…well, you get the idea! So when I come across a one-pan recipe that’s full of good things and my family loves it, you’d better believe I’m going to make it on repeat.

I love Pam Anderson’s cookbook Perfect ONE-DISH Dinners. It’s one of my most frequently used cookbooks, filled with great directions for delicious, easy meals. I’ve been making this tamale pie for so long that I rarely look at the recipe anymore. It’s essentially the same as the one in her cookbook, so if you have it, please refer to it! And while you’re at it, give some of her other recipes a try. They’re all wonderful.

Think of this as a tamale casserole that brings together all the delicious flavors of traditional tamales without all the work! A savory, meaty filling is topped with a golden cornbread-style crust, making it the ultimate comfort food. Serve it with a dollop of sour cream, and you’ve got a satisfying, family-friendly dinner everyone will love. It’s a great recipe for busy weeknights when you want something homemade, filling, and easy to pull together. Best of all, it comes together in one skillet and is ready in about 30 minutes. That’s my kind of dinner dilemma solved!

Gather these ingredients

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy one-pan dinner: Everything comes together in a large cast iron skillet, which means fewer dishes to wash.
• Family friendly: The combination of seasoned meat, beans, cheese, and cornmeal is hearty, comforting, and always a hit around the dinner table.
• All the flavors of tamales: You get the delicious combination of Mexican-inspired spices, green chiles, and a savory cornmeal topping without the time-consuming process of making traditional tamales.
• Easy to customize: Use lean ground beef, ground chicken, or turkey. Add extra veggies or adjust the spices to suit your family’s tastes.
• Perfect for busy weeknights: This is a great way to get a homemade dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

How to make Tamale Pie

Brown the ground meat in an oven-safe skillet; when the meat is completely browned, add a can of green chilies and pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed. Smash pinto beans into the meat. A fork works well for this, or if you use a meat chopper when browning your meat, it works very well for mashing the beans.

Add jarred salsa, 2 teaspoons of the chili powder and 3/4 teaspoon of the ground cumin stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let cook for 5 minutes.

Add 4.5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1.5 cup cornmeal to a 3 – quart saucepan over low heat bring to a slow boil. Add in 2 teaspoons of chili powder and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon of ground cumin.

Whisk vigorously before cornmeal topping starts to simmer, continue to whisk until cornmeal mixture thickens. This will take about 5 minutes.

Turn broiler on high, and move oven rack to the top third of the oven.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese over the meat mixture, top with the cornmeal tamale topping, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese.

Place the pan in the oven under the broiler for 5-10 minutes. The topping should become browned and crispy, and the cheese should also be melted and browned. 

Tips & Variations

• Make it ahead: Assemble the pie in your skillet or baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, then turn the broiler to high for the last 5 minutes to crisp the tamale topping. 
• Spice it up: Some like it hot! If that’s you, add chopped jalapeno to the meat mixture. And a dash of cayenne pepper to the tamale topping. 
• Switch up the Protein: I like to use ground turkey, but I have also used ground beef and ground chicken. I have added a half pound of chorizo sausage to my ground chicken. Chorizo and ground beef contain more fat, so you may want to spoon off any excess fat before adding other ingredients. 
• Beans: If you don’t have pinto beans in your pantry but you do have black beans or kidney beans, these will work as well. 
• Make them mini: If you have ramekins, set them on a baking sheet. Spoon the meat mixture into them, add cheese, top with the tamale mixture, and add more cheese on top. Place the baking sheet with ramekins under the broiler. This is a fun addition to a taco party; people can add taco toppings to their mini tamale pie. 
• Add Veggies: I love to sneak veggies into anything I can get away with. For extra fiber and nutrition, add in diced bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach with the ground chicken. 

Storing Leftover Tamale Pie

One of the best things about this tamale pie is that leftovers are just as delicious the next day!

• Refrigerator: Allow leftovers to cool, then transfer them to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3–4 days.
• Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger portions in a covered oven-safe dish at 350°F until heated through.
• Freezing: You can freeze leftover portions in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. The cornmeal topping may soften a bit after freezing, but it will still taste delicious.

If you give this Quick and Easy Tamale Pie a try, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below and let me know how your family liked it. Don’t forget to save this recipe for the next time you need an easy one-pan dinner, and if you enjoyed it, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card below. Your comments and ratings help other readers find recipes they’ll love, too. Happy cooking!

From my table to yours with love, Sheila