Tamale Pie Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on May 12, 2025 
This gluten-free and spicy Tamale Pie Recipe feeds a crowd with big flavors, and is so much easier to make than traditional tamales.
This Tamale Pie Is The Ultimate Tex-Mex Dish
There’s nothing more Tex-Mex than this bold and savory Tamale Pie recipe. It’s packed with ground beef and a cheesy, tender corn masa top, making this dish the culmination of Southwestern flavors.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Tamale-making is a ridiculously daunting process. I have made tamales before, but it is not something that I make regularly because they take so long to make!
But you know what I have made again and again? This delicious Tamale Pie Recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Tamale Pie
- Perfect for a crowd – This size of this tamale pie recipe makes it perfect for gatherings or pot lucks.
- Bold flavors – This recipe is loaded with bold flavors from the melty cheese, sweet corn, savory ground beef filling and crispy corn bread topping.
- Easy-ish to make – Get tamale vibes without all the time it takes to wrap traditional tamales.
This Tamale Pie is a hearty comfort dish that you’ll keep making on repeat. You’ve got a masa (corn flour) coating, that bakes into a pillowy tamale-like top. You’ve got spiced meaty filling that balances out the sweetness of the corn topping and is perfectly savory. And the best part, is you’ve got fewer supplies involved, less cleanup, and much less cook time.
Ingredients and Tips
- Ground beef – To get that savory beef filling, I recommend using ground beef with a little bit of fat.
- Fresh veggies – You’ll need peeled and chopped sweet onion, seeded red bell peppers and minced garlic cloves.
- Corn – Use frozen corn that’s been thawed and drained.
- Canned veggies – For the filling you’ll need canned crushed tomatoes and canned chopped green chiles.
- Spices – You’ll need staple Tex-Mex spices like chili powder and cumin.
- Corn Flour – To get that tamale top, use a good quality masa flour. If you don’t have corn flour, you can also just cornmeal or corn muffin mix, but each will have a different texture.
- Cheddar cheese – Use shredded sharp cheddar cheese for that melty goodness.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Poultry – Swap the ground beef mixture with shredded rotisserie chicken or ground turkey.
- Beans – Replace the ground beef with your favorite beans like black beans, pinto beans or lentils to make a vegetarian version of this dish.
- One-pan – Instead of making this recipe in a baking pan, make it in an oven-safe cast iron skillet.
- Dairy-free – Use dairy-free butter and vegan cheese.
- Low-carb – Swap the corn masa topping with a cauliflower alternative.
How To Make Tamale Pie
Tip for Success – Masa mixtures have a way of seizing up, making them un-spreadable, if they sit too long. If needed, add 1/2 – 1 cup of additional chicken broth to loosen it before spreading over the top.
Find the full Tamale Pie recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Tips
- Storing Leftovers – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – If freezing for a later date, complete the recipe above as directed, but do not bake. Freeze uncovered for one hour to harden the top. Then wrap well and place back in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, heat the oven to 400 degrees F. and bake for 60- 70 minutes.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave.
Serving Suggestions
Tamale pie is a complete meal on its own, but is delicious served with some side dishes like this chimichurri tomato salad and toppings to make it extra special!
Enjoy it with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and a side of either red salsa or green salsa. If you want extra cheese, sprinkle some cotija cheese on top and drizzle some of my creamy chimichurri sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Masa is made from corn that has been soaked in lime water, which is why it has that distinct tamale flavor. Cornmeal, however, has a totally different texture and taste.
This dish is inspired by the classic Mexican tamales, but it’s made in a casserole format without the traditional corn husks, wrapping and steaming.
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Video
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, 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
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
For the Tamale Top:
- 2 1/4 cups corn flour (masa)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2+ cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch pie pans, one 9 X 13 inch baking dish, or a 12-14 inch cast iron skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place a large saute pan (or cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Brown the meat, then push it to the sides of the pan and add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onions have softened. Then mix in the frozen corn, crushed tomatoes, green chiles, cornstarch, chile powder, cumin, salt and cheese. Stir well and turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, mix the corn flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add in the chicken broth and butter. Whisk until smooth. Then stir in the cheese.
- Pour the meat filling into the prepared pans. (If you cooked the filling in a cast-iron skillet, you can leave it in the pan.) Pour (or scoop) the corn batter evenly over the top and spread to the edges of the pans. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the corn batter comes out clean. Serve warm!
This is definitely the perfect Tamale Pie! I made this last night and it was SO good! Tastes just like tamales (when you do the masa for the topping). I will definitely be making this again and again!
Loved this recipe – so easy & tasty! Used a boxed cornbread mix and it all came together nicely. I’ll try again for Super Bowl Sunday and sub Frito chips and cheese instead of the cornbread – I’m convinced it’ll be like a Frito Pie. Ha!
It was so good! I used 3 cups chicken broth and 6 tbsp butter with the masa, plus about 2 tbsp sugar. It mixed up beautifully and was thin enough to pour but not too thin. Only had 1 lb ground beef so I added 1 can black beans. I increased the onion and decreased the cheese slightly. Used a 9×13 Pyrex dish and baked about 30-40 minutes. Baked on a Sunday night, refrigerated, reheated portions in the microwave Monday night and it was great. We are going to eat it s few more days so I’ll see how it holds up. I’ve never made this or real tamales before so I have nothing to compare but I thought it was easy to make and so delicious. My very picky kids said it was ok, which is good for them, and they ate every bite without complaint. Thank you!
Can you use cornbread mix (make it as directed) and just bake on top?
Yes, thats what I did and it worked perfectly. Used Jiffy brand, but should have used 2 boxes (didn’t look at how many muffins it makes) to cover the whole thing. It needed a little more bake time than listed on the box – I’m assuming from the moisture underneath, but it was super delicious.
The proportion of broth to masa was a bit off. I only added about 3/4 of the mass mix to the broth and I knew if I added the full amount it would be unspreadable.
This recipe is delicious, and what I call “forgiving.” It’s easy to customize it by removing/adding/exchanging the ingredients a bit without straying too far from the original. I doubled the green pepper just because I like it so much. One thing for sure is that it takes A LOT LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES of prep time to make this — I spent nearly 2 hours putting it together . . . and it was worth every minute.
Thank you! I also spent nearly two hours making this! And the masa proportions were off for me too. I had to add a lot of more broth and water, and I’m still afraid it’s not liquid enough, but I guess I’ll find out in half an hour:)
I made this for our annual pie night and it was a huge hit. I added a can of olives because it just seemed wrong not to. 😆 Also, I covered the pan in tin foil and left it in the warm oven for 20 minutes and it steamed it giving the topping an even more tamale like texture. But those were the only changes I made. The flavor was spot on and it tasted just like the authentic tamales we buy from the roadside stand. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe.
If I prepare this in two 9 inch pie pans, how long does it take to bake one 9 inch pie? I would like to freeze the other pie for another time.
Hi Joyce!
Bake for about 30 minutes for just one pie. Make sure to thaw the other pie before baking. :)
Excellent! Went crazy with doubling everything for the filling, added green bell, black beans, black olives(big family, stretches the meat and meals). Used pulled pork for the meat. Loved the tamale top. I’m freezing half the filling without the cheese to pull out for upcoming postpartum. Oh we skipped the cornstarch in the filling (wasn’t needed) and I used leaf lard for the butter in the topping, because we are out of butter, whoops. Looking forward to the freezer meal!
This is my go to easy dinner. I like to half the meat and add a can of rinsed/drained kidney beans. I also double the spices and use new Mexican red chili instead of regular chili powder. When making the crust I add a teaspoon of cumin as well. I’ve made this vegan by doing a mix of kidney, black, and pinto beans. Everyone who has tried it has loved it. It’s been one of my favorites for years. If you are reheating it in the microwave you can add a splash of water to rehydrate the masa. It tends to get dry after a while.
Never seen corn or veggies in a tamale before. I’ll give it a try.
Great recipe, we’re in the middle of a kitchen remodel so a one pan meal is ideal. I substituted the ground meat with some left over smoked brisket and cooked to whole thing on my grill (no oven yet).
Turned out amazing, definite do over. Next time I’m going to add black beans, meant to this time but forgot.
Thanks for sharing.
I love this recipe. So easy to make, easy to adjust to whatever veggies I have, there’s one leftover to freeze, AND it’s delicious!!