Green Chili Tamale Pie (One Skillet)

A skillet with a green chili tamale pie with cornbread topping.

Green Chili Tamale Pie (One Skillet)

Taking inspiration from Mexican tamales but without all the hard work, this green chili tamale pie is packed with a flavorful beef filling and topped with a deliciously golden cornmeal crust. Bake the tamale pie in the same skillet that you use to cook the beef filling to make cleanup a breeze.

And don't forget the accompaniments! Serve this casserole with your favorite Mexican toppings like sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

4.95 from 18 votes

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Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 484kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Filling

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion finely diced
1 tablespoon chili powder**
2 teaspoons cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves finely minced
1 pound ground beef
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Chili verde sauce or green enchilada sauce
3 ounces Colby Jack cheese grated
2 4 ounce cans of green chilies

Cornbread Topping

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour 175 grams
1 ¼ cups cornmeal 175 grams
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1-½ cups corn fresh, frozen, or canned
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
6 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

Tamale Filling

Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt; stir for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the ground beef and stir to break up the meat while it cooks. Drain off the fat then stir in the beans, chili verde sauce (or enchilada sauce), and half of the grated cheese (reserve 1 cup of cheese for the top of the cornbread).
Remove from the stove; season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Place the green chilies in a layer over the top of the meat mixture. Set aside while you prepare the cornbread mixture.

For the cornbread topping

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the corn, buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir just until combined.
Drop the cornbread batter evenly over the filling, then spread it in an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the center of the cornbread is baked through.
Spread the remaining cheese on top of the baked cornbread and leave in the oven for 1 minute to melt the cheese.

Notes

Adjust the amount of chili powder to your liking. Keep in mind that different brands of chili powder vary in spiciness. Also, if your salsa already packs a spicy punch, you may want to cut back on the amount of chili powder.
If you are using canned corn, one can is equal to about 1-½ cups.

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