One Pan Tamale Pieis made with a rich, delicious meat and vegetable filling. It’s topped with a golden cornbread crust that has cheese and green onions in it, and it’s all made in one skillet!

I’ve been eating tamale pie my whole life – it’s one of the things my mom made as a kid.I’ve always liked it, and now I really love it. This is the step-up from your average cornbread and chili tamale pie recipes and it’s a keeper. The idea behind tamale pie is that it’s all the wonderful flavors of tamales, all layered together in a pie form.

This recipe is a favorite at our house because it’s so full of flavor. The filling is made with hamburger, beans, corn, and tomatoes. The golden cornbread topping is extra delicious thanks to the additions of green onion tops and some cheese.Seriously, it’s a one-pan dish that you’ll be making over and over again because it’s packed with all the delicious tamale flavor but with a fraction of the time and effort.Serve it with someveggiesor asaladand dinner is complete!

One Pan Tamale pie is made with a rich meat and vegetable filling topped with a golden cornbread crust that has cheese and green onions in it, all made in one skillet.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple and Quick: It’s a perfect weeknight dinner option when you want something hearty but don’t have much time.
One-Pot Convenience: The entire dish is made in one skillet! Fewer dishes to clean and you can serve straight from the pan.
Crowd-Pleaser: The combination of a rich, flavorful filling with a cheesy cornbread crust makes it a hit with both kids and adults.

Ingredients

Ground Beef
Green Onions
Chili Powder
Dried Oregano
Salt and Pepper
Black Beans
Canned Diced Tomatoes
Frozen Corn
Chicken Broth
All-Purpose Flour
Yellow Cornmeal
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Buttermilk
Vegetable Oil
Egg
Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

How to Make One Pot Tamale Pie

Step #1.Preheat the oven. In a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, brown the meat.

Step #3.While the meat mixture simmers, make the cornbread topping. Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Make a well in the middle, and add the wet ingredients. Stir until combined then fold in the green onion and cheese. Spread batter evenly over the meat mixture.

Step #2.Add the whites of the onions, chili powder, oregano and salt. Then add the beans, tomatoes, corn, and broth. Simmer for a few minutes.

Step #4.Place the skillet in the oven. Bake until the topping is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

What if I don’t have a cast iron skillet?

If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet or dutch oven, you can cook the filling and transfer it to a 9×9-inch baking dish. Mix and spread the cornbread topping on as directed.

Can I use a different meat?

Feel free to swap out the hamburger for another ground meat that you’d like such as turkey, chicken, or even venison or elk.

Expert Tips

If you’d like to spice it up, add a chopped jalapeno to the meat with the onions and spices.
If you need to make it less spicy, swap out the pepper jack cheese for cheddar or colby jack.
Be careful not to overmix the cornbread batter otherwise it will become tough.

How to Serve One Pot Tamale Pie

You can serve this with some sour cream on top. I actually like fresh tomatoes and some thinly sliced lettuce piled on top, plus some hot sauce and black olives. Perk of eating a taco-ish dish – you can top it how you like.

More One Pot Recipes to Consider

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Recipe adapted from and inspired by the Pork Tamale Recipe inAmerica’s Test Kitchen’s One Pan Wonders Cookbook(page 41). It’s a great cookbook – I highly recommend it.