StewsMediumFree

Tamale Pie

Name: Tamale Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 100 g Cheddar cheese, grated; 1 White onion, diced; 500 g Ground beef; 400 g Black beans, cooked and drained; 200 g Fine cornmeal (polenta); 400 g Crushed tomatoes (canned)

60 min (20 prep + 40 cook) Medium 6 servings Suroeste de EE.UU.

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 29, 2026 · Updated: May 12, 2026

A baked casserole with a cornmeal crust filled with chili con carne — a south-western American classic.

About this recipe

Tamale Pie is a comforting south-western American casserole that captures the spirit of a tamale in the convenience of a baked dish. The base and topping are made from seasoned cornmeal (polenta-style) dough, while the filling is a hearty chili con carne: ground beef, beans, chiles, and Tex-Mex spices. Unlike traditional tamales, which require hours of individual wrapping, Tamale Pie is assembled in a single oven dish and brought straight to the table. It is a popular dish at family gatherings across the American south-west.

History & Origin

Tamale Pie appeared in American cookbooks at the start of the twentieth century as a home-cook adaptation of Mexican tamales for an Anglo-American audience. The first documented recipe dates to 1911 in the Boston Cooking School Magazine. It was a practical way to enjoy Mexican flavours without the laborious process of wrapping individual tamales. Throughout the twentieth century it became a staple of family suppers in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and features in nearly every community cookbook from the south-west.

Estimated cost

$10.80

Total cost

$1.80

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

480

Calories

28g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

18g

Fat

Fiber

820mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 190°C. In a large skillet, soften the diced onion in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ground beef, and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
💡 Drain any excess fat from the ground beef so the filling does not become greasy.
2
Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, drained black beans, and chopped chipotle chiles. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
3
For the cornmeal dough: mix the fine cornmeal (polenta) with chicken stock, salt, and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
💡 The consistency should be like a thick porridge; if it is too stiff, add a little more stock.
4
Grease a 22×33 cm ovenproof dish. Spread half the cornmeal dough over the base to form an even 1 cm layer. Pour the chili con carne filling on top.
5
Cover with the remaining cornmeal dough. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the surface is golden.
💡 Leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving so the layers settle properly.