Tamale pie with cornbread topping, all made in one skillet. It's another ground beef skillet dinner for two, but with Tex-Mex flavors!
Why the Recipe Works
My friend Chungah from the incredible recipe blog Damn Delicious wrote this amazing cookbook called ‘Damn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calorie, High-Energy Living.’ It's filled with tons of low-cal make-ahead meal ideas that serve 2-4 people, which is perfect for us. I settled on making her tamale pie first because I had an intense craving for comforting cornbread.
This incredible ground beef skillet meal makes 4 servings, which is perfect for dinner for two and lunch leftovers the next day! It gets even better as it sits, so you will be looking forward to lunch tomorrow! Plus, each serving is only a little over 400 calories since it's packed with vegetables and lean protein!
One of the reasons I love Chungah’s recipe for tamale pie is because the topping is made with real cornmeal, instead of a store-bought mix. I always have plenty of cornmeal in my pantry, because we use it to keep homemade pizza from sticking to the pizza pan, and for cornmeal waffles and blueberry cobbler, of course!
Tamale Pie Ingredients
Chungah calls for ground turkey in her skillet tamale pie, but I used ground beef because I always have some in the freezer. Her tamale pie is full of fresh vegetables, including my favorite pepper: poblanos! The corn and tomatoes keep it super kid-friendly, too.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles (I used Mild Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles)
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
For the cornbread topping
- ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk (you can substitute milk)
- 1 large egg yolk (egg white reserved for another use)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- ½ cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
How to Make Tamale Pie
- Prep - Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine - In an 8-inch small oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (or turkey), and cook while breaking up with a spoon until the meat has started to brown on one side, about 3-5 minutes. Next, add the garlic, onion, and poblano to the skillet, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the onions soften and the meat is done. Stir in the spices, salt and pepper, and tomatoes (undrained). Bring mixture to a simmer, and then stir in the corn and cilantro. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- For the Topping - Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir, using a rubber spatula. Finally, add the shredded cheese and cilantro, and toss to combine.
- Bake - Pour the cornbread mixture evenly over the surface of the skillet mixture, and bake for 20-22 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Make Ahead and Freeze Tips:
- You can make this recipe ahead by cooking everything except the cornbread crust, and then freezing it.
- Chungah recommends freezing it in individual ramekins for portioning out at a later date. I used a small 10-inch skillet to make this a dinner for two.
- If you cook for two as I do, buttermilk freezes very well in ice cube trays! Shake it before pouring it into the trays. Once it melts, it might be a little separated, but just whisk it together.
- Make your own buttermilk by combining ½ teaspoon of vinegar with ½ cup of milk and letting it rest for 5 minutes. Or, substitute regular milk!
- Not into meat? This Tamale Pie is so hearty that a can of kidney beans would stand in great for the ground meat! I would saute the onion and poblano with the spices on their own to soften before stirring in the kidney beans with the rest of the vegetables.
How to Store
- Refrigerate - If you have any leftovers, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
- Freeze - If you're making this as a freezer meal, stop after you combine everything in the skillet and freeze this part; make the cornbread topping the day of serving.
More Easy Skillet Meals
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I know you will love this skillet dinner and Chungah’s new cookbook!
Tamale Pie
One pan tamale pie with cornbread topping
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles*
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
For the cornbread topping:
- ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
- 1 large egg yolk (egg white reserved for another use)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- ½ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- In an 8-inch small oven-safe skillet (like cast iron), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef (or turkey), and cook while breaking up with a spoon until the meat has started to brown on one side, about 3-5 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic, onion and poblano to the skillet, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the onions soften and the meat is done.
- Stir in the spices, salt and pepper, and tomatoes (undrained). Bring mixture to a simmer, and then stir in the corn and cilantro.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside. If you're making this as a freezer meal, stop here and freeze this part; make the cornbread topping the day of serving.
- To make the cornbread topping, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir, using a rubber spatula. Finally, add the shredded cheese and cilantro, and toss to combine.
- Pour the cornbread mixture evenly over the surface of the skillet mixture, and bake for 20-22 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*I use Mild Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chiles.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 1119mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 29g
Marissa says
This was so good! I was trying ti find a recuoe for some ground venison, and this was the perfect go-to. Thank you, from a fellow Texan!
Debbie says
Made this Saturday night. Was delicious, husband said we need to make it again and again. I did add some chopped pickled jalapenos to the cornbread topping and black beans to the ground turkey mix. Thanks for the recipe!
worn says
This was so good!
Thom says
In the photos, you used a Staub skillet. What size did you use for this recipe? Staub makes a 10” and 12” skillet. Your recipes states, “In an 8-inch small oven-safe skillet...”
Janice Hyder says
Thank you for NOT putting sugar into your cornbread topping! I always say if it has sugar, it isn't cornbread, it's cake!! Great recipe as usual.
Meghan Donahue says
I'm excited to try this tonight. Any side dish suggestions that are easy and don't require hard to find ingredients in COVID grocery limited shopping?
Christina Lane says
What about a bagged salad mix? I buy this Avocado Ranch salad kit at Walmart and it has a taco-esque flavor that we love!
Janice Kelly says
I don't have a cast iron fry pan.
What could I use instead?
Christina Lane says
any skillet the same size
Rhonda Cadiz says
Why does the recipe call for just the egg yoke and not the whole egg?
Christina Lane says
Because it's small batch :)
Kayla says
One of my first of your recipes to try. I made it 3 years ago and can’t count how many times I’ve made it since then. I use the meat recipe for empanadas too!