I don’t think anyone in my family has ever made an actual tamale from scratch, but my grandma did used to make an amazing tamale pie that I could never get enough of. Hers used ground beef and olives and a few different things than this Chicken Tamale Pie, but that classic box of Jiffy is the same and so is that comforting combo of red sauce and ooey-gooey cheese to top it all off. It’s an easy weeknight meal that always pleases!
What Ingredients Are in Chicken Tamale Pie?
It’s not a long list! And there a couple store-bought staples to help you out. You’ll need:
- Cornbread mix. (I always use Jiffy.)
- Milk and an egg for that mix.
- Cream-style corn.
- Green chiles.
- Enchilada sauce. Canned or make your own.
- Cooked and shredded chicken. (A great use for rotisserie!)
- Taco seasoning.
- A good melting cheese, like Monterey Jack or Mexican blend.
How Do You Make Chicken Tamale Pie?
It’s almost as easy as that ingredient list.
First, you’ll want to whisk together the cornbread mix, the egg, and the milk with the green chiles and the cream-style corn. (Trust it. It gives the cornbread layer some texture and extra flavor. It’s delicious.) You pour that mixture into a pie pan and bake it until it’s set, which should take around twenty minutes.
Once the cornbread comes out of the oven, you want to poke it all over with the handle end of a wooden spoon. This creates some areas for the filling to drip down into the cornbread layer and flavor it, which is a very good thing.
Drizzle some of the enchilada sauce over the cornbread, then mix the rest with the chicken, taco seasoning, and a bit of the cheese. Spread the chicken over the top of the cornbread, top it with the rest of the cheese, and put it back in the oven until that cheese is melty and irresistible.
You can top it with all your favorite things — like black olives, sour cream, cilantro, some hot sauce — but truly, it’s delicious just as it is. It’s very easy to throw together too, which makes it a great dinner recipe to come back to again and again.
Chicken Tamale Pie
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 (15 oz) can cream-style corn
- 1 (8.5 oz) box cornbread/muffin mix, such as jiffy
- 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
- 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup Monterey Jack or Mexican blend shredded cheese
- Green onions, sliced, for topping
- Fresh cilantro, for topping
- Sour cream, for topping
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Add the corn, muffin mix, and green chiles and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate.
- Bake until cornbread has set, 20-30 minutes.
- Using the handle end of a wooden spoon, poke holes sporadically across the cornbread, to allow the filling to drip down and flavor it.
- Drizzle about a half cup of the enchilada sauce over the cornbread layer.
- In a clean bowl, stir together the chicken, taco seasoning, the remaining enchilada sauce, and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Spoon mixture over the cornbread base.
- Top with remaining cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, 15-20 minutes.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with green onion, cilantro, and sour cream, or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum.