Chicken Tamale Pie
December 3, 2017
4 Comments
Dive into layers of cornbread, enchilada sauce, chicken, and cheese, baked until melty and topped with all your favorite taco fixings! If you like this chicken tamale pie recipe, you may also enjoy these other easy, one-skillet tamale pie dinner recipes from 2teaspoons:
- Tamale Pie (ground beef)
- Easy Tamale Pie (boxed cornbread mix)
Today I’m revisiting one of my favorite recipes – Tamale Pie! I originally posted a tamale pie recipe using ground beef. Today I’m sharing my chicken tamale pie version. It cooks up just as easily and just as deliciously. Once the chicken is cooked it comes together in one-dish and is packed with buttery cornbread, gooey cheese, zesty enchilada sauce, and tender chicken. You can even throw in some sautéed peppers and onions to give this dish a fajita flare.
This chicken tamale pie recipe is very versatile and can be adapted to fit the ingredients you have on hand. I’ve made this recipe as written below with cornmeal and flour, but I’ve also used boxed cornbread mix in my Easy Tamale Pie recipe. I’ve also used pretty much every enchillada sauce under the sun and they all work wonderfully. Hot, mild, red, green – just pick one you like and enjoy!
I baked this chicken tamale pie in a 10 inch cast iron skillet, but the recipe also cooks up well in a 9×9 or 9×13 baking dish or a deep pie dish. The size of the pan will change the thickness, but not the deliciousness of each layer. Just adjust the baking time of the cornbread layer to make sure it is fully cooked before adding the enchilada sauce, chicken, and cheese layers.
I love my chicken tamale pie topped with all the taco/fajita fixings…Salsa, sour cream, guacamole, shredded cheese, hot sauce, cilantro, and lime juice. It’s super personalizable, so have fun with it and enjoy!
Chicken Tamale Pie
Ingredients
CORNBREAD
-
Click here for my Easy Tamale Pie recipe with Jiffy corn bread mix instead
-
½ cup cornmeal
-
2/3 cup flour
-
3 tablespoons sugar
-
1 tablespoon baking powder
-
¼ teaspoon salt
-
3-4 tablespoons oil I used olive oil
-
1/3 cup milk
-
1 egg
-
1 small can diced green chiles 4.5 ounce can
-
1 can of corn or creamed corn 14.5 ounce can
MEAT
-
No chicken on hand - click here for Tamale Pie with ground beef
-
3 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken about 300 grams or 10 ounces by weight OR 1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
-
1-2 cups sautéed peppers and onions optional
-
1 teaspoon cumin
-
1 teaspoon chili powder
-
¼ teaspoon salt
-
¼ teaspoon pepper
TAMALE PIE
-
1 ¼ cup enchilada sauce
-
2 cups of shredded cheese I used sharp white cheddar, but mild cheddar, monterey jack, pepper jack or any cheese you'd use for tacos will work wonderfully
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
-
Salsa
-
Guacamole
-
Sour Cream
-
Shredded Cheese
-
Hot Sauce
-
Cilantro
-
Lime wedges
Instructions
-
If using uncooked chicken, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken in baking dish and bake until fully cooked, about 40 minutes. Shred or dice chicken and set aside.
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
-
Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet, deep pie dish, 9x9 or 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
-
Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add oil until soft crumbles form. Whisk in milk and egg. Gently fold in chiles and corn. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake until set (a toothpick should come out clean), about 20 minutes.
-
While cornbread is baking, combine cooked chicken with spices, salt, pepper, and optional sautéed vegetables.
-
Once cornbread is done baking, reduce oven to 350 degree F. Poke holes in cornbread with a fork and pour enchilada sauce over it. Top with chicken and then top with shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and back until cheese begins to brown, about 5-10 minutes.
-
Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Debbie
Delicious recipe! I have made quite a few recipes on Pinterest, this rates way high!!!!
Karen
Hi Debbie! I’m really happy to hear that you like the recipe. Finding recipes on Pinterest is so much fun 🙂
Carla Patterson
Ohhh, it looks so adorable <3 Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe with us 😛 I will make sure to prepare it over the weekend!
Karen
Thanks Carla! I’d love to hear how it turns out for you 🙂