Chipotle Tamale Pie
This easy recipe creates a comforting tamale pie by combining seasoned ground turkey with beans, tomatoes, and chipotle chiles. The savory filling is topped with a quick cornbread batter and baked until golden brown, resulting in a flavorful, hearty casserole.
Equipment
- 1 8-inch Baking Dish
- 1 Nonstick Skillet Large enough to brown meat and combine filling
- 1 Mixing Bowl For preparing cornbread batter
- 1 Spoon For pressing the filling
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
Main
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 8-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 chipotle chiles plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from can chipotle in adobo
- 1 cup grated Cheddar
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 8.5-ounce package cornbread mix
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grease an 8-inch baking dish with the butter and set it aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, the onions, green peppers, and garlic and cook until the turkey is no longer pink and is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat and sprinkle the meat mixture with the cumin.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, chiles and adobo sauce to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until heated through and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cheese and cilantro.
- Spread the turkey mixture in the prepared baking dish, pressing down on it with the back of a spoon to make an even, compact layer.
- Combine the cornbread mix with milk and egg. Spread the cornbread batter over the turkey mixture and bake until the cornbread is golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the tamale pie stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
Ensure the ground turkey is thoroughly browned and excess fat is drained before adding other filling ingredients to prevent a greasy result. Simmer the filling until slightly thickened; this helps the final pie hold its shape. Pressing the turkey mixture firmly into the baking dish creates a solid base for the cornbread topping. Bake until the cornbread is evenly golden brown, indicating it's cooked through. Letting the pie rest for 5 minutes allows it to set, making it easier to slice.