Chicken Tamale Pie
This chicken tamale pie is made up of a soft, sweet cornbread crust and topped off with chicken, enchilada sauce, and melted cheese. This is the perfect dinner idea for when you’re wanting to spice things up!
Over the past few years I’ve made a tamale pie dish that uses ground beef or turkey that Josh and I really love. I mean it’s topped with cornbread, what’s not to love? But lately I’ve found myself wanting to try new things when it comes to dinners. I tend to get stuck in ruts and eat the same things over and over again. While they’re delicious, they tend to get old pretty quick.
Instead of my usual tamale pie I decided to find a recipe to spice things up. So, I searched for a recipe that uses chicken instead of ground beef. I live on the wild side. Clearly. 
This chicken tamale pie has a delicious cornbread crust on the bottom that’s baked first until it’s almost set. Then you add some enchilada sauce, chicken, and shredded cheese on top and bake it a little longer until the cheese is all nice and mellttaayy. Cheese is always necessary.
After I popped this baby out of the oven I let it cool for a minute and then tried a small bite. It was like love at first bite. If there was ever a food heaven I’m pretty sure I went there for a minute.. or two. Then I snapped back to reality and took some pictures so I could go eat some. 
This tamale pie is delicious topped with some cilantro or sour cream. Once Josh tried some he told me we could never go back to the old tamale pie recipe again. I agreed.
Chicken Tamale Pie
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup fat free milk I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 egg
- 1 8.5 oz. box corn muffin mix preferably Jiffy
- 1 14.75 oz. can cream-style corn
- 1 4.5 oz. can diced green chilies drained
- 1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9" pie dish well with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the milk, egg, corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, and green chilies until just combined. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss the chicken with the taco seasoning and set aside.
- Once cornbread has almost set, remove from oven and poke holes throughout the top. Pour the can of enchilada sauce evenly over the top. Add the chicken on top, then the cheese.
- Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
I made this tonight as written and it was delicious! Will for sure make again.
I made this recently, and it was delicious. I replaced the green chilies with the same amount of finely-diced black olives (as I just don’t like green chilies). I would recommend using more taco seasoning and adding it into the corn muffin mix part as well as it did seem a bit bland (although that could have been because I didn’t use the green chilies). I would also recommend using a deep dish pie dish or, even, a 9×12 rectangular dish if you don’t mind it not being round. The first part of the recipe fit fine in the dish I had (which was a shallow 9 inch pie dish), but, once it baked up, and I had to add the can of enchilada sauce with the chicken and cheese on top of that, it spilled out from the sides (even with most of it soaking through the holes I poked), and I had to bake it the rest of the way on a pan. Not too big of a deal as it still baked well and was easy to slice and remove… but having it in a deep dish pan would have kept the sauce from spilling and would have prevented me from, then, having to move a hot dish onto a pan before putting it back in the oven!
This is a new family favorite. It is so easy to make, we add black beans to the chicken. We love it as leftovers if there is any left! Great recipe.
Yummy! Instead of adding chillies to the cornbread, I used a can of Rotel. I also added onion, black beans, & green pepper. Definitely a keeper!
I made this and it was very good! I made two 9in pies and doubled the recipe. I used Kristen’s honey cornbread mix. Everything worked out fine a little overflowing in the pie rounds but dang it was tasty!!!! Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe is amazing the only thing I added was a 1/2 c sauteed onion on top of enchilada sauce. Absolutely amazing.
I’ve never tried this before, but I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for. This was so good and so unbelievably easy!!! Thanks for the super recipe!
want to make this for a personal shower. i work the day of the shower. Do you think i could make it and bake it the night before and reheat it at the shower. Anysuggestions are welcomed.
I think that would be fine, Linda. You could also bake the cornbread part the night before, then add the enchilada sauce, chicken, and cheese the next day and pop it into the oven right before if you have access to one.
Hi Linda. Wondering if you tried the “bake ahead” option and how it turned out. I’m planning to take it to a friend since they just became new parents and cooking is the last of their priorities. I was hoping to cook it tonight and bring it over tomorrow with instructions on reheating and/or freezing. Just debating which option (bake it all or only the crust tonight) works best.
Thanks in advance!
Hi, Abby! I haven’t tried freezing this yet, but it does refrigerate and reheat well in the microwave. Hope that helps!
This is so yummy and easy to make! I have made it several times. Love your recipes.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Amy! Thank you for the kind comment! We love making this too, we just had it for dinner the other night 🙂
Danielle!!! Girl this has me CRAVING tamale pie and it’s nearly bedtime haha. This looks amazing, and I love the cornbread crust. Definitely adding this to our weekend menu!
What a wonderful, easy dinner! I am drooling over all that melted cheese!
This recipe just got me SO excited Danielle! Fall is almost here, and it’s time for me to start baking and making yummy things in the oven for dinner. This tamale pie looks just delicious. I love that you used cornbread for the crust too!
I’m so ready for fall and baking too, Natalie! I loved the cornbread crust in this dish, we made it again for dinner the other night haha.
I have never heard of tampale pie before.. you get to learn new things everyday… 😀
It looks so sooo tasty.. thanks for sharing! Pinning! 🙂
Thanks, Arpita! Thanks for pinning too!
I’ve never had anything like this before? It looks so cheesey and molten and delicious!! Im already getting ideas for dinner tonight!
OMG Danielle!!!!!!! I just want to DIVE FACE FIRST into this!!!!!!! That tamale pie is making me DROOOOOL! I’m loving the melted cheese and the sauce in this!!!! I also love the fact that you’ve used chicken since that is the only meat based protein I enjoy eating! 😀
Thanks, Samina! Chicken is definitely my favorite too!
This looks amazing, Danielle! I think I could eat this everyday for dinner and never get tired of it! Cheese, cornmeal, and enchilada sauce are a few of my favorite things and you can never go wrong when you combine them!
Thanks! They’re three of my favorite things too, I loved this dish 🙂
Yum! This tamale pie looks so delicious. I love the addition of the cornbread crust 🙂 Pinned !
Thanks for pinning, Ashley!
Wow, this tamale pie looks amazing Danielle! The cornbread crust is such a great idea. Love the flavors in here and can’t wait to try this out 🙂
This pie looks delicious, Danielle! Love the flavours, so tasty!
The cheesieness of this dish is unbelievable, so craving a massive bowlful right now! Never would have thought to add corn muffin mix into a pie before, need to try the recipe!
It’s absolutely delicious, Thalia! Hope you enjoy it if you try it 🙂
This is totally happening!! Pinned!
Thanks so much for pinning, Dorothy!
Oh yum!! Cornbread crust?! I love it! I love comfort food like this! I am adding this of my list of things to try!
Great idea to use cornbread for a crust. This tamale pie sounds like an ultimate weekday comfort meal.
I couldn’t agree more, Mary Frances! Thanks so much for pinning 🙂
This tamale pie looks amazing, Danielle! The cornbread crust has got to be my favorite part, so creative. And I love that you used chicken, too! I’m always look for new dinner recipes, so I will have to try this out! Pinned!
The crust is super moist, sometimes cornbread can be dry by itself. I loved it! Thanks for pinning, Gayle 🙂
This dinner sounds and looks like my ULTIMATE comfort food. Seriously, it looks SO easy, yet so warm and cheesy. I don’t blame you one single bit for wanting to eat it all right then and there! 😉
Thanks, Sarah! It’s seriously good 🙂