Vegetarian Tamale Pie

By Melissa Clark

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(2,208)
Notes: Read community notes

Not to be confused with a Latin American tamale, tamale pie is a comforting retro casserole made from ground beef chili that is topped with cornbread batter and then baked. This vegetarian version relies on vegetables and beans instead of meat. Fresh green chiles and onions are broiled until charred to deepen their flavor, then puréed with tomatoes to make a complex sauce for the beans. The cornbread topping — crisp at the surface, tender underneath — gets an optional handful of Cheddar folded into the mix for added verve. Serve this one-pot meal on its own or with a creamy dollop of sour cream or yogurt on the side.

Featured in: A Vegetarian Update for Old-School Tamale Pie

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

For the Chili

1large red or white onion, halved
2jalapeños, halved lengthwise and seeded (if desired)
1poblano or green bell pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1¾teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
1(28-ounce) can whole plum or diced tomatoes
3fat garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2tablespoons mild or hot chili powder, more as needed
2teaspoons dried oregano
1¾teaspoons ground cumin
3(15-ounce) cans black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (optional)

For the Cornbread

¾cup/135 grams fine cornmeal
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½teaspoons baking powder
½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1large egg, at room temperature
⅓cup/80 grams sour cream or whole-milk yogurt, plus more for serving
¼cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2teaspoons honey
2scallions, whites and greens thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1cup grated Cheddar (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the chili: Move a rack as close to the heating element as possible and heat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Finely dice half of the onion and set aside for later.
Step 2
Slice remaining onion half into ½-inch-thick half-moons and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Place jalapeños and poblano next to onions, cut sides down. Lightly brush vegetables with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Broil 2 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are charred on one side. (If the chiles are small, they will be charred after 1 to 2 minutes.) Flip vegetables and broil until the other side is charred, 1 to 3 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer pan to a rack until cool enough to handle, then stem the peppers. Transfer charred vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender (or use a bowl and immersion blender). Add canned tomato and ¼ teaspoon salt, and blend to a coarse purée. You can make this up to 4 days ahead, and store in the refrigerator until needed.)
Step 4
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add diced onion and sauté until lightly browned, 6 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, oregano, remaining 1½ teaspoons salt and cumin, and cook until spices darken, about 30 seconds.
Step 5
Add beans and the reserved tomato purée, and let mixture simmer until thick like a chili, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, if using. Taste and add more salt and chili powder, if needed.
Step 6
While the chili simmers, prepare the cornbread: In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt.
Step 7
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, butter and honey. Whisk egg mixture into cornmeal mixture until combined. Fold in scallions.
Step 8
Spread cornbread topping over the chili, then top with grated cheese, if using. Bake, uncovered, until cornbread is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot or warm, topped with sour cream and more scallions.

Ratings

4 out of 5

2,208 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Joel1 year ago

As always, I'll use Bob's Red Mill medium grind cornmeal. BTW, the cornbread recipe on the bag is outstanding. It calls for buttermilk, but I just clabber milk with lemon juice or vinegar.

dimmerswitch1 year ago

Noting some commenters so far report their experience of the cornmeal topping being too little to cover the beans adequately, I wonder if the size of Dutch oven used might be a factor? The instructions say "large Dutch oven". At my house that would be my 7 qt size but that would be too big. So I'm thinking the 5 qt - or 5 1/2 qt size might be more in the range of what is meant by "large" here? That's the size I'm choosing for first try today.

Kate1 year ago

Made this tonight, halved. Everything tasted good but I would double the cornbread next time, it sort of dissolved into the chili instead of being a distinct thick layer like in the photo

Pat1 year ago

Rather than using a Dutch oven I used my 12 inch cast iron skillet. Perfect.

Jess1 year ago

Love pickled jalapeños! Another sub - canned chipotles in adobo sauce. After using one or two chipotles the first go, I puree the rest with their sauce and freeze. Cut off a chunk at a time to add to anything that calls for heat and smoky flavor.

Johanna Humbert1 year ago

Since I was just cooking for myself, I made a smaller batch of chili, stuffed bell pepper halves with it and topped them with the cornbread. Baked on foil-covered cookie sheet. I did need to cover them for the last five or ten minutes in the oven because the cornbread was getting browned. The cornbread did overflow the peppers -- that's on me miscalculating how much I needed! Tasted great, I had one for dinner and one for lunch at work.

Fxl Shultz1 year ago

Add black olives and corn for a heartier meal.

Dew1 year ago

Maybe make it in muffin tins & freeze after cooking? (I cooked for 1 for a long time & found muffin tins to be my best kitchen tool: shepherds pie is especially nice!)

Richard1 year ago

The only difference between white and yellow cornmeal is the color of the corn it is made from. Use whatever you have.

Raydon1 year ago

The version I grew up with was simply topped with polenta (a.k.a. Cornmeal mush). I still prefer it because the texture is closer to actual tamales.

Rachel1 year ago

Proportion of chili to cornbread didn’t quite work for me. There wasn’t enough cornbread to fully cover the chili in my Dutch oven and the cornbread got a little dried out. I will try again but double the cornbread next time. Tasted great though!

Warren RI1 year ago

I "discovered" pickled jalapenos in the jar during the pandemic when fresh ones weren't available. Now I use them for most recipes that specify jalapenos. For this recipe I put some in the filling, the corn bread and a bowlful at the table. Yummy

KM1 year ago

Yes to adding black olives and doubling the cornbread—with buttermilk—! My great Aunt who lived in NM used to make this when I was teeny-tiny. Her husband was a sheriff, she was the epitome of “a pistol” and she could COOK. I have some New Mexico green Chile powder from Spice House that I’ve been dying to try that may just put this over the top! Yum!

John1 year ago

I have been making variations on this for years. We like to add peas, cubes of potato, or a shredded carrot (often all 3). Adds some flavor and nutrients.

awesome1 year ago

I used a 5.5 quart Dutch oven after seeing the notes and the cornbread recipe was perfect for it without doubling. Next time I’ll add corn! I used pickled jalapeños as well since I always have those on hand. I’ll definitely be making this again!

recooks4 weeks ago

I used half of the chili for 4 people. If I were going to use all of it to feed more people, I would double the crust recipe. I also added some buttermilk to the crust since it was very thick and not so easy to spread over the chili. Very tasty!

Isa1 month ago

Delicious!! I am lazy so I made it with box cornbread mix (JIFFY brand) and used two small boxes, enough for twelve muffins, and it was perfect!

justine2 months ago

Made exactly as directed. Really really good.

Isabel2 months ago

I made this with Jiffy Cornbread mix (and used an extra half egg, honey, and sour cream to make a mini cast-iron of extra cornbread) and it turned out great! Shredded Mexican cheese blend on top. I chopped up my peppers pre-char and it still turned out good. Used 2 cans of black beans and one of red kidney beans. I used cilantro paste and added extra cilantro into the sour cream topping for added freshness. Might add: scallions, black olive, corn in future, fure roasted tomatoes

kccook2 months ago

I, too, halved the chili recipe but made the entire amount of cornbread. We really liked it! I also added some Trader Joe's soy chorizo to bulk it up a bit. Half the recipe easily made four moderate servings.

cori3 months ago

Super tasty. Doubled the cornbread recipe as others suggested. Perfect amount. Used Serrano peppers and and a couple of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce in the sauce.

Kavita3 months ago

To solve for the too little cornbread issue, I cooked the chili in my 5.5 quart Dutch oven but then transferred it to a 3.5 quart cocette before topping with the cornbread. The cocette would have been too small to cook the chili without making a mess. It was perfect other than having to wash another pot and the pan that I put on the rack below in the oven to catch chili that boiled over (a minimal amount). I used jiffy mix for the dry cornbread ingredients. Delicious!

Leah Fletcher3 months ago

You forgot sliced olives. Always in a tamale pie

StephSki3 months ago

Okay, I made my second iteration of this tonight and it came out great! I added a cup of green lentils to it and canned corn, simmered for about 30 mins (so lentils will cook) then I made spoonbread by damn delicious to put on top. The lentils just gave it more weight and soaked up a lot of the wetness. The spoon bread is softer, sweeter, and extremely simple. Then I put shredded cheese on top! 😁

Mary4 months ago

This was great! The chili is very smokey - def. recommend broiling peppers and onions - it tastes delicious combined with the cornbread and sour cream. I baked it in a large cast iron skillet after reading the reviews - recommended. I used a boxed mix from Trader Joe's instead of making the corn bread from scratch. I used the entire box (with milk and an egg) and this was just the right amount - although probably a little too much if you want a smaller ratio of cornbread to chili.

additions4 months ago

Double cornbread recipe and I froze half the chili filling. Also added vegan meat and diced green chilies.

Cori Rose4 months ago

I Halved the recipe, used a whole egg anyway in cornbread. In hindsight I would not halve the cornbread since half wasn’t really enough to top in my 2 qt Dutch oven. Loved the charred roasted veggies blended in the chili. Great flavor. Next time I might throw some green olives in the chili too. Served with simple calabacitas. So good!

more sausage! 1 cup less milk4 months ago

(Blending with recipe for the same fromAmerica’s Test Kitchen): Double the tomatoes. Drain & set aside 2 cups of the liquid. Roast (at 475 for 30 min) all veggies after tossing in olive oil. Stir in cumin, oregano, chili powder and roast for 10 more minutes. Puree with set aside tomato juice. considrr keeping the bean licker and double the polenta topping. leave out honey from that mixture. Add a layer of Monterey Jack cheese to top of veggies (add polenta. (Bake at 425 for 20 min.

Jen4 months ago

Great family weekend meal. Made recipe as written. A little extra work but worth it. Served with sliced avocado and sour cream.

sam sifton4 months ago

Tasty and very filling. Next time I’ll bake it in a casserole dish so it’s easier to store the leftovers. Trying to get it out of a Dutch oven without ruining the cornbread topping wasn’t easy.

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