Tamales are a family holiday tradition for us, but usually a LOT of work. This incredibly delicious Tamale Pie is a breeze to whip up and is made with only the best ingredients! This is a great meal to prepare for when you’re ready for a break from other holiday fare.
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Before we get to the Tamale Pie, I have to give you a baby update!
We got to see our baby girl (via sonogram) two days ago!! I was trying so hard not to giggle and cry in an effort to keep my belly (and the feed) still …but gosh, it was hard. I’ve known that she’s in there, of course, and we’ve gotten to see her twice before (at our 12-week and 20-week sonograms), but seeing her looking like such a BABY made me melt. Our doctor ordered the sonogram because she wanted to check on Cricket’s (nickname) weight and head size. We know that the weights are just a prediction and can vary quite a bit, but we were eager to get *some* kind of an idea. What we learned about baby girl Cricket…
- She’s in the 70th % for total body weight!
- She has LONG legs and a nice big belly.
- She has the BIGGEST cheeks! I couldn’t get over those cheeks.
- She has noticeably long eye lashes and a lot of hair on her head.
- She’s head-down (for now and hopefully to stay).
- She was a awake, wiggling around, and kept playing with her little toes.
Confession: I’m not a person who gushes over babies …but I think the switch has flipped. I can’t wait to kiss those cheeks and I can’t wait to see her eyes. Well, I can wait …I want her to stay safe in my belly for as long as she needs, but golly am I SO looking forward to the day that I get to meet the little squish.
While we were there, we were filling out some paperwork and we got to one spot on the form where we’d need to write her Social Security Number (once we have it). Between those cheeks and talking to the staff about when she’d get her social, it hit me like a ton of bricks …she’s her OWN PERSON. She’s got cheeks, eyelashes, legs for days, her own unique personality, and will have a social security number. HOW COOL IS THAT? I almost feel silly admitting that it took cheeks and a mention of a social security number for it to really hit home, but that’s what it took for my baby switch to flip.
I got home after that appointment, now REALLY *understanding* that a HUMAN BEING is on her way to our house, even more eager to get everything in order for her arrival. I made a few more “we need/need to do” lists and got to work. My husband has been incredibly helpful with the household honey-do’s and I’ve been honing my Amazon ordering skills. 😉
I’ll be sharing our complete registry soon and will publish another long-form 3rd Trimester Recap when we’re closer to her arrival, but I couldn’t wait to share about how we got to see those sweet, sweet cheeks.
OKAY, ready to talk Tamale Pie? We made this pie about two months ago and, I have to tell you, my husband has been RAVING about it ever since. I’ll walk up to him saying “oh man, this Tamale Pie was so good …Cassy, is the recipe on your blog?” The answer has been “not yet” for months …but no longer! I wanted to queue this special recipe for RIGHT NOW because tamales are such an important part of the Winter/Holiday season here in South Texas. It’s a coin toss whether you’ll find my family dining on turkey or tamales at large gatherings this time of year.
If you’re new to the tamale world, I’ll fill you in! A tamale (usually made in BULK and with a lot of love) is traditionally made with a slather of masa (corn paste) on a corn husk. A spoonful of shredded meat (pork, chicken, beef) is placed along the center and the whole thing is rolled up. The tamales (a corn husk wrapped taco-size) are then all baked together until firm. They’re traditionally served with chili or salsa and are SO good. While individual tamales are a lot of work, this tamale pie IS SO EASY.
Recipe Ingredients
For the Pork
- 5-7 pounds of bone-in pork shoulder roast (3-4 pound boneless)
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of butter
For the Tamale Filling
- 6 ounces of tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice (about one small lime)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of chili powder
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of cumin
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
For the Masa Topping
- 3 cups of masa
- 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter
- 3 cups of chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
How to Make Tamale Pie
- Season, cook, and shred the pork – cut the pork shoulder roast into 3-4 equal-sized pieces, season it with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook it using either the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop (full directions in the recipe card below!). Once the meat is finished, finely shred it using two forks or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the filling – mix together the shredded pork with tomato paste, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Then, layer the pork into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Make the masa topping – mix together the masa, melted butter, salt, baking powder, and broth (1/2 of a cup at a time). The topping should be the consistency of bread dough. Add additional broth to the batter, if needed, to achieve desired consistency.
- Layer the masa topping on top of the pork and bake – spread the prepared masa on top of the pork, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
More Favorite Pork Recipes
Tamale Pie
Ingredients
For the Pork
- 5-7 pounds bone-in pork shoulder roast (3-4 pounds boneless)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Tamale Filling
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about one small lime
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 teaspoons chili powder
- 8 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano
For the Masa Topping
- 3 cups masa
- 1½ sticks butter melted
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
To make the pork:
- Combine the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Cut the pork into 3-4 equal pieces and rub with the chili powder mixture.
Instant Pot Method:
- Set Instant Pot to "sauté" mode and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the pork to the pot and sear 3-4 minutes on each side, working in batches, until each side has a nice brown color. When pork is seared on all sides, add it all back to the pot along with chicken broth, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Place the lid on the pot and ensure that the pressure valve is sealed. Press the “manual” button and set to cook for 90 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure valve slowly. Remove the pork to a large bowl, and once cooled, shred with two forks.
Slow Cooker Method:
- If you have a stovetop-friendly slow cooker insert, melt the butter over high heat. Add the pork to the pot and sear 3-4 minutes on each side, working in batches so that you don't overcrowd, until each side has a nice brown color. When pork is seared on all sides, add it all back to the pot along with chicken broth, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.
- Spoon the pork into a large bowl, and once cooled, shred with two forks.
Stovetop Method:
- Melt the butter over high heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the pork to the pot and sear 3-4 minutes on each side, working in batches so that you don't overcrowd, until each side has a nice brown color. When pork is seared on all sides, add it all back to the pot along with chicken broth, garlic, and bay leaves.
- Place the lid on the pot and turn heat to medium/low. Simmer for 2+ hours, or until the meat easily shreds with a fork.
- Spoon the pork into a large bowl, and once cooled, shred with two forks.
For the Tamale Pie:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add the tomato paste, lime juice, salt, chili powder, oregano, and cumin to the shredded pork. Mix until fully combined. Layer the pork in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, mix together the masa, melted butter, salt, baking powder, and broth 1/2 cup at a time. It should be the consistency of bread dough. Add additional broth to the batter if needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Spread the prepared masa on top of the pork, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
This sounds super tasty!! Can you tell me, the calories say 641, and 8 servings. Is that the calories per serving or for the whole pie?
641 calories per serving!
Amazing! Have had some wild craving for tamales and this hit the spot and was so easy. Even my husband, who doesn’t love tamales, love this!
We’re so glad to hear that, Aimee! I love this recipe, too!!