Every item on this page was chosen by The Fed & Fit team. The site may earn a commission on some products (read more here).

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.

Top down view of tamale pie in a casserole dish on a grey surface. There is a scoop out of the casserole. It's topped with slices of avocado and jalapeno.

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.

Slice of tamale pie on a stack of two light pink plates. There are a couple bottles of Topo Chico sparkling water in the background and a casserole dish. The slice of pie is topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

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.

Top down of tamale pie on a light pink plate. It is topped with slices of jalapeno, cilantro, and avocado cubes.

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.

Tamale Pie 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

Chunks of pork shoulder on a cutting board seasoned with seasoning.

Shredded pork shoulder in a large glass bowl.

Pork shoulder that has been seared in an instant pot.

Shredded pork with seasoning in a large glass bowl.

Pork shoulder with bay leaves and broth in an instant pot.

Seasoned shredded pork in a large glass bowl.

Masa covered casserole in a casserole dish.

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!

a plate of pork carnitas tacos garnished with lime wedges and cilantro

Just for You

Pork Recipes

Want more recipe ideas like this?

explore

Instant Pot 6 Quart 6-in-1 Pressure Cooker Shop Now

All-Clad Programmable Slow Cooker Shop Now

Duralex Stacking Glass Bowls Set Shop Now

Aluminum Foil Shop Now