This Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole is a mix of fresh and dried peppers, onions, and more to kick up the heat – combined with the sweet cornbread crust and creamed corn, which comes together to provide the perfect depth of flavor in every bite.

A Coogan family favorite! We have always been big fans of tamales especially authentic homemade tamales … seriously … we will eat them up! Hoping I could make my own and after researching traditional tamales, I decided an easy tamale casserole or tamale pie recipe was a much safer bet for me to tackle … plus I’m a sucker for any casserole recipe! I’ve only been baking and cooking for a few years now (thanks to my hubs and his amazing tutelage!) and didn’t want to disappoint myself. However, this great recipe is so super easy! And it has turned out to be a real crowd-pleaser, for sure!

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I’ve changed it up over the years and I’ve settled on this easy Mexican food recipe to be the absolute best combination of flavors. Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole has been a guaranteed winner for us time and time again. Even in a 9×13 inch casserole dish, it’s rare for our family of four (when both are home from college) to have leftovers, and if we do have a few slices to spare they are quickly claimed and demolished by our kids the next day.

Because our family enjoys a little more heat and spice to our meals …

I like to use strained creamed corn instead of canned or frozen corn to add some sweetness and to balance out the dish. You can adjust the Mexican flavors, seasonings, and level of heat to your liking prior to assembling the beef tamale casserole. This way, it will be the perfect comfort food for your family every single time.

A hint of sweetness, plus a hint of spice – makes this Beef Tamale Casserole oh so nice …

What do you need to make Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole?

Relying on a perfect combination of ingredients and a blend of herbs and spices brings it up to “favorite” status in our family! But the great thing is that it is all within your control to adjust it to your preferred taste. Corey likes to shop at small neighborhood grocers for super fresh produce but also those that specialize in certain foods and he always comes home with some of the most unique and tasty finds. The one he could spend hours in is an Asian market just down the street from us. This is where he found the blessing of all spices …. Ground Roasted Chili Peppers! If you can’t find it locally, you can use additional red chili pepper flakes and a smidge of cayenne pepper. Just be sure to add a teeny tiny bit at a time, stir, taste, and repeat if needed.

For this recipe you will need the following from the grocery store:

• Ground beef, 1 pound ground beef {or substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or use up a rotisserie chicken }
• 1 medium red bell pepper or green bell pepper , diced
• 8 ounces of taco sauce {I love the taste of a jar of Taco Bell Mild Sauce!}
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Roasted Chili Peppers or chili powder {Corey found this incredible spice blend at our local Asian market!}
• Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon salt {or to taste}
• Black pepper, 1 teaspoon pepper {or to taste}
• Dried red pepper flakes
• 2 – 8.5 ounce boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix or Jiffy Cornbread Mix
• 2 medium eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup of Mexican blend shredded cheese
• 1 can of creamed corn, drained

To garnish this tasty casserole you will need:

• Sour cream because it’s just yummy especially as it melts in throughout the casserole
• Diced green onions, green chilies, or black olives
• Dried parsley because this little guy always makes food look pretty
• And … you can never go wrong with salsa verde or other favorite taco toppings to serve on the side

How to make Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole:

Step 1

You’ll find this to be a really easy dish to make. I prefer to get the ground beef started in a large skillet first and cook it over medium to medium-high heat so it slowly browns, giving me time to mix the corn muffin Jiffy mix and flavor the beef to our preferred taste with veggies and taco seasoning.

Step 2

Open your can of creamed corn, place a strainer over a salad or soup bowl, and pour the corn into the strainer to drain. Just leave it there until you need it but every once in a while move the corn around with a spoon to get as much liquid to drain as possible.

Step 3

While the ground beef is slowly browning, start preparing the corn muffin mix by mixing together the eggs, milk, and corn muffin dry mix in a large bowl. Combine well. Divide the mixture in half and transfer to an additional medium bowl. Stir in half of the shredded cheese to just one of the corn muffin mixtures. Set both bowls to the side until needed.

Step 4

Go back to your ground beef, continuing to stir and brown. Typically, I like to drain the fat from the beef but I use lower fat content beef in this recipe and the remaining fat in the skillet will add more flavor to the fresh peppers and onions. But if you are using a higher-fat beef and feel like it’s just too much, go ahead and spoon some of it out prior to adding your veggies, seasonings, and taco sauce.

Step 5

Next add in the bell peppers, onions, taco sauce, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and a small amount of dried red chili pepper flakes and ground roasted chili peppers. Continue to stir and when the beef is no longer pink, begin to taste test the sauce and adjust as necessary to add more heat or leave it be.

The taste-testing is SUPER IMPORTANT! This is where you create a sauce and meat mixture that is PERFECT for you and your family’s tastebuds! So grad a spoonful, blow on it to cool and take a bite. If you feel you can turn the heat up a notch, add a small amount at a time, and repeat until it is just right.

Look at those veggies! I love a colorful meal, don’t you?

Step 6

Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then begin to prepare your casserole dish.

Step 7

Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with a layer of non-stick cooking spray. Spread the cornbread batter (the one WITHOUT the mixed-in cheese) in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Bring it to the edges of the baking dish and level it out as best as you can.

Step 8

Top the cornbread base with the strained creamed corn. A spoon works best for this part. Just drop spoonfuls of corn around and then using the back of the spoon, level and carefully spread it out so every bite will include a taste of this delicious sweet corn.

Step 9

Next layer it with the remaining half for the Mexican blend of shredded cheese. I really, REALLY love cheese and it was super tempting to add more from the fridge, but I refrained. We’ve still got a few layers to go.

Step 10

Then add the beef filling mixture as the next layer. Oh, this looks so good … I can’t wait for you to taste it!

Step 11

Finally, top the beef mixture with the remaining bowl of corn muffin mix and cheese. Use a fork to carefully spread it around as close to the edges as possible. It has a sticky consistency so spread it slowly in order to provide coverage over the beef mixture and still have enough to cover the entire dish. You will see some of the beef around the edges, and that’s ok.

Step 12

Bake the Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole for 50 to 60 minutes in a 350-degree oven until the cornbread topping is golden brown and has been cooked all the way through. To see if it’s thoroughly cooked all the way through, you can check it with a toothpick. Pierce this easy weeknight meal in several places to see if the toothpick comes out dry. If it is, you’re all good and ready to serve.

Optional step

You certainly don’t have to do this step … totally optional but I really enjoy making every recipe pretty. And since I always have plenty of dried parsley in our pantry, I top the entire casserole with a few sprinkles. See how she went from cute to drop-dead gorgeous??!! Add some sour cream to the top of each serving and it’s like turning her into the queen that she is!

What can I serve with a tamale casserole?

Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole is already loaded with vegetables, protein, and a few carbs so this meal can easily stand alone at the dinner table but if your plate looks a little lonely, you can serve it with a side of some of these options below;

• Sliced avocados
• Whole kernel corn
• Black beans
• Refried beans
• Green garden salad
• Spanish rice
• Additional sweet corn cake on the side

Can you freeze this Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole for another day?

This dish will freeze well, baked or unbaked. If you freeze it prior to baking, be sure to cover it in aluminum foil and cook for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until it is heated through to the center of the casserole.

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 3 days. Heat in the microwave or air fryer just to heat through to the center. The leftovers are really yummy!

Is your mouth watering yet? I’m wishing I had some leftovers right about now as I’m working on this post! I’m excited to hear your thoughts though so be sure to comment below if you make this recipe. Did you make any variations to the recipe? What did your family think?

Sweet & Spicy Tamale Casserole is the perfect family night dish, pot luck or church supper, or the perfect freezer meal to gift to a friend or save for a night when you just don’t want to cook.

Looking for more tasty recipes? Try one of these …

• Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
• Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
• Creamy Beef and Potatoes
• Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
• Meat and Potato Timballo Pie

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