Chicken tamale casserole takes all the bold flavors of the traditional entree and takes away the work so you can enjoy the classic dish you love even on the busiest days. This cheesy Tex Mex chicken casserole will save the day and fill any of your tamale cravings in no time at all!

Tamales are my jam.

With all that yummy filling and flavor, what’s not too love?

Oh, right, the many hours the traditional recipe takes to make.

And I’m not downing the original, because it does result in delicious traditional tamales. I just don’t always have a whole day to devote to making them.

When I still want my fix, but don’t have time for the traditional process this yummy chicken tamale casserole saves the day!

What Are Tamales?

Tamales are a traditional dish in many countries in and around Central and South America.

The authentic Hispanic recipe features corn-based masa dough wrapped around a meat, cheese or bean filling.

The dough and filling then get wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked through.

This recipe takes those same traditional flavors, but gives them an Americanized Tex Mex spin and serves them up more conveniently as a meal in a casserole dish.

Ingredients

Unlike making traditional tamales, which may often require harder to find ingredients depending on where you live, this casserole uses easy to find ingredients.

To make it you need:

Cornbread Mix – The prepackaged kind. Use a brand you enjoy, as long as it’s 16 oz.
Milk
Egg – A single egg may be tempting to omit, but don’t do it. The egg acts as a binder to hold the cornbread batter together and helps it rise.
Green Chiles – The canned, diced variety- any brand will work.
Enchilada Sauce – As written this version uses green enchilada sauce, but that’s just personal preference. Red enchilada sauce works just as well. You can use store bought or use our homemade version if you have a little extra time.
Taco Seasoning
Creamed Corn
Chicken – Any shredded, cooked chicken will do. We particularly love using leftover rotisserie chicken in this dish.
Cheese – You’ll need both shredded cheddar and shredded Monterrey jack cheeses for this recipe.

How to Make

Unlike traditional tamales, the prep for this casserole is super easy!

To make it, spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.

Add the cornbread mix, milk, egg, green chiles, 1/2 tablespoon of the taco seasoning, and creamed corn to a large bowl.

Stir these ingredients together until just evenly combined and then scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Spread it out evenly with a spatula.

Once it’s in the dish, pop the dish in the oven and bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until the batter’s just barely set and golden brown.

While it bakes, shred or toss the rotisserie chicken and toss it with the rest of the taco seasoning.

Then remove the casserole base from the oven and poke holes all over the top of the cornbread base the way you would with poke cake.

Pour the enchilada sauce evenly out over top of the cornbread base. It should seep into all the holes.

Then spread the seasoned chicken out evenly over top. Top it with the shredded cheese.

Finish by baking the casserole for 15 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown at the edges.

Then remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for a full 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Top with your favorite garnishes and enjoy!

Storing Leftovers

If you have leftovers you can store them covered in an airtight dish in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Reheat by warming through in the oven or microwaving them in a microwave safe dish.

Can I Freeze This Casserole?

Yes! You can absolutely freeze this chicken tamale casserole.

To freeze, make it up until the point where you spread the chicken out over the cornbread.

Let it cool and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and freeze.

Before baking, let the casserole defrost overnight in the fridge.

Then top the casserole with cheese and bake as instructed until the cheese is bubbly.

Tips and Tricks

Do not expect a FIRM cornbread crust when you dig in. It will be cooked, and nowhere near raw- but it’s supposed to be a tad on the softer side, similar to the traditional masa in a tamale that surrounds the savory filling. Expect a consistency more in line with corn pudding than a corn cake.
Top with your favorite toppings, we love fresh cilantro leaves, salsa, & sour cream- but any traditional tex mex toppings will do including a squeeze of lime.
Want to substitute something for the chicken? Try it with canned black beans that you’ve drained and rinsed, shredded pork or even ground beef.

Other Tex Mex Casseroles You’ll Love

This chicken tamale casserole satisfies my tamale craving without all the work or needing to go out for Mexican food. Make it today and enjoy!

Looking for other Tex Mex casserole recipe ideas to enjoy?

Try these:

If you’ve tried this CHICKEN TAMALE CASSEROLE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!