Chicken Tamale Casserole

This cheesy Chicken Tamale Casserole is a quick and easy family weeknight dinner that has all the flavors of classic tamales without all the fuss!

I’m always looking for simple and easy weeknight dinner recipes that will feed my family and keep them happy, which is why I LOVE this super easy and totally cheese Chicken Tamale Casserole!

It combines all the flavors of those authentic tamales into an easy casserole dish that takes less than one hour from start to finish. Since I’m a major fan of all things Mexican food, I had no doubts that this casserole dish would come in as a success.

The base of the casserole is made with a boxed corn bread mix (like Jiffy) that’s infused with creamed corn, chili powder, cumin and a little cheese.

Once the base is done cooking you simply pour some of your favorite enchilada sauce all over the top. Toss on a some shredded chicken and a little more cheese, then let it finish baking in the oven till it’s nice a bubbly all over.

Whenever I make Mexican food it’s always garnished with fresh diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, cilantro… I basically go all out. That’s because the more vegetation I put on my plate, the more complete the meal becomes. At least that’s how I see it. So while it’s a great meal straight out of pan… I prefer mine topped with all the trimmings.

Chicken Tamale Casserole Recipe Variations:

Instead of shredded chicken, try shredded pork or beef.
Add a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to the batter to give it a little kick of spice.
Add a small can of diced green chilies and substitute chicken for sweet corn for a vegetarian option.
Try using green enchilada sauce instead of red.

Basically this Chicken Tamale Casserole gets 5 stars from this household, and it’s definitely a recipe we will be putting in our rotation frequently.

Ingredients