Spice up your mealtime with Pork Tamale Casserole, blending the simplicity of a casserole with the authentic, rich flavors of traditional tamales.
Today, I’m sharing a twist on my Chile Verde Chicken Tamale Casserole. With this delicious Pork Tamale Casserole, you can enjoy all of the wonderful, authentic flavors of pork tamales without all of the hard work!
We love to try out different recipes for dinner, but with it being so crazy at dinner time, I sometimes look for substitutes to make the process easier. And a casserole is definitely the way to go on a busy weeknight! I love serving this dish alongside my No-soak Instant Pot Pinto Beans, and Flavorful Spanish Rice!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Tamale Casserole
- This Pork Tamale Pie has a warm, hearty texture and rich flavors that provide a sense of comfort, perfect for cozy family dinners.
- This Casserole recipe simplifies the usually complex tamale-making process.
- It’s a versatile dish and adaptable to various dietary preferences.
Recipe Ingredients
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Adds a tangy, slightly spicy kick and it brings moisture and cohesiveness to the casserole.
- Chili Powder: Imparts warmth and depth, contributing a subtle heat.
- Masa Harina: It offers a unique, slightly sweet corn flavor and a firm, comforting texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Verde Sauce for Red Enchilada Sauce: Replacing Verde sauce with red enchilada sauce shifts the flavor from tangy and bright to deeper and slightly spicy.
- Monterey Jack for Colby Jack Cheese: Substituting Monterey Jack with Colby Jack cheese offers a similar creamy texture but with a slightly different, milder cheese flavor. Adding cheddar cheese can also be a great option for a sharper flavor to the mix.
How to Make Pork Tamale Casserole
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease or spray a 9×13-inch baking dish, and set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine the pulled pork, enchilada sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, coriander, and paprika. Mix until combined.
Step 3: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the masa, salt, sugar, baking powder, pepper, butter, and 2 cups of corn. Process or pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add chicken broth and process or pulse until the mixture reaches a thick peanut butter consistency. More broth (or water) may be required. Fold in the remaining 1 cup of corn.
Step 4: Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of cheese, then add the ground pork mixture. Sprinkle with another ¾ cup of cheese. Press the remaining tamale dough over the top.
Step 5: Cover with 1 cup of red enchilada sauce and the remaining 1 ½ cups of cheese. Place a piece of foil over the top and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro, if desired.
FAQs
Great topping options for Pork Tamale Casserole include diced tomatoes, sour cream, black olives, guacamole, diced green onions, bell pepper, jalapenos, and salsa. These toppings add variety and extra appeal to the dish.
Absolutely! While homemade sauce is great, it’s completely understandable to use a store-bought variety for convenience.
Storage Info
STORE the Pork Tamale Casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will stay good for up to 3-5 days. To FREEZE the leftovers, wrap the casserole or individual portions securely in plastic wrap and aluminum foil in a freezer. You can freeze them for up to 2 months.
To REHEAT, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen, then warm it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) until heated through, which typically takes about 20-30 minutes.
More Delicious Recipes
Pork Tamale Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 3 c. shredded pork
- 3/4 c. red enchilada sauce
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
For the tamale dough:
- 3 c. masa harina*
- 2 tsp. coarse kosher sea salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
- 12 tbsp. unsalted butter - cold and cut into 12 pieces
- 3 c. frozen corn - thawed, divided
- 2 – 2 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth- more if needed
Other:
- 3 c. grated colby jack cheese - divided
- 1 c. red enchilada sauce
- 2 tbsp. cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease or spray a 9×13-inch baking dish, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pork, enchilada sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, coriander, and paprika. Mix until combined.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the masa, salt, sugar, baking powder, pepper, butter, and 2 cups of corn. Process or pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add chicken broth and process or pulse until the mixture reaches a thick peanut butter consistency. More broth (or water) may be required. Fold in the remaining 1 cup of corn.
- Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of cheese, then add the pork filling. Sprinkle with another ¾ cup of cheese. Press the remaining tamale dough over the top.
- Cover with 1 cup of red enchilada sauce and the remaining 1 ½ cups of cheese. Place a piece of foil over the top and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with cilantro, if desired.
My husband doesn’t like enchilada sauce can I leave it out or can I substitute it for something else? If so what are good substitutes?
You can certainly try a different brand/flavor of enchilada sauce… green chili, red, Chile verde….whichever he prefers. I have a great creamy enchilada sauce too that I use in my Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. https://lifemadesimplebakes.com/creamy-chicken-enchiladas Some other options if he really doesn’t like any type of enchilada sauce could be queso or salsa. It would certainly alter the flavor of the dish, but would prevent the casserole from being too dry. You’ll have to let us know what you end up doing! 🙂
We used green enchilada sauce, didn’t have red, and it was still delicious! Can’t wait to try it with red sauce next time!
Green enchilada sauce sounds delicious too! I’m so happy you liked it. 🙂
This is a very easy tamale recipe. I substituted the pork for chicken it went over well with the family! Definitely 5 stars!!!
Chicken sounds like a wonderful substitute! So glad you and your family liked it!
I made this a few months ago and I’m making it again today. I love tamales but it’s so much work and this is easy with the same great taste! Love this recipe!
The baking time is too short. After 40 minutes the outside perimeter was done but the center was dough. I would estimate a bake time of an hour to fully cook dough. The recipe wasn’t bad.
Thank you for trying it!
Yes Leah, I agree I had to cook it about an hour as well. But again the recipe was Great!