Tamale Poke Cake
If you’ve been around here for a while, you might remember my Vintage Mexican Casserole recipe. It came from an old out-of-print cookbook, and it was one of those simple recipes that completely surprised me with how delicious it was. Well… you know me. I couldn’t leave it alone!
Instead of putting the cornbread on top like a traditional tamale pie, I flipped the whole thing upside down and turned it into a poke cake. Yep… a savory poke cake! Once that buttery Jiffy cornbread bakes, we poke holes all over it and pour enchilada sauce right into those little pockets so every bite soaks up all that incredible flavor. Then we pile on seasoned taco beef, green chiles, and plenty of melty cheese before it heads back into the oven.
It’s cheesy, hearty, ridiculously easy, and one of those dinners the whole family will devour. Trust me on this one… once you make Tamale Poke Cake, you’re going to wonder why you’ve never made tamale pie this way before!
Mix together the Jiffy mix, egg, sour cream, and creamed corn until smooth.
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Spread the batter into a greased baking dish and bake until lightly golden.
Cook the onions with taco seasoning before adding the ground beef for extra flavor.
Brown the beef, then drain the grease really well.
Poke holes all over the warm cornbread with a fork.
Slowly pour the enchilada sauce over the cornbread and let it soak into all those little pockets.
Layer on the seasoned beef. Spoon the green chiles evenly over the beef.
Top with lots of freshly shredded cheese and a sprinkle of taco seasoning. Bake until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden.
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Scoop, serve, and enjoy every cheesy, saucy bite of Tamale Poke Cake!
Melissa’s Tips!
- Brown your onions before adding the beef—you’ll get so much more flavor than cooking them afterward.
- Drain the beef well before layering it over the cornbread so your casserole stays rich instead of greasy. If it is still slightly greasy once it comes out of the oven just take a paper towel and blot the top.
- Mild or hot green chiles both work—use whatever your family likes.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts much creamier than pre-shredded, but either works.
- Have extra cheese in the fridge? Toss it in! This is a great clean-out-the-cheese-drawer recipe.
Looking for more delicious cornbread recipes? Here are some of my favorites!
🤔 Common Questions
Absolutely! Ground turkey or even ground chicken would both work great.
Definitely! Use hot green chiles, spicy enchilada sauce, pepper jack cheese, or even add diced jalapeños.
Because instead of topping the meat with cornbread like a traditional tamale pie, we bake the cornbread first, poke holes in it, soak it with enchilada sauce, and then build the casserole on top. It’s the savory version of a poke cake!
Tamale Poke Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and grease an 8×8- or 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a bowl, stir together the Jiffy mix, egg, sour cream, and creamed corn until just combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cornbread is cooked through and lightly golden.
- While the cornbread bakes, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion along with the taco seasoning and cook until the onions begin to soften and turn lightly golden. Melissa’s Tip: Most people brown the beef first and add the onions later, but I’ve always done it the opposite way. Cooking the onions first lets them caramelize a little and gives the whole dish so much more flavor before the beef ever goes into the pan.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart as it cooks. Sprinkle in the remaining tablespoon of taco seasoning and cook until the beef is fully browned. Important: Drain the grease really well before assembling. You can pour it off or even blot the meat with paper towels. This keeps your casserole from getting greasy or having oil pool on top.
- Remove the baked cornbread from the oven. Using a fork, poke holes all over the surface. Slowly pour the entire can of enchilada sauce over the cornbread, letting it seep into the holes. Don’t worry if all of the sauce doesn’t disappear immediately. It may look like a lot, but that’s exactly what keeps the cornbread moist and packed with flavor.
- Spread the seasoned ground beef evenly over the enchilada-soaked cornbread. Using a spoon, dollop the diced green chiles evenly across the top. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and finish with a light shake of extra taco seasoning.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and lightly golden around the edges. Let it cool for about 5–10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!
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- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or warm in a 350°F oven until heated through.
- This also freezes beautifully for up to 2 months.
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