This easy taco pie is a family-friendly dinner with bold Tex-Mex flavor! Made with ground beef, veggies, cheese, and a Jiffy cornbread crust, it’s a quick weeknight win.
If your crew loves taco night and also appreciates a cozy casserole, then this taco pie recipe is the perfect mash-up! Inspired by the flavors of a classic beef taco and the comfort of a potpie, this dish features a hearty seasoned meat filling, melty cheese, sweet corn, and a fluffy cornbread topping.
Taco Pie with Cornbread is a Fun Family Dinner with Tex-Mex Flavor
For me, this nostalgic weeknight dinner brings back memories of busy school nights, casseroles in vintage Pyrex dishes, and all the best 90s comfort food. It’s a dish that I grew up on! You can prep it in one skillet and bake it in one dish, which means easy cleanup and happy bellies! Plus, if your family loves Taco Tuesday as much as we do, don’t miss this taco soup, this taco casserole, a Dorito taco salad, and these taco quesadillas, too!
Ingredient Notes and Tips
- Ground Beef: Use 85/15 or 90/10 lean ground beef for the best flavor without too much grease. Sub with ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground sausage if you prefer an alternate protein.
- Bell Pepper and Onion: Dice them small so they cook quickly and blend easily into the filling. For convenience, you can use frozen and pre-diced vegetables. I love to keep some frozen diced onion handy in the freezer to speed things up!
- Taco Seasoning: A packet of store-bought seasoning keeps things quick, or make your own seasoning at home. Pick a reduced sodium variety if you’re sensitive to salt.
- Green Chiles: Mild, canned green chiles add flavor without overpowering heat. You can omit or swap with jalapeños for extra spice.
- Corn: Fresh, frozen (no need to thaw), or canned corn all work well here.
- Cheese: A Mexican blend melts beautifully, but pepper jack and cheddar cheese are great alternatives.
- Cornbread Topping: Jiffy mix keeps the topping light and just slightly sweet, the perfect contrast to the savory filling. You’ll also need the milk and egg called for on the package.
- This recipe is not gluten-free, since the cornbread mix is not gluten-free. If you can find a gluten-free mix and a gluten-free taco seasoning, the rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
A terrific dish! Just made this with ground turkey as that’s what I had. Fast, easy and delicious!
– Ann
How to Make Taco Pie
This easy taco pie casserole comes together with minimal prep time, thanks to a handful of simple shortcuts! Let’s prep it together…
- Cook the taco filling in a skillet.
- Spoon the beef mixture into a deep pie dish or other greased casserole dish.
- Whisk together the cornbread batter.
- Spread on top of the meat filling.
- Bake in a 400 degree F preheated oven until the cornbread crust is set, about 22-24 minutes.
- Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish individual servings with your favorite taco toppings, such as chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, dollops of sour cream, salsa, diced avocado or guacamole, chopped lettuce, sliced black olives, quick pickled red onions, sliced green onions, chopped tomatoes, or a spoonful of pico de gallo for even more bright flavor.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Taco Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- ¾ cup shredded Mexican 3-cheese blend
- 1 (8.5 ounce) small package corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy brand)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, bell pepper, and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease.
- Return the meat mixture to the skillet. Stir in the taco seasoning, green chiles, and water. Bring to a simmer, and then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, stirring frequently, about 3-5 more minutes. Add the corn and shredded cheese during the final 1-2 minutes of cooking.
- Spoon the beef mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate (or other 2-quart baking dish) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Let the mixture cool slightly while you prepare the topping.
- In a medium bowl, combine the corn muffin mix, egg, and milk; mix well.
- Spread the batter on top of the filling.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread crust comes out clean, about 22-24 minutes. If the topping starts to brown too quickly before it has cooked through, just cover the top lightly with foil and continue baking.
- Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Serving Suggestions
Serve the taco pie with a simple green salad dressed in Dijon vinaigrette or crisp iceberg lettuce with buttermilk dressing; tortilla chips and salsa; corn and black bean salad; or Ranch-style beans, refried beans, or seasoned black beans.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: To reheat previously-baked taco pie, warm the dish in a 350°F oven until it reaches the desired temperature (about 15 minutes). Reheat individual portions in the microwave just until warmed through (about 1-2 minutes).
- How to Freeze: Taco pie is best when frozen before baking. To do so, add the cornbread batter on top and place in the freezer (uncovered) for one hour to allow the topping to harden. Then, wrap well with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil, and place back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To Bake from Frozen: When ready to enjoy, preheat the oven to 400°F and bake the pie straight from the freezer for 60 minutes. If the top starts to get too dark before it’s cooked through, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top.
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t have a deep-dish pie pan, use any other 2-quart baking dish.
- Spicy Version: Add chopped jalapeños, hot sauce, or a pinch of cayenne to the meat mixture.
- Beans: Mix in ½ cup black beans or pinto beans with the corn for extra fiber and protein.
- Vegetarian: Use plant-based crumbles or swap in a mix of beans and quinoa for a meatless twist.
- Cheesy Topping: Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the cornbread batter before baking for a melty, golden crust.
FAQs
- Can I make taco pie ahead of time? Yes, you can assemble the taco filling a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, stir together the Jiffy cornbread batter and pop it in the oven.
- Can I freeze the taco pie after baking? Yes. Let it cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven until warmed through (tent with foil so that the topping doesn’t get too dark).
- Can I use ground turkey or chicken instead? Yes, just make sure to season the turkey or chicken with the same spices so that you don’t lose that bold flavor.
- How do I keep the cornbread crust from getting soggy? Drain the beef well after browning, let the mixture cool slightly before adding the topping, and bake uncovered.
Thanks, Blair. Made it last night; family loved!!!!!!
– Tracey
More Taco Casserole Recipes
Crescent Roll Taco Bake
30 minutes mins
5-Ingredient Taco Casserole
35 minutes mins
Taco Bake with Doritos
45 minutes mins
Originally published in September, 2014, this post was updated in August, 2025.
Excellent yet easy and simple. My daughter cannot eat gluten. So I just put a extra layer of Mexican cheese on the top for her. Made a double batch, put it in all different sizes of ramekins. Everyone raved. Will freeze a couple. Added a tablespoon of salsa while cooking meet.
That’s a great idea, Jen! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Newbie here. Love your weekly emails Blair.
Great recipe. Easy and very tasty.
I read on another comment that the cornbread sank into the filling. I waited for the filling to cool down a bit, plopped the corn bread on top and it came out perfect.
Thank you!
Thank you, Liz! We’re so glad it turned out well for you!
Make it ALL the time
Thank you, Val!
Excellent recipe. I did add some Rotel fire roasted tomatoes and a can of chili with no beans. Also recommend letting it cool down a bit before adding the cornbread topping so it doesn’t sink in, as another reviewer mentioned.
Thank you, Charles!
I made this tonight. I used a cast iron pan, added black beans, and a can of drained diced tomatoes with chilies. I also used a can of drained corn and A little more taco seasoning than the recipe called for. It was delicious. I will be making this again. Thanks for the easy recipe.
I’m so glad that it was a hit, Amanda! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
My family loves this recipe so much that my dad went and bought the ingredients without me asking.. the first time I made it the dish was empty in the icebox when I got up . The second time we made it we used a Mexican cornbread to put on top. Thanks for sharing your recipe..
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Mel! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
This was pretty good and very easy to make. I did not have green chilis in the pantry so I left those out and I replaced the water with 1/2 cup tomatoe sauce and a little bit of water. I also used ground turkey to reduce the fat content. My husband loved it, I had to stop him from eating it all!!
Thank you, Joanne! So glad that your husband approved, too! 🙂
I made this for my picky family and they loved it! I did add green chiles, black olives, a few tbsp cooked pinto beans plus cumin, garlic powder, onion powder. I didn’t have any Jiffy cornbread mixed so I just made a batch of cornbread batter using corn meal and spooned about half of it on top of the casserole. I sprinkled a little bit of extra grated cheese on top too. This was really delicious! Thank you for the recipe, I’ve bookmarked it!
Thank you, Jennifer! We’re so glad you were able to make the recipe work for you and that your family enjoyed it. We appreciate you trying it out and taking the time to leave a review!
It sure used to be easier to pin the recipes I wanted to keep…What happened?
Hi, Carolyn! We had to remove the pin and comment buttons at the top of each post, but we will add another pinning option soon. Stay tuned!
This was great and easy. Leftovers were even good.
My husband cheerfully it was really good- twice! (Usually there is no comment).
We’re so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review, Liza.