There are some keto dinner recipes that make everyone at the table happy, and this Keto Tamale Pie is one of them. It has all the bold, comforting flavor of real tamales, without the carb-heavy cornmeal. It’s hearty, satisfying, and the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re eating low carb.
My family adores Mexican inspired recipes, and happily gobble down large servings of Keto Taco Pie or Keto Mexican Cauliflower Rice. I do believe that a little bit of ground beef, some taco seasoning, and plenty of melty cheese may be the way to my kids’ hearts.
I created this recipe when I was craving an easy casserole with tons of flavor. I already have a wonderful keto cornbread recipe, and realized it would make the perfect topping for a dish like this. I scaled it down a bit so it didn’t overpower the filling, and was thrilled with the results.
If you need a family-pleasing recipe that reheats well and feels like pure comfort food, this Keto Tamale Pie is it!
Reader’s Thoughts
“I made this for dinner tonight. I followed the directions and it turned out perfect! Full of flavor and very filling. Will be adding to the rotation.” — Cheryl
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy preparation: Brown the beef, add the seasonings, and make the cornbread topping. Pop it in the oven and relax!
- Hearty and satisfying: It’s incredibly flavorful and leaves you feeling satiated, without weighing you down.
- Bold Tex-Mex flavor: Some taco seasoning, chili powder, and a little fresh jalapeño turn this into a mouthwatering meal.
- Gluten-free and keto-friendly: No grains or gluten, and only 3 grams net carbs per serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground meat: You can use ground beef, pork or even turkey and chicken.
- Taco seasoning: You can use store-bought seasoning, but make sure it has no added fillers, sugars, or starches. Or make your own by combining chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Jalapeño peppers: If you want something less spicy, you can use poblano or anaheim peppers. If you like more spice, keep the seeds in.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: You can shred your own or use pre-shredded cheese. Cheddar, Monterey, or Pepper Jack are great choices for this recipe.
- Keto flours: I use a mix of coconut and almond flour to give it the texture of real cornbread.
- Cornbread flavoring: Yes, there really is such a thing! And many readers like to add it. But a little vanilla extract works as well.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, chili powder, tomato paste, baking powder, salt and pepper
How to Make Keto Tamale Pie
- Brown the meat: In an oven-proof skillet, brown the ground beef with a little salt and pepper, breaking up any clumps. Stir in the the taco seasoning, chili powder, and jalapeño.
- Add the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the tomato paste with the water until well combined. Pour over the beef and stir in.
- Top with cheese: Remove from heat and sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese.
- Prepare the topping: Whisk the coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt together. Stir in the wet ingredients until the batter is thick but spreadable.
- Bake: Spread the topping evenly over the filling. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the top is firm to the touch.
- Serve: Let cool 10 minutes, then serve with your favorite toppings.
Tips for Success
What seasonings to use? I used an organic taco seasoning blend I get at a nearby grocer, but this one from Spiceology is fantastic as well. Whatever you use, be sure to check your labels for fillers and sugars.
Customize the spice level to your liking. Not a fan of spicy food? Skip the jalapeño and use mild chili powder. Prefer it spicier? Leave the seeds in the jalapeño for more heat and add a touch of chipotle powder.
Use an oven-proof skillet, so the dish can go from stovetop to oven. It doesn’t need to be cast iron, although that’s always a good choice!
Spread the topping over the filling, all the way to the edges. In essence, you want to seal the juicy fillings into the pan before baking.
Serve with your favorite toppings! We love it with sour cream and some chopped tomatoes and avocado.
More Popular Keto Tex Mex Recipes
Keto Tamale Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb (907.18 g) ground beef or pork
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp chili powder, (optional)
- 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and minced, (optional)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (118.29 g) water
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (56 g) coconut flour
- 1/4 cup (28 g) almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 1/8 tsp cornbread flavor , (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (59.15 g) water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet set over medium heat, brown the ground beef with a little salt and pepper until mostly cooked through, breaking up any clumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the the taco seasoning, chili powder, and jalapeno.
- In a small bowl, whisk the tomato paste with the water until well combined. Pour over the beef and stir in, then remove from heat. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
- In a large bowl, whisk the coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, butter, and cornbread flavor until well combined.
- Add the water a little a time until the batter is thick but spreadable.
- Dollop the batter over the beef in the pan. Use a knife or an offset spatula to spread over the top and to the edges.
- Bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the top is firm to the touch. Remove and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Cornmeal is very high in carbs and should be avoided on low carb and keto diets. But you can simulate the texture and flavor with a combination of coconut and almond flour. A little cornbread flavoring and you’ll fool your tastebuds!
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It reheats well in the microwave or in the oven.
This keto tamale pie recipe has 5.7g of carbs and 2.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.9g net carbs per serving.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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If you don’t have tomato paste, could you use tomato the same amount of sauce instead of the water?
Yes, that would be perfect.
I am allergic to coconut, can I substitute almond flour, and would I use the same amount of the almond flour as called for, for the coconut flour?
No, this recipe won’t work properly with almond flour.
I’m getting ready to make this (so excited… I love cornbread and any Mexican tamale type casserole! I was looking over the ingredients and have one quick question: Is the Swerve powdered. That is the only form I have seen it and want to make sure I use the right stuff.
You cause either.
Do you drain the ground beef before adding the seasoning?
No, I never do. Why waste all that good fat and flavor?
I just tried the corn bread part of this recipe last night for my chili and it was fantastic. The texture is amazing and the flavor is very similar to your standard corn bread. My husband even tried some and was very impressed, he honestly couldn’t tell the difference once the chili was on the bread! I have tried multiple different recipes for low carb corn bread and this one is by FAR the best one I have tried. Thank you so much for your dedication to low carb and healthy eating, we always look forward to trying your recipes.
Thank you, Kristine. I feel the same way about it, that it’s almost indistinguishable from real cornbread!
What does the xanthan gum do? Is it compulsory or could it be substituted?
Just helps hold it together a bit more…
Could you substitute Guar Gum if you are sensitive to Xantham Gum?
Yes, that should be fine.
Hi! Not a big fan of taco seasoning but I will definitely be trying your topping on some tarted up Manwich mix and try adopting my Mum’s cottage pie base. Thank you!
Enjoy!
I’m confused. How can the total carb count be 6.85g, but have 23.18g of sugar. That’s more than the carb count. And where is all that sugar coming from?
It doesn’t. I have someone going back through my recipes and adding the nutritional info into the recipe card and he made a mistake. That’s the PROTEIN grams, not the sugar.
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try this! I see you spent some time in Colorado- I live in Colorado Springs and find some of these these don’t turn out quite like yours (still tastes great). Do you have any ideas about adjusting for high altitude? Maybe a bit more coconut flour? Thanks!
I have never baked at high altitude (the time I spent in CO was not time when I baked much!). But I hear that you make the same adjustments you do for conventional recipes.
Okay- often high altitude calls for adding all-purpose flour and water. I’ve just been hesitant about adding more coconut or almond flour not knowing how they’d react in the recipe. Sounds like I’ll just have to experiment 🙂
Thank you so much for another great recipe! I’ve made it twice and have served to guests who also loved it. Tastes just as good, if not better than “authentic” tamale pie.
I have googled and found half and half which I can do. Many thanks for the brilliant recipes.
Hi looking forward to making this tonight. Could I use coconut milk instead of almond milk. Just having to throw nearly full carton of almond milk away as had to be used with 5 days of opening, now 6. I am using coconut milk at moment.
Absolutely.
Thank you Carolyn, didn’t see your reply until posted second one. Think I will use coconut milk.
I don’t have any almond milk but can I use half-and-half in this?
I think that should be fine.
I added a small can of chopped green ortega chiles to the meat mixture – yum!
Great idea!
Just made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was a great success! Very easy, you can add whatever veggies you’d like to the meat and based on other comments, I left the sweetener out of the crust. Didn’t miss it at all. Thanks for sharing another great recipe, I’m addicted to this blog and have made it my mission to try as many recipes as I can. I haven’t had a bad one yet!
Made this tonight. Very tasty! To the meat I added onion, garlic, cumin and dried oregano, plus a dash of Tabasco and some ground black pepper. My non-low carb husband even commented on the crust tasting good despite the hint of coconut flavor. thanks!!! I don’t make a lot of baked goods so always appreciate savory recipes.