Tex-Mex · main

Chicken Tamale Pie

Chicken Tamale Pie reads richness 5.3, umami 4.6 and allium 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Tex-Mex main, about 1 hr 1 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 5.3 · Umami 4.6 · Allium 4.5 · Salinity 3.9 · Sweetness 3.7 · Sourness 2.7 · Heat 2.4 · Earthy 2.4 · Fruity 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.8 · Funk & Ferment 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Nutty 1.1 · Bitterness 1.0 · Citrus 0.9 · Floral 0.6

What's in it (16)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• garlic — 9 g
• chili powder — 30 g
• cumin — 15 g
• whole green chile peppers — 567 g
• frozen corn kernels — 237 g
• salt — 7 g
• shredded sharp process cheese — 170 g
• cornmeal — 237 g
• all-purpose flour — 91 g
• baking powder — 15 g
• buttermilk — 237 g
• egg — 100 g
• unsalted butter — 54 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 1 min (53 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 143.3 kcal, 11.8 g protein, 5.5 g fat, 16.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Prep: dice the onion and bell pepper, mince the garlic, and cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces.
2. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden on the outside but not yet cooked through, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet; saute until softened, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the tomatoes with green chiles, corn, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the chicken reaches 165F, 8-10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar. Preheat the oven to 400F. If your skillet isn't oven-safe, transfer the filling to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, and baking powder.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter, then pour into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined - do not overmix.
9. Pour the cornbread batter evenly over the filling, spreading it to the edges, and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar.
10. Bake until the topping is deeply golden and set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22-25 minutes. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili with Buttermilk Cornbread — American
• Chicken and Spinach Curry (Saag Chicken) — Indian
• Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew — Italian-American
• Kuru Fasulye (Dried Bean Stew) — Turkish
• Cheese-Stuffed Chile Rellenos — Mexican

Keep reading: what richness, umami, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.