My cornbread Chili Pie is the perfect meal when you want something easy, hearty, and satisfying for your family. In just 30 minutes, you can have a warm, comforting dish that combines the rich flavors of chili with the golden sweetness of cornbread. It’s a one-pan meal, meaning less cleanup and more time to enjoy with family.
Want more hearty pot pies? Try my steak pot pie or my turkey pot pie with puff pastry.
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Why this Cornbread Chili Pie Recipe is a Keeper
This chili pie recipe is perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or meal prep; it’s a dish that satisfies everyone. Plus you can make it customizable.
- Comfort Food Mashup: It’s the perfect marriage of hearty, flavorful chili and warm, slightly sweet cornbread, creating a satisfying and comforting one-dish meal.
- Quick: This one pot meal takes less than 3o minutes and is always a hit with family and friends.
- Customizable Chili Base: You can use your favorite chili recipe (beef, turkey, vegetarian) as the foundation, making it adaptable to different preferences and dietary needs.
Can I make the Chili Pot Pie Spicier?
Add diced jalapeno peppers, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a few dashes of hot sauce into your chili for an extra kick. Chipotle powder can add a smoky heat that pairs beautifully with cornbread.
Pro Tip to Make the Chili Pot Pie
Offer Optional Toppings: Set out items like sour cream, shredded cheese, green sliced green onions, diced tomatoes, salsa, and hot sauce so everyone can customize their serving.
Ingredients for this Ground Beef Chili Recipe
Chili pie takes little time and you get to use your favorite ingredients for the best pie.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Ground Beef: Use a good quality 80/20 blend for the chili
- Beans: I like to use pinto beans and red kidney beans for my chili.
- Seasoning: Try seasoning with Italian Seasoning, cumin, All Purpose Seasoning, Chili Powder and Onion Powder.
- Cornbread Mix: You will need the mix and the ingredients to make the bread. You can also use your own cornbread recipe.
Variations, Topping Suggestions and Substitutions for this Easy Chili Pie
You can use any type of biscuit mix that you like or use chips such as fritos or doritos.
- Ground Meat: Select a meat other than ground beef such as ground chicken, ground turkey or a meatless vegan alternative for your chili protein.
- Beans: Any canned beans you like are great for this recipe. You can try black beans or white cannellini beans, garbanzo beans etc.
- Texture: Add corn kernels for extra texture or crush some frito’s for frito chili pie.
- Flavor Enhancements: Stir optional ingredients in like shredded cheddar cheese, chopped bell peppers, diced onions, chopped jalapeños, a bag of fritos, herbs (like cilantro or chives), corn chips or crumbled bacon into the batter.
Special Equipment Needed for Chili and Cornbread Pie
- Cast Iron Pan: If you do not have cast iron, try an oven safe skillet to make this chili dinner.
How to Make Chili Pie with Cornbread
You can make single servings of the pie so everyone has their own bowl of chili done their way. Find the recipe and nutrition information below in the recipe card.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep the Meat and Vegetables: First, heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Cook the onion until soft, then remove. Then brown the ground beef in the same pan.
- Make the Chili and Prep the Cornbread: Add the cooked onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, drained beans, and seasoning to the browned beef. Stir well and let it simmer while you prepare the corn muffin mix.
- Top with Mix and Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pour the cornbread mixture evenly over the chili in the pan.Transfer the skillet from the stovetop to the preheated oven. Finally, bake for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden and cooked through.
Prep Ahead Suggestions
- Make the Chili: The chili component can be made a day or two in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. In fact, the flavors often meld and improve overnight.
- Prepare the Batter: The cornbread batter can also be mixed a few hours ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. However, be mindful that leavening agents might lose some of their potency if it sits for too long. It’s generally best to make it within a few hours of baking.
- Cook Filling: If your recipe includes fillings or toppers like cooked bacon, shredded cheese, or sautéed onions, these can be prepared ahead of time and stored separately.
- Assemble (Partially): You can prepare the chili in your baking dish and have the cornbread batter ready in the fridge.
Alternate Cooking Methods
- Slow Cooker: Assemble the chili and cook low and slow in the crock pot for 4-6 hours. Top with the cornbread mix and finish on high.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Chili and Cheese Pie
- Storing: Transfer single servings or larger sections to an airtight container in the fridge. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheating the Weeknight Meal: The goal is to warm the chili through without drying out or overcooking the cornbread. Heat for 15-25 minutes for larger portions, or 10-15 minutes for individual slices, until heated through and the cornbread is warmed on a medium heat.
- Using Leftovers: Break up the cornbread and mix the chili with cooked macaroni pasta for a quick chili mac.
Common Questions About This Pie Recipe
Yes, for easier reheating, divide the cooled pie into individual portions.
Wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, or place in freezer-safe airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
If it is cooked through but the top isn’t as golden or crispy as you’d like, you can carefully place the skillet under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
Expert Tips for Making Chili Pie
- Spoon Chili Evenly: When layering, ensure the chili is spread evenly in the baking dish for consistent flavor in each bite.
- Don’t Overmix the Cornbread Batter: Overmixing can lead to a tough cornbread. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Preheat Your Oven: Starting with a hot oven ensures the cornbread rises properly and the chili heats through.
- Bake Until Golden Brown: The top should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let it Rest Before Serving: Allow the pie to sit for a few minutes after baking to help it set up slightly.
- Adjust Thickness: You can adjust the amount of batter to create a thicker or thinner top depending on your preference.
- Consider a Corn Muffin Crust: For a different take, you can press some of the batter into the bottom of the dish as a crust before adding the chili and the remaining batter on top.
- Serve this recipe with: My family loves a nice crisp salad such as: my Lemon Orzo Salad and my Oreo Dump Cake.
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Cornbread Chili Pie
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Small Onion, minced
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes, 1 can
- 15 ounces Pinto Beans, 1 can drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces Red Kidney Beans, 1 can drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning Blend
- 8.5 ounces Cornbread Mix, plus ingredients called for on the package
Instructions
- Place oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the onion and cook 2 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Remove to a small bowl.
- Place the ground beef in the cast iron skillet and cook until browned throughout, about 8 minutes.
- Once the ground beef is fully cooked, add the cooked onions and the minced garlic. Cook 2 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and drained beans. Stir well to combine.
- Add seasoning and stir to distribute evenly. Continue to cook as you prepare the cornbread.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Pour the cornbread mixture over the chili, covering it completely.
- Remove the cast iron skillet from the stove and place in the oven.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cornbread is golden and cooked through.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.