Beef Taco Pie with Masa Crust

This Beef Taco Pie is like a combination between a classic (American) taco and a tamale. The crust is made up of a masarepa dough, it’s filled with a classic beef taco mixture and ooey-gooey melted cheese, then topped with all of your favorite fixings!

Beef Taco Pie Recipe

This is the taco pie of your dreams! Think of it as one giant taco baked in a pie dish with the best soft masa crust. It’s great for mixing it up for a fun weeknight taco Tuesday meal! There are a few steps involved: making and baking the crust, cooking the filling, then assembling and baking it. BUT I made it during a weeknight three times in less than two weeks, so I can confidently say this is a weeknight option. If you’ve got kids at home like I do, leaving the taco toppings a la carte on the table (instead of piling them on top of the finished pie) is a fun way to get the kids involved and dress up their slice!

So what is masarepa?

I was first introduced to masarepa from my Colombian husband John, who many years ago ran an arepa business back in his home country. Masarepa is the “flour” used to make arepas, which are traditional Colombian corn cakes. It also can be used to make empanadas or tamales. The masarepa is made from corn and treated with lime, and can be listed as “pre-cooked” or “instant”. It is similar to cornmeal, but not interchangeable.

Masarepa is made with both white corn and yellow corn and either will work here. The two most common brands out there are P.A.N. or Goya, and can be found in most grocery stores or small latino or hispanic markets.

Can you use masa harina?

You can use masa harina with similar results, but the ratio of water to masa will be different. Try to find the masarepa if possible before you use masa harina. But with the masa it will be roughly a 1-1 ratio of water to masa.

Here is what the consistency of the masa dough should look like.

How do you make the masa crust:

The masarepa dough is really easy to work with. You mix the masarepa with some spices and salt and then add some hot water and optional butter. My husband’s family often adds butter to their arepas, so I picked up that trick from them. Using hot water is useful for a few reasons:

1. It helps dissolve the salt to evenly distribute it in the dough
2. It melts the butter to evenly distribute in the dough
3. And it makes the dough easier to work with

Make sure to mix the dough well. Then, give it minute or two to sit and thicken up. The dough should be soft, like playdough, but it shouldn’t be so wet that it sticks to your hand.

After you mix the dough together you can pat it into the 9″ pie plate. You could probably roll out the dough between two pieces of plastic, but patting it into the plate is quick and easy so I’ve always done it that way. Next, you’ll pre-bake the crust until it is cooked through. The crust isn’t the same as a traditional pie crust, it will be soft instead of crispy, which makes it more like a tamale.

Make Ahead Instructions for Beef Taco Pie

You can prepare the beef mixture up to 3 days ahead of time. However, make and bake the masa crust right before you plan to serve.

Suggestions for Topping the Taco Pie

• shredded lettuce
• diced tomato
• pickled jalapenos
• thinly sliced red onion
• diced avocado
• black olives
• hot sauce
• salsa
• shredded cheese

Beef Taco Pie with Masa Crust

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Kelli Avila
• Prep Time: 00:15
• Cook Time: 00:40
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 1x
• Category: Moderate Difficulty
• Cuisine: Dinner

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Description

This taco pie is a cross between a classic American style taco and a tamale. The beef mixture is lightly spiced and baked inside a masa crust that is flavorful and soft. Garnish with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy your next taco Tuesday first!

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Ingredients

Masarepa crust:

• 1–1/2 cups masarepa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee, softened
• 2 cups hot water

For Beef Mixture:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 small onion, diced fine
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 teaspon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspon cumin
• 1 tablespoon cornstrach
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup beef broth or water

To assemble:

• ½ cup refried beans
• ⅓ cup salsa 
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese

For serving:

• shredded lettuce
• diced tomato,
• shredded cheese
• salsa 
• pickled jalapenos
• black olives

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Instructions

To make the masa crust:

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
2. In a bowl mix together masa, salt, garlic powder, and cumin until combined. Add in the butter and pour the hot water on top.
3. Mix together until it is fully combined, making sure to hydrate all of the masa. It should be the consistency of playdough. It should be soft, but it shouldn’t be so wet that it sticks to your fingers. If for any reason the dough is too wet, add in a tablespoon more of masa at a time until it has reached a soft non-stick batter.
4. Pat into a 9″ pan in an even layer. Crimp the edges if desired. Dock the crust on the bottom and the edges with a fork to let the steam escape and to prevent the dough from puffing up.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

For the beef filling:

1. In oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add beef and cook through, about 8 minutes.
3. Add spices, cornstarch and tomato paste and cook until toasted, about 30 seconds.
4. Deglaze the pan with beef broth and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the beef mixture is very slightly thickened.

To assemble and bake:

1. Spread the refried beans in the bottom of the baked crust, next add the cooked beef, then the salsa and finally top with the cheese.
2. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. If desired you can broil the cheese at the end.

Serve hot with your favorite taco toppings!

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Notes

1. If you are using masa harina (vs. masarepa) add 1-1/2 cups of water to start. You can adjust the water or the masa to get the right consistency.

Keywords: beef taco pie