This jalapeño cornbread is easy to make, crispy on the bottom but moist and fluffy on the inside, and teeming with awesome savory flavor from jalapeños, creamed corn, cheddar cheese, and green onions.
The Perfect Cornbread for Soups and Chilis
I may not be from the South, but boy do I love cornbread. It’s the perfect companion to a hearty bowl of chili, juicy pork chops, or your favorite bbq mains like baby back ribs.
When I’m craving the classic, I opt for the unadulterated version. But sometimes I want a little spicy-sweet flavor in my life, and when I do, I make my mother-in-law’s jalapeño cornbread recipe, which she adapted from the always dependable Ina Garten.
The cornbread batter has all of the usual suspects and is basically the classic recipe from the side of the box of cornmeal. The mix-ins and the way it’s baked take this cornbread to the next level. It’s crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and studded with cheddar cheese and bits of jalapeño for a little heat.
After the basic cornbread has been doctored up, the real magic of this recipe happens when it’s baked in sizzling bacon drippings. Game on.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Use a cast iron skillet for even cooking. Cast iron conducts heat incredibly well and will cook the cheesy jalapeño cornbread quicker and more evenly than a glass baking dish will. (Plus, you’ll get those golden edges.)
Preheat your cast iron skillet for a crispier crust. I always pop my skillet into the oven as it’s preheating so it’s screaming hot by the time the batter is poured in. This creates the crispiest, golden brown edges without making the cornbread dry out.
Bacon grease is the ultimate flavor builder. If you don’t keep bacon grease on hand (you really should!), swap it out with canola oil or butter. Just make sure to use some kind of fat otherwise the cornbread will stick to the skillet.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Yellow cornmeal — It’s crucial that you buy cornmeal and not a similar corn product, like grits or polenta. Cornmeal is a completely different product, and there’s no substitute for it.
- All-purpose flour — This recipe has the ideal ratio of cornmeal to flour, for a moist, fluffy cornbread that still has plenty of texture.
- Baking powder — Helps the cornbread rise and gives it a nice lift.
- Kosher salt — Always, for flavor.
- Milk — I recommend using whole milk here (buttermilk would also work).
- Butter — I prefer butter to oil because of the flavor it imparts on this cornbread.
- Egg — Serves as a binder in this recipe, but also lends moisture, texture, and lift.
- Canned creamed corn — For added moisture, sweetness, and texture.
- Green onions — For color and flavor (it’s so yummy with the cheddar!).
- Jalapeño — We seeded ours, but if you like more heat, feel free to leave some of the seeds in. You can swap in pickled jalapeños, too.
- Cheddar cheese — We used a medium cheddar but a Colby would be tasty too.
- Bacon drippings — Or you could use vegetable or canola oil.
How to Make Spicy-Sweet Jalapeño Cornbread
- Make your batter. To make this sweet jalapeño cheddar cornbread, mix the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry in another. Combine the two, then stir in the creamed corn, diced jalapeño, green onions, and shredded cheddar.
- Sizzle the cornbread in bacon drippings. Preheat a cast-iron pan with the bacon drippings and enough cornmeal to cover the bottom of the pan and bake until the cornmeal turns a light brown. Then, add the batter to the hot pan. Don’t forget your oven mitt!
- Bake and serve. Bake the cornbread until it’s slightly browned on top and the edges are pulling away from the sides of the skillet.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup + plus 1-2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal , divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- 1 large egg , beaten
- ⅓ cup canned creamed corn
- 2 green onions , chopped
- 1 jalapeño , seeded and chopped
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat.
- In a medium bowl, mix the 1 cup cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl whisk the milk, butter, and egg together. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the creamed corn, green onions, jalapeño, and cheddar cheese.
- Remove the hot skillet from the oven (use hot pads!) and add 1-2 tablespoons bacon drippings to the pan to melt. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons corn meal or just until the bottom of the pan is covered. Place back in the oven (use hot pads!) and bake just until the cornmeal begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the batter to the skillet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the edges are pulling away from the side of the skillet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
What to Serve With Jalapeño Cornbread
Storage Tips
I recommend refrigerating this jalapeño cheese cornbread (it’s crazy-moist, so sometimes storing it at room temperature can encourage mold). It’ll just stay fresher longer if stored in the fridge wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
It also freezes incredibly well; let it cool to room temperature, then slice and seal it in a freezer bag. You can reheat the cornbread in the microwave, or set it on the counter to thaw.
More Southern Side Dishes to Master
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Marge
Best cornbread I have ever made! Thank you!
Happy you enjoyed Marge!
Sandra
If you want a sweetness to your cornbread, this is NOT the recipe to use. Disappointed!
Hayley
We’re sorry you weren’t a fan of this one, Sandra. Creamed canned corn definitely has a fair amount of sweetness to it. You might find that you enjoy this recipe, which is less sweet: https://www.foodiecrush.com/cornbread/ Hope that helps.