Skillet Cornbread
This Skillet Cornbread is so delicious and insanely easy! It’s a southern style cornbread that is light, moist and tender and comes together in under a half hour!
CORNBREAD IN A CAST IRON SKILLET
This Skillet Cornbread recipe is a classic Southern side dish that goes with so many main dishes. If you have a good ol’ cast iron skillet and want to make some tasty, savory, tender cornbread then this easy cornbread recipe is perfect for you! Serve each slice with butter, that’s all this needs, it is sooooo good.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
The most likely cause of your cornbread sticking in a cast iron skillet is that the skillet wasn’t properly pre-heated and oiled. Or the cast iron has not been properly “seasoned” yet. To prevent your cornbread from sticking, make sure to preheat your cast iron skillet before adding any ingredients. It’s important to let it come up to temperature before adding the batter. Once the skillet is heated, add a thin layer of Crisco and swirl it around to evenly coat the pan. This will help ensure that your cornbread doesn’t stick when baking.
This is not a sweet cornbread at all. It is only one Tablespoon for the entire skillet of cornbread which comes to barely anything per slice. All good southern cooks add just a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavor. While I believe a touch of sweetness is necessary, you can omit it if you prefer.
Sure! Want to change up the flavor profile a bit? Try adding some chopped jalapenos, cheddar cheese, or bacon to the batter.
I would suggest possibly using a different recipe as this recipe was developed specifically for buttermilk. Do not use the trick of mixing lemon juice or vinegar with milk. You need the fat in buttermilk for this recipe. That is only going to give you soured milk, not actual buttermilk.
This cornbread is best when it is served slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to reheat slices of it, pop them in the microwave or oven.
Yes. You won’t get the crispy edges though and you may have to adjust the cooking time. I have not tested this recipe in a baking dish so you’ll have to use your best judgement. The closest size dish would be a 9×9-inch baking dish.
Store at room temperature for a maximum of 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months for longer storage.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- yellow cornmeal– this is what helps give the color and flavor to your cornbread. It can be made with white cornmeal as well. Do not use the self-rising cornmeal.
- all-purpose flour – you can use self-rising flour. Just omit the baking powder and salt.
- baking powder – it’s super important you make sure your baking powder is fresh.
- granulated sugar– you’re not using a bunch to make this a sweet cornbread, just enough to to enhance the overall flavor. See my FAQ’s above for more details.
- buttermilk– see my FAQ (frequently asked questions) above – it needs to be real buttermilk.
- salted butter – it needs to be real butter not margarine. Allow the butter to cool slightly after melting so you don’t cook the eggs when you mix them together.
- large eggs– you need eggs to use for well beaten
- vegetable shortening– I use Crisco for this. You can also use lard or bacon grease. These are going to give you the best results.
HOW TO MAKE SKILLET CORNBREAD
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a 9-inch cast iron skillet into the oven to heat. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs until smooth.
Add the wet to the dry and stir until just combined with no dry patches. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (it will be VERY hot). Add the shortening and turn it around the pan so it is coated.
Add the cornmeal mixture and spread out the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, and the top is golden brown and pulls away from the edge.
Allow the cornbread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Skillet Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ⅓ cups buttermilk
- ⅓ cup salted butter, melted (allow to cool slightly)
- 2 large eggs, well beaten
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening (like Crisco) lard or bacon grease can be substituted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a 9-inch cast iron skillet into the oven to heat.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs until smooth.
- Add the wet to the dry and stir until just combined with no dry patches.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (it will be VERY hot.) Add the shortening and turn it around the pan so it is coated.
- Add the cornmeal mixture and spread out the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, and the top is golden brown and pulls away from the edge.
- Allow the cornbread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- I worked this batter as little as possible to be very tender.
- Use this as a base recipe to add to. Chopped jalapenos, cheddar cheese, bacon, etc would all go well in this recipe.
- Best served slightly warm or at room temperature. You can reheat slices in the microwave or oven.
- Keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I hate to admit this since I come from a long line of the best southern Appalachian cooks on the planet but this cornbread was better than my Maw Maw’s! She’d roll in her grave if she heard me say that but it’s the honest truth. I made 5 pans for a church lunch along with your soup beans and it was the first thing gone! Everyone thought they were her recipes. I didn’t have the heart to tell them no. I’m an 80 year old woman and I can still admit that sometimes the oldies aren’t always the goodies – ha! Sometimes it’s good to try new things.
I love this recipe for skillet cornbread!! Just like Mama use to make!!