Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
A tender, buttery skillet cornbread with a crisp golden crust, pockets of melted sharp cheddar, and a gentle kick from fresh jalapeño. It comes together in one bowl and bakes in about 25 minutes.
- Prep
- 26 min
- Cook
- 24 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Makes
- 1 10-inch skillet cornbread (8 wedges)
Steps
Before you start
- Set the oven rack in the middle position and put your 10-inch cast iron skillet on it before preheating; a hot skillet is what creates the crisp crust.
- Take the buttermilk and eggs out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead so the melted butter doesn't clump when it hits them.
- Wear gloves or wash your hands well after cutting jalapeños, and avoid touching your eyes.
- Shred the cheddar from a block yourself; pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch and melts less nicely.
Preheat oven and skilletOven 425°F / 220°C
- Place the 10-inch cast iron skillet on the middle rack and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Let the skillet heat for the entire time the oven preheats, at least 15 minutes.
- Do the prep in the next steps while it heats.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oven has reached 425°F (220°C) and the skillet has heated for at least 15 minutes.
Tip: Don't skip heating the skillet. A cold pan gives a pale, soft bottom crust.
Prep cheese and jalapeños
- Shred the cheddar on the large holes of a box grater and divide it into 1 cup for the batter and ½ cup for the top.
- Cut the stems off the jalapeños, halve them lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and white ribs with a small spoon, then dice into pieces about ¼ inch (6 mm).
- Melt the batter butter and set it aside to cool.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Jalapeño pieces are small and even, and the cheese is in two separate piles.
Tip: Keep a few jalapeño seeds if you like it hot; the ribs and seeds hold most of the heat.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for about 30 seconds, breaking up any lumps of baking soda.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture is one even pale yellow color with no visible clumps.
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk and eggs until fully combined and slightly frothy, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly drizzle in the slightly cooled melted butter while whisking.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture is smooth with no streaks of egg and no solid butter bits.
Tip: If the butter is hot it can scramble the eggs, so let it cool for about 5 minutes first.
Combine the batter
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Stir with a rubber spatula just until no dry flour or cornmeal streaks remain, about 15 strokes.
- The batter will be thick but pourable.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No dry pockets remain; a few small lumps are fine.
Tip: Overmixing makes cornbread tough and dense. Stop as soon as it comes together.
Fold in cheese and jalapeño
- Gently fold in the diced jalapeños and the 1 cup of cheddar reserved for the batter, using 5 or 6 turns of the spatula to distribute evenly.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cheese and jalapeño are evenly dotted through the batter.
Butter the hot skilletOven 425°F / 220°C
- Using oven mitts, carefully pull the hot skillet out and set it on a heatproof surface or the stovetop.
- Drop in the 4 pieces of skillet butter and swirl until completely melted and coating the bottom and about halfway up the sides, about 20 seconds.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Butter is melted and sizzling, with a thin film across the whole pan.
Tip: The handle is extremely hot. Drape a towel or mitt over it so no one grabs it by accident.
Pour and top
- Scrape the batter into the hot, buttered skillet; it should sizzle at the edges.
- Smooth the top with the spatula, then scatter the remaining ½ cup cheddar evenly over the surface.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Batter reaches an even layer about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep with cheese covering the top.
Tip: Work quickly so the skillet stays hot.
Bake until goldenOven 425°F / 220°C
- Return the skillet to the middle rack and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan after 12 minutes if your oven bakes unevenly.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The top is deep golden with bubbling, browned cheese, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine).
Tip: If the cheese browns too fast before the center sets, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
Rest, then slice
- Set the skillet on a wire rack and let it rest for 10 minutes so the crumb sets and slices cleanly.
- Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm, straight from the pan or lifted out with a spatula.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The cornbread is set and the wedges hold together when lifted.
Tip: The skillet stays very hot for a long time, so warn anyone nearby.
Good to know
Tips
- Use a cast iron skillet if you can. If using a 9-inch metal cake pan, grease it well, skip the preheating, and bake 25 to 28 minutes.
- Don't overmix. Stirring just until the flour disappears keeps the crumb tender.
- Medium or fine-grind cornmeal gives a softer crumb; stone-ground coarse cornmeal makes it noticeably grittier and may need an extra 2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
- For a sweeter, more Southern-style bread cut the sugar to 1 tablespoon; for dessert-like cornbread, add 2 tablespoons honey to the wet mixture and serve with honey butter.
Make ahead
"Whisk the dry ingredients up to 3 days ahead and store them airtight. Shred the cheese and dice the jalapeños up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate separately. Mix the batter just before baking, because the leaveners start working as soon as they meet the buttermilk."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: cover and keep up to 1 day. Fridge: wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap wedges individually in plastic, then foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat: warm wedges on a baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes (15 minutes from frozen) until hot in the center, or microwave a single wedge for 20 to 30 seconds."
Substitutions
- buttermilk → 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt. Stir together and let sit 5 minutes, then bring to 1¼ cups (300 ml) total with a splash more milk. Plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with milk (¾ cup yogurt plus ½ cup milk) also works.
- sharp cheddar cheese → Pepper Jack or Monterey Jack. Pepper Jack adds extra heat; Monterey Jack is milder and melts very smoothly.
- medium jalapeños → Canned diced green chiles, well drained (about ⅓ cup / 80 g). Milder and softer. Pat dry on paper towels so they don't add extra moisture.
- unsalted butter, for the skillet → Bacon drippings. Adds a smoky flavor and an extra crisp crust.
