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Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe

Basic Skillet Cornbread
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: | Active Time: | Makes: 12 servings

A cookout crowd-pleaser, this cornbread is so easy to make and such a great mop for chili, baked beans, or pulled pork. Buttermilk (instead of milk) balances out the sweetness, adding the right amount of moisture to keep it crumbly but not dry.

Game plan: This basic recipe invites creativity. Try adding some jalapeño, whole corn kernels, or cilantro.

To see this recipe with illustrated steps, check out The Basics: How to Make Skillet Cornbread.

INGREDIENTS
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 1/4 cups finely ground yellow cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, shaken before using
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
  2. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet; set aside. In a small saucepan or using the microwave, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter; set aside.
  3. Place cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
  4. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until frothy, then whisk in buttermilk until incorporated. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until dry streaks are just incorporated. (Do not overmix.) Fold in melted butter until just combined, then let mixture sit for 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, place the skillet in the oven until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and swirl the melted butter around to coat the bottom of the pan.
  6. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Place the skillet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, cut wedges directly from the skillet or let the cornbread cool for another 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
    Write a review | 18 Reviews
  • Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe
    5

    Holy smokes. This is YANKEE corncake. This isn't 'corn bread'. It's cake. Real cornbread is ... 1 cup white corn meal 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1/4 cup oil/fat - preferably a mix of vegetable and bacon fat 1 1/8 cup buttermilk 1 egg 425 oven, a cast iron skillet pre-heated with bacon rub After it comes out of the oven, get you a piece, have a stick of good butter at hand and reflect on Southern culture.

  • Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe
    4

    I tried it out and it really tastes good! The ingredients went well with each other that made a very tasty flavor. It's the same us the recipe I've got from everything-bread.com.

  • Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe
    3

    Yep- in the South real cornbread has no sugar. Cornbread plus sugar= "Johnnycake" or about a hundred other names. Check the ingredients on the bag of cornmeal. It is sometimes hard to find just cornmeal- many times it is a mix and may already have some of the other ingredients. Coat the bottom of the pan with canola oil (or whatever oil you use)- don't use butter. Cook it for 20 mins at 450. Put a plate on top of the skillet and flip it over as soon as it's done. Serve it bottom-side up. Cut the wedges and then cut them (like you would a biscuit) from the center towards the edge, open it up and add butter, bbq, peanut butter, gravy, shrimp n grits, whatever you like... you already know it's gonna be good. =) When I make the johnnycake, I like to add some chunks of jalapeno or maybe some serrano to get that sweet heat thang goin on.

  • Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe
    3

    I love this kind of cornbread, but in the South we call yellow cornbread with the addition of sugar, Yankee Cornbread. We make cornbread with white cornmeal and no sugar. Both kinds have their places with different accompaniments, though.

  • Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe
    4

    Better bacon fat in the skillet than butter. This CI skillet heating technique makes the best cornbread.

  • Basic Skillet Cornbread Recipe
    4

    Can't wait to try this, although, being from the south, I will probably cut the amount of sugar in half.

  • This was a delicious recipe. I have made it two or three times now and each time it was so so yummy. I added chopped fresh cilantro one time and it was still so flipping good.
    I understand there are those who are against adding the little bit of sugar, but I didn't find that this made the bread into a sweet bread. It still went really well with all the savoury dishes I paired it with. Although, seeing as I always welcome an excuse to make this, I will definitely give it a try without the sugar the next time!

  • If you want a crunchy exterior you can dust the buttered skillet with cornmeal and bake for a few minutes before adding the batter. It's crunchy but not dry this way. That’s the way my family and my wife’s family does it.

  • This recipe was delicious! The crust was brown and buttery...yummy....I sprinkled a cup of grated old cheddar on top before baking. It was the perfect side dish to go with a big pot of chili.

  • There's room for both, folks. Altho---basics or not---it's a little silly to not at least mention the divide.

  • Yes, I know that we in the south don't add sugar. Bacon drippings, yes, but no sugar! I am a Tex-Yorker and when I make no-sugar cornbread here in NY no one likes it.

  • NO SUGAR IN CORNBREAD!

  • Sugar in cornbread! YUK! ...not in the South. We like our cornbread savory not sweet...

  • I toss in some dried cranberries on mine; it is so good! And, I sure like the idea of ButterMilk.

  • Oh, and use the coarse, stone ground yellow or white cornmeal.

  • Leave out the sugar! It tastes better without it. I am from the South (Virginia), and we never put sugar in our cornbread. Great recipe, otherwise, though, just like my Momma made it.

  • Sounds like a good, classic cornbread recipe. Yum! Although I've used olive oil in the pan instead of butter (if you're looking for healthier). It's still good! Oh, and we might mention to those who don't know: You can find UNdegerminated corn meal at the health food store. It's nice to get the whole grain of the corn :)
    I posted some corn bread variations on my website; one of my favorites uses chopped pear and yellow raisins. The textures and flavors go so good together!
    Thanks for posting- I think it's cornbread time!

  • I'm new to this cornbread thang, but I'm very much inclined to give this a go as I have some ratatouille I'd love to paire this up with, perhaps adding the suggested corn kernels to bolster teh sweetness.

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