Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread
This jalapeño cheese cornbread takes classic cornbread to a whole new level. It’s tender on the inside, golden around the edges, and filled with bacon, cheese, and jalapeños for a side dish that’s impossible to resist.
This jalapeño cheese cornbread always disappears fast! If you already love my cornbread muffins, this version takes those same cozy flavors up a notch with crispy bacon, two kinds of cheese, and tangy pickled jalapeños. The creamed corn and buttermilk keep every slice soft and moist, while baking it in a cast iron skillet creates irresistible golden edges. It’s perfect alongside chili, soup, barbecue, or any comfort food dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy edges, tender center. Baking the cornbread in a cast iron skillet gives it irresistibly crisp, golden edges while keeping the inside soft, moist, and fluffy. Plus, the skillet keeps it warm for serving.
- Packed with bold flavor. Crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, Parmesan, and tangy pickled jalapeños make every bite rich, savory, and just a little spicy.
- Moist every time. Creamed corn and buttermilk keep this cornbread tender and flavorful, so it never turns out dry or crumbly.
- Perfect with comfort food. Serve it alongside chili, soup, barbecue, pulled pork, or your favorite cozy meal. It’s the kind of side dish that steals the show!
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon: Cook the bacon until crisp so it adds great texture. Be sure to save the bacon fat, it adds incredible flavor to both the skillet and the batter.
- Butter: Unsalted butter lets you control the salt level, but salted butter works too. Just reduce the added salt slightly if needed.
- Creamed corn: This is the secret to moist, tender cornbread with just a touch of sweetness.
- Buttermilk: Adds a subtle tang and helps create a soft, fluffy texture. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own with milk and lemon juice or vinegar. See expert tips for instructions.
- Eggs: Help bind the batter and give the cornbread structure.
- Cheddar cheese: Sharp cheddar gives the best flavor, and freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than pre-shredded.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a rich, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the cheddar. Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano is my favorite.
- Pickled jalapeños: They add just the right amount of heat without being overpowering.
- Yellow cornmeal: Gives the cornbread its classic flavor and hearty texture.
- Sugar: Just a small amount balances the savory flavors without making the cornbread sweet.
- Baking soda: Helps the cornbread rise and keeps it light and tender.
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Turn up the heat. Add an extra chopped jalapeño, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or a few dashes of hot sauce to the batter.
Make it milder. Use fewer jalapeños or leave them out altogether for a cheesy bacon cornbread everyone will enjoy.
Try a different cheese. Swap the cheddar for pepper jack, Monterey Jack, smoked gouda, or Colby Jack for a different flavor.
Add fresh corn. Stir in ½ to 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels for extra sweetness and texture.
How to Make Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the bacon in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet until crisp. Set aside and chop into small pieces.
- Melt the butter with bacon fat in the hot skillet. Pour into a large bowl and don’t clean the skillet.
- In the large bowl with the bacon fat and butter, add the creamed corn, buttermilk, eggs, cheddar cheese, parmesan, and chopped bacon. Stir to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Transfer mixture to the skillet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.
Expert Tips
Read the recipe first. This is my biggest tip! Read through all of the steps before you begin so you don’t accidentally discard the bacon fat or wash the skillet. Both are used later and add tons of flavor.
Don’t waste the bacon fat. The bacon fat greases the cast iron skillet and is mixed into the batter, giving the cornbread incredible flavor and helping create those crispy, golden edges.
No buttermilk? No problem! To make ¾ cup buttermilk, add 2¼ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Pour in enough milk to reach the ¾-cup mark, stir, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes before using.
Use a kitchen scale. For the best results, weigh your ingredients instead of measuring them by volume. It’s more accurate and helps ensure perfectly moist cornbread every time.
To use a pan. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, bake the cornbread in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish instead. Keep in mind that the bake time might be a bit shorter.
Want to make muffins? This recipe should work well as muffins. Line a muffin pan with paper liners, fill each cup about ¾ full, and bake at 375°F for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Storage Tips
Enjoy fresh. Cornbread is best enjoyed the day it’s made when the edges are crisp and the center is soft and moist. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, then transfer them to the refrigerator.
Freeze for later. Let the cornbread cool completely, then slice it if desired and store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw slices at room temperature or warm them in the microwave before serving.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, 2 to 3 fresh jalapeños may be used. Remove the stems and seeds, then chop them into small pieces before adding to the cornbread batter.
The use of creamed corn and buttermilk make this cornbread extra moist.
Cornbread is supposed to be crumbly, but if it too crumbly then it is possible you measured the ingredients wrong (I recommend weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale) or the cornbread was baked too long and dried out.
Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.
Get the Recipe: Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread
Ingredients
- 6 (6) bacon slices
- ½ cup (113 g) (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup (250 g) canned creamed corn
- ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 3 (3) large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup (113 g) (4 ounces ) shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (40 g) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ½ cup (86 g) sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped
- 1 ½ cups (215 g) yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat for about 8 minutes until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to cool, then chop into small pieces.
- With the skillet still hot, add the butter to the bacon fat and stir to melt. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Don’t clean the skillet.
- In the large bowl with the bacon fat and butter, add the creamed corn, buttermilk, eggs, cheddar cheese, parmesan, jalapeños and chopped bacon. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Transfer mixture to the skillet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out with few crumbs. Allow cornbread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
5 Comments on “Jalapeño Cheese Cornbread”
Where and when do you add the jalapeños? It doesn’t say in the recipe.
Can I substitute half and half for the buttermilk
Hi Ricardo – No, half and half doesn’t have the proper acidity that buttermilk has that is necessary for cornbread. For buttermilk substitute, place 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill it with regular milk to the 3/4 measuring mark. Stir and let it sit for 10 minutes before using.