Southern Cornbread Recipe
Is cornbread an issue of true debate? That depends on where you live. But for those of you who love a no-sugar, crispy skillet version this southern cornbread recipe is spot-on.
I have a theory about cornbread.
If you grew up north of the Ohio River or had a family member who taught you to cook who did, you will put sugar in your cornbread.
If you grew up south of the river, you don’t. You never realized I was so wise did you?
I grew up south and so did the cooks in my family so we don’t put sugar in our cornbread. In fact, the only thing sweet cornbread is good for to me is a corn dog.
I’ll just pass if I have to eat it with sugar in it. Isn’t it funny how we get used to something tasting a specific way?
So I say that to say this: you CAN put sugar in my recipe and I will still work for you. I don’t know how much to tell you to put in though–you may just have to wing it.
And speaking of winging it, that’s what I realized that I do when I make this. Even when my mom taught me as a little girl, it was all by eye.
If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more cornmeal mix.
I’m going to try to give you measurements, but just remember it should be just thicker than pancake batter. Get that down, and you’re good.
I kept wondering if this recipe was just too easy to share with you. Then I heard my friends talking about it one night–they use a (gasp) bagged mix that you just add water to.
Oh. We have a problem.
We need real cornbread.
If you’re gonna get out a mixing bowl and dirty a spoon, you might as well make it taste better than a bagged mix–that’s just my opinion.
My secrets to crispy southern cornbread
I use a self rising cornmeal mix. You can find self rising mix in your baking aisle with the flour. Don’t just buy a bag of cornmeal. You will call me mean names if you do. White Lily makes a good one.
If self rising cornmeal mix isn’t available where you live, try this homemade version.
And for the best crust–that golden crispy crust, you’ll need a cast iron skillet.
You can make yours in another dish, but it just won’t be the same. Mom taught me to turn the cornbread over when it’s done (flip it out of the skillet while its raging hot) onto an oven mitt and put it back in the pan with the pretty, crispy side up.
I didn’t for this picture, but it does make it really pretty.The key to that crispy crust is to have your skillet screaming hot and plenty of oil in it when you pour in your batter.
I heat mine on the stovetop, or you can heat your pan in the oven.
You can also skip that step if you don’t have cast and just lightly grease an 8×8 baking pan and bake it up that way.
Serve it warm with pinto beans and mashed potato cakes, chicken pot pie, or just butter and jam.
Southern Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups self rising cornmeal mix not just plain cornmeal
- 2 eggs or 1 extra large egg
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or an equivalent amount of refined coconut oil, bacon grease or lard
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil for the skillet if using cast iron; an equivalent amount of refined coconut oil, bacon grease or lard will substitute
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk or regular milk Start with 1 cup of liquid if you are using regular milk and add the rest as necessary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- If you are using cast iron, place the 1/4 cup oil in the bottom of a 9″ skillet and place over high heat on your stovetop while you make the batter.
- Pour the cornmeal into a bowl and add the oil, egg, and buttermilk.
- Mix until combined and drop a small amount into your skillet.
- If it sizzles immediately, go ahead and pour in your batter to within 1 inch of the top. If you want a thinner cornbread, just don’t pour in as much.
- Transfer the skillet from the stove top to the hot oven.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden and set.
Notes
Bake as directed. Nutrition information based on the use of refined coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil.
Nutrition
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I turn the broiler on for the last few minutes, browns top and then flip it like you said!
We USE sugar in the south!
Haha! Like I said, just a theory.
I’m from Mississippi and we’ve always made sweet cornbread.
Well like I said, it’s just a theory. 😉
The best recipe I’ve found, yet!
Delicious!!!
Well I’ve watch my great grandmother make cornbread and my grandmother make cornbread and my mother and I ain’t ever seen them use vegetable oil in my life they and I use bacon grease to coat the skillet and in the mix and no dam sugar what’s wrong with theses northern people lol
Well bacon grease is certainly fine. I just like my arteries a bit more than that and don’t use it or lard. Any fat works okay. 🙂 –Rachel
This is the way I learned to make it buy eye. A little of this and that but the most imporant thing is to make sure you use whole butter milk. If you use fat free or regular milk you will not get any taste. or you can do what
I do. I measure my regular milk and then I add lemon and vinager until I get it the way butter milk used to taste. Then you will have the taste you wanted.
I have been trying to figure out how my mother fixed the best cornbread I’ve ever had. She was one that never measured a thing for any recipe or dish she made. A sprinkle of this and a dash of that never came out close to the way her’s always did! My mother has since passed away and I continued the struggle to make cornbread even resemble the beauty and taste that she mastered. Thanks to you posting the measurements I am now among the elite in the cornbread area! A tip from my mother to me that i only know from watching her so i added it when making yours, is when the oil is hot in the pan, lightly sprinkle some dry cornmeal into the pan. It adds a great crisp and flavor . When you flip your bread it’s a masterpiece!! Thanks again for sharing !!
Oh Debbie this makes me so happy. Was my recipe close to hers? My mom and I often just do ours by eye too. I rarely measure and when I had to make this for the site it felt really awkward to measure anything. And I’d say that bit of cornmeal would add a nice crunch. I’ve never done that but it sounds lovely. 🙂 Thank you for your kind comment. –Rachel
You do not flip cornbread.
Well we flip ours here but either way it tastes the same so we won’t fall out about it. 🙂
I made this recipe using my favorite…bacon grease! sizzling hot bacon grease. I made a separate batch for my husband with sugar. Both were delicious and I will make it again.
thank you for sharing.
Do you not normally add salt as an ingredient? My end result had no flavor whatsoever which I’m not used to. It sure looked pretty though!
Hey Michelle, well now we don’t want flavorless cornbread for sure! Mine is always delicious but I use self rising cornmeal mix–is that what you used? That contains flour, baking powder, salt and cornmeal all in one bag. If you used something else you would have needed to add the salt and perhaps the leavening. Mine always has great flavor. Did you make any changes to the recipe? Let me know what ingredients you used and I bet we can find the problem. –Rachel
For more flavor use butter instead of vegetable oil.
This is my cornbread. I can even make it on top of the stove, just turn it over half way through. ( ease it onto a plate, turn the pan over on top of the plate then reverse)
My cornbread is your cornbread Linda, and your cornbread is mine. That’s a relationship I like! I never do it on the stove though unless I’m making them pancake style but that sounds great! –Rachel