This simple and delicious Southern Skillet Cornbread recipe is made with real corn, cornmeal, buttermilk, and basic pantry ingredients and baked in a cast iron skillet.
Serve cornbread topped with homemade raspberry, strawberry, or peach jam or dip it in classic homemade Chili.
If you’re looking for a super moist cornbread recipe that sticks close to its Southern roots in savory taste and crisp buttery crust, this recipe is for you! Lots of love and testing went into this recipe until I achieved what I think is the perfect blend of flavor, texture and density–I can truly say this cornbread is AMAZING!
We enjoy cornbread all year round, served with soup, or served at a summer BBQ with ribs and baked beans. If you’re looking for a sweet, more cake-like cornbread, try my Classic Buttermilk Cornbread recipe.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR SKILLET CORNBREAD:
- Cornmeal – This is the other star of the dish. Cornbread wouldn’t be cornbread without cornmeal.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Baking soda – this get’s mixed with the buttermilk before combining with other ingredients.
- Buttermilk – This is a star ingredient for this recipe as it helps keep the cornbread moist rather than dry and crumbly.
- Sugar – Try using half white and half brown to enhance the dark molasses flavor
- Oil
- Eggs – room temperature
- Corn kernels- give the recipe texture and flavor
- Creamed corn- adds extra moisture
- Butter – room temperature butter
How to Make Skillet Cornbread:
1. Combine dry ingredients: In small bowl stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Measure buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup. Stir baking soda into buttermilk and set aside.
2. Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl mix the oil and sugar together. Mix in the eggs. Add the buttermilk and creamed corn and mix to combine.
3. Melt butter. Add the butter to the cast iron skillet and allow to melt.
4. Stir together: Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir just until combined (don’t over-mix!). Gently stir in frozen corn.
5. Add batter to skillet: Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour the batter immediately into the pan, smoothing into an even layer.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
7. Serve. Cut into wedges and serve.
Recipe Variations:
- Gluten-free skillet cornbread: substitute gluten-free flour.
- No-buttermilk: make a buttermilk substitute, or if necessary, use whatever kind of milk you have on hand.
- No-cast iron skillet: Make this recipe or my classic cornbread in an 8-inch square pan.
Freezing Instructions:
Allow cornbread to cool completely and remove from cast iron skillet. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe container for 2-3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature.
Consider serving this with one of my favorite soups!
- Spicy Chicken Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Taco Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Chile Verde Soup
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Recipe
Skillet Cornbread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine ground cornmeal
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk* , room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar*
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 eggs , room temperature
- ½ cup frozen corn kernels
- 1/2 cup creamed corn
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter , cut into pieces, or use bacon grease
Instructions
- Place cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
- In small bowl stir together cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Measure buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup. Stir baking soda into buttermilk and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl mix the oil and sugar together. Mix in the eggs. Add the buttermilk and creamed corn and mix to combine.
- Add the butter to the cast iron skillet and allow to melt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir just until combined (don’t over-mix! The batter doesn't need to be completely smooth). Gently stir in frozen corn.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Pour the batter immediately into the pan, smoothing into an even layer.
- Bake for about 27-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with few moist crumbs.
- Cut into wedges and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe February 2015. I’ve changed the recipe to be more of a southern-style cornbread and included process photos and tips, but you can find the other cornbread recipe here (and bake in a skillet if desired).
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I always try different recipes for cornbread as I haven’t found one I like enough to repeat. My search is over. This recipe was delicious! It is very moist and has a nice fresh corn flavor. Baking it in the cast iron pan as the recipe calls for produced a nice lightly crunchy exterior and nice and soft interior and moist crumb. Even left uncovered the next day the bread was still moist. Highly recommend!
So easy to make’m made for thanksgiving and everyone loved it