Southern Cornbread in a Skillet

Name: Southern Cornbread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp rendered bacon fat (or 2 tbsp salted butter); 1 cup cornmeal; 1 cup flour (all-purpose); 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp baking soda; 1 ½ cup buttermilk (whole); ¼ cup butter (unsalted, melted); 1 egg (large)

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There’s just something so delicious about this best Southern Cornbread Recipe! This recipe skips the sugar allowing all the flavors of sweet corn to come through. It makes a tasty side for all types of meals. Cook it up in a skillet to serve with your next bowl of chili or soup!

Love making homemade skillet breads? Try this creamed corn cornbread and my buttermilk biscuits next! You won’t be disappointed.

Southern style cornbread in a 10 inch cast iron skillet.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Southern Cornbread Ingredients
Variations
How to Make Southern Cornbread
Serving Suggestions
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Easy Bread and Biscuit Recipes
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This easy cornbread recipe is made with simple pantry staples and takes just minutes to make. If you’re new to baking, this recipe is an ideal place to start because it’s super hard to mess up.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Not Sweet Cornbread Recipe. This is a traditional southern cornbread recipe with buttermilk that doesn’t use any sugar. It allows the natural sweetness of the cornmeal to really shine through that goes great with a bowl of homemade chili or a side of beans.
Easy Peasy. Anyone can master this recipe and it requires no special equipment to mix up! It’s incredibly easy to make and yields great results every time.
So Delicious. The crispy outside that only comes from a true southern skillet cornbread, combined with a tender crumb, and great corn flavor, makes each bite is so good!

Southern Cornbread Ingredients

Ingredients for Southern cornbread. They include butter, buttermilk, baking powder, egg, corn meal, bacon fat, flour, salt and baking soda.

Fat: True southern-style cornbread usually starts with rendered bacon fat! You can also use salted butter as well. Both add flavor as well as keep the cornbread from sticking.
Cornmeal: Use your favorite cornmeal. A fine grain cornmeal will give the cornbread a more tender texture.
Basic Baking Ingredients: You will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and some additional salt. The combination of baking soda and baking powder give the cornbread more lift and create a lighter texture.
Buttermilk: The acid in the buttermilk works to activate the baking soda while also creating a tender crumb and adding it’s naturally tangy flavor.
Butter: Unsalted butter is melted and added to the batter, giving it additional moisture.
Egg: Important for flavor and texture.

Be sure to scroll down to the full recipe card for the complete list of ingredients along with their quantities.

Variations

No buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own by adding 1 ½ tablespoons of vinegar to a measuring cup and then fill it up with milk to the 1 ½ cups line. Let it sit for five minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
Sweeter flavor. This is a cornbread recipe without sugar but if you prefer a sweeter flavor in your cornbread you can add 2-4 tablespoons of sugar for a bit of sweetness. You can also try this sweet cornbread recipe too!
Cheesy cornbread. Stir in a cup of sharp cheddar cheese into the batter just before pouring it into your skillet. You can also add some chives or sliced jalapenos along with the cheese.
Whole kernel corn. Feel free to add a ½ - 1 cup of corn kernels for some texture. Make sure if it’s canned you’ve drained it very well and if frozen, it should be thawed out before mixing it into the batter.

How to Make Southern Cornbread

Here’s everything you need to know to make this southern buttermilk cornbread. Gather all your ingredients, your cast iron skillet, and let’s get started. You’ll have freshly cooked cornbread in no time.

Greased Lodge 10 inch cast iron skillet.

Step 1: Preheat: Set your oven for 425° F and add the rendered bacon fat or butter to your cast iron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven as it’s preheating.

Dry ingredients for Southern cornbread after sifting.

Step 2: Dry Ingredients. Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and sift together.

Wet ingredients for Southern cornbread in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Wet Ingredients. Add the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter to a mixing bowl and whisk until well mixed.

Wet ingredients and dry ingredients for Southern cornbread together in a mixing bowl.

Step 4: Combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Southern cornbread batter poured in a 10 inch cast iron skillet.

Step 5: Add to pan and bake. Add the batter to your skillet. The batter should sizzle as you are pouring it. Place the cornbread in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. It’s ready when you can stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean. Much like when you check brownies.

Southern cornbread in a 10 inch Lodge cast iron skillet.

Step 6: Serve. Remove the cornbread from the oven, let it rest for five minutes, and then serve warm.

⭐️PRO TIP: This cornbread also works great in two cornbread stick pans with seven openings if you’ve got them. Adjust the cooking time as they will cook a bit more quickly than the skillet.

Serving Suggestions

Serve up your slices of warm cornbread with butter and honey for any meal. It goes especially well with hearty bowls like this white chicken chili, pumpkin chili, or 7 can soup.

The leftovers are tasty heated up for breakfast along with this sweet potato hash! Make sure to have some fruit jam or honey on the table for spreading on top.
Enjoy southern-style favorites like baked beans and bacon or my Mississippi pot roast with a side of cornbread.

Expert Tips

Preheat the pan. This is the key to crispy edges on the outside of the cornbread. The oil heats up so that as you pour the batter into the pan it immediately cooks creating a crust.
Don’t overmix. Mix in the dry ingredients slowly and only until the batter comes together. Too much mixing may make the bread a bit tough.
Storing leftovers. Place in any leftovers in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for up to three days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave or in the oven wrapped in foil.

Recipe FAQs

Can I make this into cornbread muffins?

Sure! But it’s best to use a cast iron muffin pan if you want to get those crispy edges like you get in the skillet. Fill up the openings about two-thirds of the way full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the muffins are cooked through.

Why is my cornbread dry?

The fat is essential to a southern cornbread, so make sure to use the amount listed and don’t try to adjust it back. Using oil instead of butter may also adjust the consistency. Be sure you don’t overmix or bake too long.

I don’t have a cast iron skillet. What else can I use?

You can also use a square 10" x 10" baking dish if you don’t have a skillet. But if it’s glass or aluminum the outside may not crisp up as much but the inside should still be delicious.