Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Cornbread
Bold and comforting, this Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Cornbread is a delicious twist on the classic side! With melty cheese and a kick of heat from fresh jalapenos, this is the perfect hearty side dish.
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Cornbread is a classic side dish that pairs well with so many of our favorite sides, but if you want to take it to the next level this cheddar jalapeƱo cornbread is the way to go!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Delicious Twist on a Familiar Side: If you enjoy cornbread, this is an amazing upgrade that offers salty cheese and a little kick of heat thanks to jalapeno peppers!
Easy to Make: With a simple cornbread batter and hands off baking, this side is stress-free and bakes away while you work on your main course.
Simple Ingredients: You probably have almost everything you need for this dish in your fridge and pantry already!
Can't get enough cornbread? Try my Sweet Honey Cornbread or this Cowboy Cornbread Casserole!
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar: Helps balance the savory flavors with a bit of sweetness.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Using both ensures that the cornbread doesn't turn out too dense and has a nice light and fluffy quality instead.
- Unsalted Butter
- Buttermilk: Keeps the cornbread moist and tender as it bakes.
- Cheddar Cheese: Jack or Pepper Jack cheese would also be delicious.
- Canned Corn: Doubles down on the delicious corn flavor and makes this cornbread even more filling.
- Jalapenos: Pair perfectly with the cheddar and corn flavors and provide a slight kick of heat.
How to Make this Cheddar Cheese Jalapeno Cornbread
- Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cornmeal).
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter).
- Step 3: Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Step 4: Stir the cheddar cheese, diced jalapenos, and corn into the batter.
- Step 5: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet. A cast-iron skillet works best.
- Step 6: Pour batter into the prepared cast-iron skillet. Top with cheddar and jalapeno slices, then bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Recipe Tips
- If you don't have buttermilk handy, you can make your own by combining a cup of regular milk with a tablespoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar. Give it 10 minutes to sit, then stir well and use in the batter.
- A 9x9 baking dish can be used if you don't have an oven-safe skillet. You'll still need to add melted butter to the bottom of the baking dish for the best results.
- If you're worried about the cornbread getting too brown on the top, cover with aluminum foil for the last stretch of baking.
- Do a toothpick test by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cornbread. If it comes out clean, it's done baking.
Recipe FAQ's
Dry cornbread is usually a result of either overbaking or an unbalanced batter. Make sure you have enough oil and/or liquid so the cornmeal doesn't just absorb it all and leave you with a dry, tough, or dense cornbread.
While buttermilk isn't 100% necessary, it makes the cornbread tender and gives it a tangy flavor that would be missed if you just used regular milk!
More Delicious Side Dish Recipes
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Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup buttermilk see notes
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup canned corm I used Mexican corn
- 2 jalapenos seeded and diced
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda and whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl add the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until incorporated.
- Mix in the jalapenos, cheese, and corn.
- Heat a 10-inch skillet on medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter let it melt and begin to sizzle. Turn off the heat and add the cornbread batter into the skillet (it's ok if the butter raises to the top of the batter on the edges.). Add slices of jalapenos if you prefer, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- let cool 5 minutes then cut into slices.
Notes
- You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to the whole milk. Let it sit for 10 minutes and stir.
- An 9x9 baking pan will also work just butter the bottom of the pan before adding the batter.
