Southern Skillet Cornbread
Crispy-edged, golden cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet — the quintessential Southern American side.
About This Recipe
Southern cornbread is fundamentally different from its sweeter Northern counterpart — it uses less sugar (or none at all), more buttermilk and often bacon dripping in the pan, producing a crispy, deeply savoury cornbread with crackling edges and a tender, moist interior. Baked in a preheated cast-iron skillet, it's one of the most honest, satisfying breads in American cooking.
Ingredients
Serves 8
- 240 gfine yellow cornmeal
- 60 gplain flour
- 1 tspbaking powder
- ½ tspbaking soda
- 1 tspfine salt
- 1 tspcaster sugar(optional — traditional Southern cornbread uses none)
- 2large eggs(beaten)
- 300 mlbuttermilk
- 4 tbspbacon dripping, lard or melted butter(divided)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the skillet
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Place a 25cm cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat for 10 minutes — this is what creates the crispy base.
A screaming hot skillet is the secret to the shatteringly crispy bottom that defines Southern cornbread.
- 2
Mix the batter
Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar (if using). In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of fat. Pour the wet into the dry and stir until just combined.
- 3
Bake
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the remaining tablespoon of fat, swirling to coat. Pour in the batter — it will sizzle dramatically. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- 4
Serve
Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve warm from the skillet with extra butter. Essential alongside chilli, fried chicken, BBQ or beans.
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Watch: Southern Skillet Cornbread
Pro Tips
- →
Buttermilk is non-negotiable — it reacts with the baking soda to create the light crumb. No buttermilk? Add 1 tbsp vinegar to 300ml regular milk and leave for 5 minutes.
- →
Don't overmix the batter — a few lumps are fine and produce a more tender crumb.
Variations
- •
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread: fold 100g grated cheddar and 2 sliced jalapeños into the batter.
- •
Bacon Cornbread: fold 100g crumbled crispy bacon into the batter before baking.
Storage
Store wrapped at room temperature for 2 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes or in a dry pan. Freezes well for up to 2 months.
History & Origin
Cornbread has been central to Southern American food culture since the 17th century, when corn was the principal grain of Indigenous Americans and later of enslaved Africans and white settlers. The cast-iron skillet method is the oldest and most traditional preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a regular cake tin instead of a cast-iron skillet?
Yes, but you'll lose the crispy base. Use a greased 23cm round cake tin preheated in the oven for 5 minutes to partially replicate the effect.
Should Southern cornbread be sweet?
Traditionally no — authentic Southern cornbread is savoury or only very lightly sweetened. Sweet cornbread is a Northern tradition.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Swap the plain flour for a 1:1 gluten-free blend — the small amount of flour is mostly for structure, so the swap works well without changing the texture much.
Why is my cornbread dry and crumbly?
Usually overbaking or too little fat. Pull it as soon as a skewer comes out clean, and don't skimp on the buttermilk or bacon dripping.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (150g / 5.3 oz) · 8 servings total
Time Summary
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