Jalapeño Cornbread

Cheesy cornbread with spicy jalapeño is the perfect chili side.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated January 21, 2024
Elise Bauer

Who doesn't love cornbread? Wait, don't answer that. If you are one of those rare folks who looks the other way when presented with just baked cornbread out of a hot skillet, I feel for you, really I do.

Jalapeño Cornbread
Elise Bauer

For the rest of us, cornbread is the ultimate comfort food. For you, I present a spicy, cheesy jalapeño cornbread, made in a cast iron skillet, with fresh or pickled jalapeños, corn, and jack or cheddar cheese. Perfect to go with chili beans.

slice of jalapeno cornbread on a decorative plate
Elise Bauer

Jalapeño Cornbread

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 8 servings

If using fresh jalapeños, taste test them first. Some jalapeños can be very hot and some can be as mild as bell peppers. If you get scorching chiles, you may want to scale back a bit. If they are too mild, taste the seeds, if there's heat in the seeds, make sure you use the seeds. If the chiles just aren't hot, add some chile pepper flakes to the batter.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

  • 1 cup cornmeal

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1 large egg

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped, drained pickled jalapeños or fresh jalapeños (depending on how spicy you want your cornbread to be)

  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

  • 1/2 cup grated Monterey jack or cheddar cheese

Method

  1. Preheat the skillet as you preheat the oven to 400°F.

    Put the canola oil in a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet and place the skillet in the oven as it preheats.

    jalapeno-cornbread-method-1
    Elise Bauer
  2. Whisk together the dry ingredients:

    In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt.

  3. Whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg:

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, and egg.

  4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and add the butter, chiles, corn, and cheese:

    Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine.

    jalapeno-cornbread-method-4
    Elise Bauer
    jalapeno-cornbread-method-6
    Elise Bauer

    Stir in the melted butter, the chopped jalapeños, corn, and cheese.

  5. Pour the batter into hot skillet:

    Once the oven has reached 400°F and the skillet is hot, carefully remove the empty skillet from the oven (double up the pot holders, the handle is hot!). Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet, and smooth the surface with a wooden spoon or spatula.

    jalapeno-cornbread-method-7
    Elise Bauer
    jalapeno-cornbread-method-8
    Elise Bauer
  6. Bake:

    Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

  7. Let rest before cutting:

    Let the jalapeño cornbread rest in the skillet for 10 to 20 minutes before cutting wedges and serving. Remember that the skillet is still very HOT. I recommend keeping a pot holder draped over the handle, or rubbing the handle with ice to cool it down. (I've burned my hand picking up a hot skillet; it's no fun.)

    Serving tip—drizzle with honey! There's plenty of butter in the batter, none extra needed.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
13g Fat
29g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 51mg 17%
Sodium 659mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 123mg 9%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 199mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.