Want a little extra kick with your cornbread? Jalapeños will do the trick. Jalapeño Cornbread is a sweet and savory Southern masterpiece of buttery, tender cornbread speckled with fresh, chopped jalapeños and melty Cheddar cheese!
You can make it in a casserole dish, a cast-iron skillet, or turn it into muffins! Then, serve this Cheesy Jalapeño Cornbread with a big schmear of butter and a drizzle of honey for an easy (and seriously irresistible) side dish. It’s perfect alongside a hearty bowl of Texas chili, Cabbage and Sausage, and great for potlucks BBQs, holidays, and more!
HOW TO MAKE JALAPENO CORNBREAD
- Whisk Dry Ingredients - Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Then, create a well in the center of the bowl and set it aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients - Melt down the butter and set it aside to cool. Once the butter is at room temperature, combine the sour cream, milk, eggs, and butter together in a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisking until the mixture is homogenous.
- Add Wet Ingredients to Dry Ingredients - Pour the wet ingredients into the well you created and stir until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
- Add Jalapenos and Cheese - Stir in the chopped jalapenos and grated Cheddar and stop as soon as the ingredients are evenly incorporated so you don't overwork the batter.
- Bake - Transfer the batter to a greased 9x13" casserole dish and bake at 400° for about 28 minutes.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT'S DONE?
To determine whether your Jalapeño Cornbread is done, use a toothpick, a thin-bladed knife, or a cake tester and insert it in the center of the cornbread. If it comes out damp and coated with batter, it needs to bake a little longer. If your toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it, the cornbread is ready!
CAN I USE A CAST IRON SKILLET?
Absolutely! Not everyone has a cast-iron skillet, but almost everyone has a casserole dish. It's for this reason, this Jalapeño Cornbread recipe calls for a casserole dish. However, if you'd prefer to make yours in a skillet, by all means, yes.
To do so, place a large cast-iron skillet (one that is around 11 to 12" in diameter) in the oven while it is preheating. Then, make the batter, remove the skillet from the oven, add the batter and bake for about 25 minutes at 400°F. Are you looking for more side options? Check out our Side Dish Recipes next for some delicious options!
CAN I MAKE JALAPENO CORNBREAD MUFFINS WITH THIS RECIPE?
Yes, if you'd like to make muffins out of this recipe, just add muffin liners to a standard-sized muffin tin, spritz the pan and the liners with nonstick cooking spray and fill the wells just over half-way full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, just until the muffins are golden and the center springs back ever so slightly when gently poked.
You will need two muffin tins or be prepared to use one muffin tin twice! This recipe makes a lot (and freezes extremely well)!
INGREDIENTS
The ingredients for this recipe can be broken down into three important features: The cornbread batter, the jalapeños, and the cheese.
THE CORNBREAD BATTER
The cornbread batter comes together with a simple mix of dry and wet ingredients. No Jiffy necessary. Here's what you'll need:
- All-Purpose Flour - Important things to note about the ingredients here is you should only use all-purpose flour, and definitely don't try to sub in self-rising, cake, or bread flour.
- Cornmeal - The cornmeal used for making this Jalapeño Cornbread is finely ground cornmeal. If you like a bit more of a chewy texture, rather than a soft texture to your cornbread, you can sub in a medium-grind or even coarsely ground Polenta.
- Baking Soda - Do not confuse baking soda with baking powder. These ingredients are not interchangeable. When it comes to this Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread, it's baking soda all the way.
- Sour Cream - Sour cream in baked goods not only keeps them moist, but it also makes for a very tender crumb. Be sure to use full-fat sour cream for the best results!
- Milk - Whole milk is preferable because of the added fat content, but if you only have 2% milk, it will work in a pinch.
- Eggs - You'll need four large eggs!
- Butter - Be sure to use unsalted butter your batter will be far too salty. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt entirely from the recipe.
JALAPENOS
For the best Jalapeño Cornbread, use fresh jalapeños over pickled or canned. As long as you seed your jalapeños, they will not add an overwhelming about of spice to the cornbread.
IS THIS CORNBREAD SPICY?
This Jalapeño Cornbread has a mild kick of heat to it, but nothing overwhelmingly spicy. If you want your cornbread to be spicier, just leave a few of those seeds intact. Warning -- when it comes to hot pepper seeds, a little will go a long way.
CHEESE
Cheddar and jalapeño are a classic combination, and when developing this recipe, we used freshly grated Cheddar cheese. Freshly grated cheese has a smoother, softer texture and the flavor is exponentially better. However, if you are short on time, feel free to sub in a high-quality pre-shredded cheese.
You could also change up the cheese if you'd like. Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, and Pepper Jack would all be delicious in Jalapeño Cornbread.
HOW TO STORE JALAPENO CORNBREAD
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread will keep for right around 2 to 3 days after you've made it. After this point, it will start to dry out. Because of the cheese, you'll want to store it in the refrigerator.
If you'd like to enjoy your cornbread beyond the 2-3 day mark, freeze it!
HOW TO FREEZE IT
To freeze Jalapeno Cornbread, allow it to cool to room temperature, then cut it into squares and place them in a freezer-safe gallon-sized ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible (but don’t smoosh the cornbread), seal, and freeze. Eat within 3 months for best quality.
5 MORE SOUTHERN SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
Jalapeño Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cup fine ground yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ⅓ cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs slightly beaten
- 14 tablespoons (about 1 ¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 ½ cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup seeded and finely chopped jalapeños (plus, 1-2 thinly sliced jalapeños for garnish, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° and have ready a greased 9x13" casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Create a well in the middle of the bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, eggs, and butter. Pour wet ingredients into the well, and with a wooden spoon, gently stir until incorporated into dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Add the Cheddar and the chopped jalapeños and stir once more.
- Pour batter into the casserole dish and smooth over the top. If using, gently press the sliced jalapeños across the top of the batter.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden, slightly browned along the edges and a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it when inserted into the center. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Nutrition
MARYELLEN BROWN says
Although you never respond to my emails here we go. I have been making jalapeno cornbread for years. The addition of cheese will be great. I have adjusted the=recipe and add more jalapenos and more cornmeal than flour. The people with whom I share the made product usually heat it in the microwave with butter. I also use the "holy" iron frying pan. One great recipe!