Bringing you the best Mexican Cornbread! It’s slightly sweet with a moist, tender crumb and a nice little kick of heat. The recipe is easy to make with cornmeal, flour, cheddar cheese, green chiles, and buttermilk! Pair it with chili, soup or beans for the most cozy meal.

Pieces of Mexican cornbread drizzled on parchment paper.

This homemade Mexican Cornbread is absolutely delicious! Way better than jiffy cornbread mix! Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I’ve been told this is the “BEST” amongst my friends and family. I would have to agree. Okay, I am going to let my head stop growing for a second. Ha!

Seriously, though, this cornbread recipe is a must try. I’m pretty much a fan of all types of cornbread (sweet, savory or corn muffins), especially with a piping hot bowl of soup or chili. But, not all cornbread is created equal. Sometimes it’s moist and fluffy, other times it’s dry and crumbly. This recipe changes all of that. It’s got all the great flavor of the classic with a little something special. And, it’s NEVER dry and crumbly. It’s true, I’ve made it dozens of times and it always come out perfect.

This is easy to make, my kids love it and it’s just an all around amazing recipe. So, what are you waiting for? Go bake some up, and while you’re at it, get a pot of my dad’s award-winning chili cooking on the stovetop!

I’ve had other peoples Mexican Cornbread, but this is the “BEST“ I’ve ever had. Thanks so much for sharing. 

— Leslie
Pieces of cornbread on parchment paper near a small bowl of honey.

Ingredients needed

This Mexican cornbread recipe uses basic ingredients to make the most tasty, fluffiest cornbread you’ll ever taste. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Cornmeal & flour. Most standard cornbread mix recipes use an equal amount of cornmeal to flour, and that’s what we have here.
  • Baking staples. You’ll need some baking powder, baking soda and salt so that this bakes up nice and fluffy.
  • Sugar. For the perfect sweetness!
  • Cheese. A full heaping cup of sharp cheddar cheese adds so much deliciousness. A Mexican blend, Monterey jack cheese or pepper jack cheese would work great, too.
  • Green chiles. It’s easy to use a small can of diced green chiles, however you can substitute with your own roasted poblano peppers or jalapeño peppers. This helpful post gives instructions for doing just that.
  • Eggs. You’ll need two eggs to help this bake up properly.
  • Buttermilk. Adds moisture and richness.
  • Butter. Melted butter makes it super moist and flavorful.

Recipe Tip

This recipe for Mexican cornbread is very mild, however, choose mild green chiles, if you’re sensitive to spicy foods. Or, if you want extra heat, go for hot chili peppers.

How to make this recipe

I know there are tons of cornbread recipes, but this one’s the best! No need for jiffy mix! It’s just as easy as stirring your ingredients all together in one large mixing bowl and pouring the mixture into a prepared pan. I like to grab up all of my ingredients before getting started to make things super quick when I bake or cook. Here’s the simple process:

For the printable recipe, see the recipe card at the bottom.

  1. Mix dry ingredients. First things first, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and then whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and cheese in a large bowl.
  2. Add wet ingredients. Stir in the green chiles, large eggs, buttermilk and butter. Don’t over mix, some small lumps are fine.
  3. Bake. Pour batter into a greased or parchment lined 9-inch square baking dish or pan and bake for 25-30 minutes and until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Feel free to bake your corn bread in a cast iron skillet if you’d prefer.
Stirring cornmeal with flour, eggs, butter, sugar and green chiles.
Cornbread batter in a parchment lined baking dish.
  1. Serve. Top with warm honey and/or butter. Or serve with chili, soup, beans or pulled pork. Enjoy!
Baked cornbread topped with butter in a white baking dish.

Expert tips

Here are a few tips to make sure this recipe bakes up perfect every time!

  • Fresh baking powder + baking soda. Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are fresh! They lose potency over time. When I open a new can, I always write the date on the lid with a sharpie. Discard the opened can after 6 months.
  • Buttermilk substitute. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can stir together a little less than 1 cup of milk with about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then you can use it in the recipe in place of the buttermilk. The real thing is highly recommended, but this trick will work in a pinch.
  • Check your cornmeal for rancidity before baking. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty; fresh cornmeal will have a sweeter smell.
  • Mix batter by hand. Do not use an electric mixer to stir the ingredients together. Mixing by hand helps eliminate over mixing. It is desirable to have a few lumps in the batter. Over-mixing makes more glutens form in the flour, which in turn results in drier, more crumbly baked goods.
  • Cornbread muffins. This recipe makes great corn muffins. To make, divide the batter equally into a greased 12-cup muffin tin, bake for 15 to 18 minutes, then enjoy!

Gluten free option

This Mexican cornbread can easily be made gluten free! Cornmeal is naturally gluten free, so just swap the all-purpose flour for oat flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.

Frequently asked questions

What is good with Mexican cornbread?

We all know cornbread pairs perfectly with chili and soup! The spice from chili is the perfect complement to the sweetness. It is also a great side dish with beans, pulled pork and is a tasty BBQ side. See below for more serving suggestions.

Does Mexican cornbread need to be refrigerated?

After about a day left out at room temperature, it’s best to store this in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can Mexican cornbread be frozen?

Yes, once cooled completely, cut into pieces of desired size. Wrap in plastic wrap, and then aluminum foil, and place in a freezer bag or freezer safe container.

How many calories are in Mexican cornbread?

In this particular Mexican cornbread recipe, there are 202 calories, 24g carbs, 6g protein and 9g of fat. The full nutrition details can be found at the bottom of the recipe card.

Serving suggestions

There are so many delicious ways you can enjoy this Mexican cornbread recipe! Here’s some of our favorite options:

Storing leftovers

  • Storage. This is best on the day you bake it. Store leftovers at room temperature, wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for a day, then transfer it to the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
  • To freeze. Let it cool completely and then cut it into squares. Wrap squares individually in plastic wrap and then foil. Place foil-wrapped pieces in a large plastic bag or freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months. You can thaw in the fridge overnight or thaw at room temperature. You can also just heat it up in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Two pieces of Mexican cornbread stacked and drizzled with butter.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.

Pieces of Mexican cornbread drizzled on parchment paper.
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Mexican Cornbread

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Bringing you the best Mexican Cornbread! It's slightly sweet with a moist, tender crumb and a nice little kick of heat. The recipe is easy to make with cornmeal, flour, cheddar cheese, green chiles, and buttermilk! Pair it with chili, soup or beans for the most cozy meal.
Author: Kim

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 (heaping) cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF. Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cheese. Add the chiles, eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter; mix well to combine.
    Stirring cornmeal with flour, eggs, butter, sugar and green chiles.
  • Pour batter into a greased or parchment lined 9-inch square casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes and until golden brown.
    Cornbread batter in a parchment lined baking dish.
  • Serve warm with honey and/or butter. Or serve with chili, soup or pulled pork.
    Baked cornbread topped with butter in a white baking dish.

Notes

Storage. Cornbread is best on the day you bake it. Store leftovers at room temperature, wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container for a day, then transfer it to the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
To freeze. Let it cool completely and then cut into squares. Wrap squares individually in plastic wrap and then foil. Place foil-wrapped pieces in a large plastic bag or freezer-safe (airtight) container for up to 3 months. You can thaw in the fridge overnight or thaw at room temperature. You can also just heat it up in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Make muffins. If you want to make this recipe into 12 muffins, it totally works, just adjust the baking time to about 15-18 minutes.
Photos by Sasha at Eat Love Eats
Author: Kim
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern, Tex-Mex
Serving: 1servings, Calories: 202kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 297IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 130mg, Iron: 1mg

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