Mexican Cornbread

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

— Leslie

Wow, this homemade Mexican cornbread is absolutely delicious! Way better than jiffy cornbread! 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 recipe is a must try. I’m pretty much a fan of all types of cornbread, especially with a piping hot bowl of soup or chili. BUT. All cornbread is not created equal. Sometimes it’s moist and delicious, 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 promise – I’ve made it dozens of times and it always come out perfectly.

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.

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.

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 also just as easy as stirring your ingredients all together in one bowl. 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.
4. Serve. Top with warm honey and/or butter. Or serve with chili, soup, beans or pulled pork. Enjoy!

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 recommend, but this trick will work in a pinch.
• Check your cornmeal for rancidity before baking. Rancid cornmeal will smell stale and musty; good 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.
• Chile heat. You can choose mild chiles if you’re sensitive to spicy foods or if you want extra heat, go for hot chile peppers.
• Cornbread muffins. This recipe makes great corn muffins. If you’re in the mood for muffins, divide the batter equally into a greased 12 cup muffin tin, bake for 15 to 18 minutes, then enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

Storing leftovers

• Storage. This bread 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.

Serving suggestions

This cornbread is delicious with the following:

• Healthy Turkey Chili
• Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Parmesan Baked Cod
• Crockpot Tortilla Soup
• Ground Beef Sweet Potato Chili

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. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.