Cornbread is an all-American dish that has been around for years. I have one of the best cornbread recipes. Jalapeño Cornbread is delicious and colorful and a surefire hit you should try.

Normally, I make this Jalapeño Cornbread for our bi-annual Kentucky Derby Party. This recipe is great anytime of year served with soups, chili, or as a side dish.

Over the years I’ve introduced new dishes to the party, but there are some recipes that are just so good and popular that I always serve them: Sweet Shark’s Smoked Salmon, the Southern Pimento Cheese, Maple-Glazed Ham, and Fried Chicken Drumettes.

Jalapeño Cornbread Salad is another all-time favorite made from the Jalapeño Cornbread. I serve it for dinner after the race. Here’s the story behind this Jalapeño Cornbread and the salad it is used in. Don’t all good recipes have stories?

This Jalapeño Cornbread recipe definitely has a southern vibe since cornbread is the foundation. What makes it special is the variety of peppers, red onion and cilantro included in the batter.

It’s the perfect accompaniment to so many main dishes or just good by itself, served warm with a bit of butter melting on top.

Years ago when I worked in the culinary school at Sur La Table, one of our favorite guest instructors was Shannon. A local restaurant pastry chef at the time, he shared his mother’s Jalapeño Cornbread that was part of a recipe that I call Shannon’s Mother’s Jalapeño Cornbread Salad – and that’s what all my friends call this dish. After you read through the Jalapeño Cornbread recipe, check out the salad. It’s amazing.

This Jalapeño Cornbread uses baking powder instead of yeast to make it rise. The eggs also act as a leveaner.

TIP: I will give notice that this Jalapeño Cornbread is a bit labor-intensive at the beginning. Give yourself plenty of time to chop the peppers and onion.

Preparing the Jalapeño Cornbread

While you are preparing the ingredients, heat a large 10-inch cast iron skillet in a 400˚F oven.

Combine all your dry ingredients. I use a whisk to completely incorporate the flour, baking powder, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and cumin.

Gather all your wet ingredients and combine in a large bowl.

Yeastless Jalapeño Cornbread recipe ingredients

Add the peppers and remaining ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.

mixing Yeastless Jalapeño Cornbread recipe ingredients

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine, making sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients.

mixing yeastless Jalapeño Cornbread recipe

Add a small amount of bacon grease or canola oil to the 10-inch cast iron skillet and swirl it around to coat the inside of the skillet. Then pour the mixture into your heated skillet (It should sizzle a bit.) and bake for about 45 minutes.

This is how your delicious Jalapeño Cornbread should look when baked. I love how the red bell pepper and the jalapeño pieces rise to the surface. Makes for a very pretty dish.

When the cornbread is done, flip out the cornbread onto a wire rack to cool.

When the cornbread is cool, wrap it in foil and set aside until you are ready to use it. You can enjoy it hot with a little butter.

If you are using it in Shannon’s Mother’s Jalapeño Cornbread Salad, the cornbread is best made one day ahead before you assemble the salad.

Another way we love to use this cornbread is to pair it with our favorite chili recipe.

Yeastless Jalapeño Cornbread

Print Pin

Jalapeño Cornbread

Delicious Southern skillet bread recipe that doesn't require yeast. Southern-style cornbread with a Tex-Mex kick is a great accompaniment for soups, chili, and stews.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cornbread recipes, southern cornbread, Tex-Mex cornbread

Servings servings

Equipment

mixing bowl
cast iron skillet
large whisk
large rubber spatula or wooden spoon

Ingredients

7 1/2 ounces all~purpose flour 2 cups, 4 teaspoons
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
9 ounces yellow cornmeal 2 cups, 4 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 whole eggs
6 ounces butter or bacon fat, melted 3/4 cup
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 large Jalapeño peppers meat only, finely chopped
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper meat only, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place 10~inch cast iron skillet in the oven to heat.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula or large wooden spoon. Do not overmix.
Carefully grease the iron skillet with bacon grease or canola oil. Pour the batter into the skillet. Bake the cornbread for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Invert the cornbread from the skillet onto a wire rack to cool.