This is my grandmother’s cornbread recipe, halved for smaller households. She made twice this amount in a 12-inch skillet, feeding a family of six plus whoever showed up at dinnertime (which in rural Texas was often neighbors, cousins, or people from church). This version makes enough for 4 people, or 2 people with leftovers for the next day.
I learned to make cornbread by watching Meemaw. She never measured anything. She just knew the proportions by feel after making it hundreds of times. She kept her bacon grease jar on the counter by the stove (it was a different time). She used whatever cornmeal was on sale. This was regular dinner cornbread, not special occasion food. Just a staple that appeared on the table several times a week, usually with beans and greens.
I don’t have her cast iron skillet anymore. I wish I did. But I have her recipe, and I have my own well-seasoned 8-inch skillet that makes cornbread just as good as hers.
Oh and this is Southern cornbread. It has no sugar in it. It is not sweet. It will never be sweet. This is a hill I will die on, just like my grandmother before me.
The Sugar Question (Or: Why I Have Strong Opinions)
Let’s address this directly: there is no sugar in this recipe.
Northern cornbread has sugar. Cornbread muffins have sugar. Jiffy mix has sugar. This recipe does not.
Southern cornbread is savory. It’s meant to be eaten with beans, greens, chili, or stew. It’s meant to soak up pot liquor or be crumbled into buttermilk. It’s a staple food, not a dessert.
If you want sweet cornbread, add sugar to this recipe and accept that you have made a corn muffin in a skillet. A delicious muffin, probably. But not cornbread.
About the Cornmeal
I aim for half cornmeal and half corn flour, but honestly, it’s whatever I have on hand. The corn flour (which is just very finely ground cornmeal, NOT masa harina) gives you a cake-like texture, while the cornmeal gives you that classic crumbly cornbread texture and corn flavor.
For everyday cornbread, I’m partial to the Dixie Lily brand. Yellow or white cornmeal both work; it’s a personal preference. I grew up with yellow. Use what you can get.
For special occasions and holidays, I’ll splurge on Anson Mills cornmeal, ordered directly from them. Their heirloom corn varieties make cornbread that tastes like what I remember from childhood, except better. It’s expensive (around $8-10 per pound), so it’s not everyday cooking. But for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner when I’m making cornbread dressing, or when I want to remember what Meemaw’s cornbread tasted like when she used good cornmeal instead of whatever was on sale? Anson Mills is worth it.
About the Rest of It
Buttermilk
Real buttermilk always, if you can. The combination of acid and fat helps with the rise and gives you better flavor. If you absolutely don’t have buttermilk, you can use milk with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon per cup of milk). Let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle. But you won’t have quite the same flavor or texture. It’s worth keeping buttermilk on hand.
Bacon Grease
You DO keep a jar of bacon grease around like any good Southern cook, right? Every time I cook bacon, I pour the grease into a jar and keep it in the fridge. (Meemaw kept hers on the counter, but I’m a little more cautious about food safety.) It lasts forever in the fridge.
Bacon grease gives cornbread a subtle savory flavor that oil just doesn’t. But if you don’t have it, vegetable oil works. You’re not making authentic Southern cornbread without bacon grease, but you’re making cornbread that will still taste good.
Why the Steps Matter
The 10-minute rest isn’t optional. Two things are happening: the cornmeal is hydrating (which makes the texture better), and the acid from the buttermilk is interacting with the baking powder, creating more leavening power. You should see tiny bubbles forming in the batter. That’s CO2 from the chemical reaction. That’s what makes your cornbread rise and have a tender crumb instead of being dense.
The smoking hot skillet is critical. When you pour the batter into that hot fat, it should sizzle immediately. That sizzle creates the crispy, golden-brown crust on the bottom and edges of the cornbread. If your skillet isn’t hot enough, you’ll get soggy, pale, greasy cornbread instead of the crispy-edged perfection you’re looking for. This is what Meemaw knew by instinct; I had to learn it by trial and error.
And don’t leave the cornbread in the hot skillet to cool or it’ll keep cooking and dry out. Turn it out onto a rack or cutting board right away.
Why This Works in an 8-Inch Skillet
The full recipe (doubled) in a 12-inch skillet makes a thinner cornbread, maybe ¾ inch thick. Perfect for a big family like Meemaw was feeding.
This half-recipe in an 8-inch skillet makes a thicker cornbread, about 1½ inches thick. Perfect for 2-4 people, and you get those beautiful crispy edges all the way around plus a tender, fluffy interior.
If you’re cooking for just yourself or two people, this is the right size. If you’re cooking for a crowd, double this recipe and use a 12-inch skillet. And if you don’t have an 8-inch cast iron skillet, use a 9×9 square pan. It won’t have quite the same crispy edges, but it’ll still be good cornbread.
What to Do with Leftovers
Warm it up and spread with butter and honey (this is the one acceptable use of sweetness with cornbread). Crumble it into a glass of cold buttermilk with a little sugar or honey (an old Southern thing; it’s delicious and weird). Crumble it into leftover pot liquor from collard greens (an acquired taste, but very good if you grew up with it). Use it as the base for cornbread dressing.
To reheat: microwave for 15-20 seconds, or wrap in foil and heat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. But the best way is to cut a slice and heat it in a little butter in your cast iron skillet to crisp up the edges again.
The Bottom Line
This is simple, straightforward Southern cornbread. Not sweet. Not fancy. Just cornmeal, buttermilk, eggs, and a hot skillet with bacon grease.
It’s meant to be eaten with beans and greens. It’s meant to soak up pot liquor. It’s meant to be crumbled into buttermilk or spread with butter and honey as leftovers.
It’s the cornbread my grandmother made, scaled down for modern households where you’re not feeding six people plus whoever shows up.
Make it once and you’ll understand why this is the cornbread recipe worth keeping.
Southern Style Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium grind cornmeal yellow or white
- ⅔ cup fine grind cornmeal or corn flour yellow or white
- 1-1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp bacon grease can substitute vegetable oil or more butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Put the bacon grease in your cast iron skillet or baking dish and put that in the oven while it's preheating.1 tbsp bacon grease
- Mix all the dry ingredients together well.1 cup medium grind cornmeal, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp kosher salt, 2/3 cup fine grind cornmeal or corn flour
- Mix the buttermilk and the eggs together until fully combined.1-1/4 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Add the melted butter and continue mixing until the butter is fully incorporated.6 tbsp butter
- Allow the mixture to rest for 10 mins before baking. This will also give your oven time to fully preheat.
- Carefully pour the batter into the preheated skillet/baking dish, being careful not to splash any grease onto the oven (or yourself).
- Reduce the heat to 375°F and cook until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. (About 30-40 mins)
- Remove from the pan immediately and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Variations (All Savory)
If you want to zhuzh up your cornbread, here are some options that won’t get you disowned by Southern grandmothers:
Cheese cornbread: Add 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the batter. Mix it in after you add the butter.
Hatch green chile cornbread: Add ½ cup of diced Hatch green chiles (roasted and peeled). This is my favorite variation.
Jalapeño cornbread: Add 1-2 diced jalapeños (seeds removed if you want less heat). Fresh or pickled both work.
Corn kernel cornbread: Add ½ cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels. Gives you pops of sweet corn throughout.
You can also combine these. Cheese plus jalapeño is a classic. Cheese plus Hatch chiles is my go-to when I’m feeling fancy.
Do you make cornbread? Sweet or savory? What do you serve it with? Drop a comment. I’m curious about regional variations (even though I have strong opinions about what “real” cornbread is).