Jalapeño Cornbread

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This sweet and spicy cornbread is delicious on its own or topped with a creamy buttery spread.

Jalapeno Corn Bread
Photo:

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee

Active Time:
20 mins
Servings:
8

Filled with chopped jalapeño, red pepper, and corn kernels, this cornbread is heartier than the usual. Those additions add sweet and spicy notes to the bread, which we especially love when baked in a cast-iron skillet. You can also bake it in a 12-inch loaf pan; just increase the cooking time by another 10 minutes.

Serve this cornbread alongside bowls of chili or another hearty stew or soup, with roast meat, fish, or vegetables, fried chicken, or any casual supper that could use a flavor-filled side.

If you have leftover cornbread, we have a few second-life recipe options for you. Leftovers can be frozen, or slightly stale cornbread can be given new life. Cut leftover cornbread into cubes, let them dry out a bit on the counter or in a 300°F-oven for 15 minutes, then toss them in melted butter and use them as cornbread croutons on salads and atop soups. Leftover cornbread also works nicely as the base for French toast, in a dressing perfect for Thanksgiving dinner, or even a Southern take on lobster tournedos. Whatever you choose, you won't want to waste a bite of this delicious bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • ¼ cup finely chopped seeded jalapeños

  • ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

  • ¼ cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 ¼ cups medium-grind cornmeal

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • 4 large eggs (lightly beaten)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Add jalapeños, red pepper and corn and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Scrape mixture onto a plate and let cool completely. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.

  2. Stir together sugar and water in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir in vegetable oil. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Beat dry ingredients into sugar mixture with an electric mixer. Add eggs and cooked vegetables and beat until just blended.

  3. Scrape batter into cast-iron skillet and bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes (if top browns too quickly, cover with foil). Serve cornbread warm.

Make Ahead

Cornbread can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 week or kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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