Spicy, sweet, and your new favorite thing to eat, my jalapeno cornbread recipe is perfect anytime you need mouth-watering side dishes!
Need a fluffy side with your chili? Cornbread! Need a dish that’s borderline dessert? Cornbread! Need something to warm your heart and soul? CORNBREAD! There is nothing cornbread recipes can’t do — and adding jalapenos makes it extra punchy!
You’ll love this recipe if you liked my southern corn cakes or my Bisquick drop biscuits. But the dish I think it tastes the most like? Scalloped corn! Yes, it’s that creamy and sweet!
Let’s bake!
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What I Love About This Recipe
Who can say no to cornbread? Any excuse to eat CAKE, amiright?
- Sweet, savory, spicy all in one!
- Great with any main dish
- This cornbread recipe has BACON (oh, did I forget to mention that?)
- Less than an hour start to finish
How To Make Jalapeno Cornbread Recipe
Start by preheating your oven and prepping your baking dish.
Then, in a skillet (yes, on the stove — this is both baked and fried!), cook your bacon until crispy.
In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients; in another bowl, mix your wet ingredients, but add the bacon and jalapeno as well.
Add to the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined.
Pour into your prepared baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Done!
Recipe Notes
Never made cornbread before and want your dish to be as good as the sticky, fluffy treat you get at stores? Here are my best tips!
Ingredient Notes
I try to take all the best tips and tricks of Mexican cornbread to influence this hybrid recipe. Here are a few things I’ve learned:
- Buttermilk: This recipe is a variation of old-fashioned cornbread. One thing that I love about this recipe is that it does not use buttermilk! It’s still moist and tender thanks to the oil.
- Jalapenos:Â Don’t know how to cut jalapenos? Don’t worry! There are tons of tutorials online like this one. Make sure you have the proper equipment — goggles are a must! — or you can always use canned jalapenos instead.
- Bacon:Â I love bacon! Who doesn’t? I do not love cooking bacon, though — all that grease splatter. But I’ve found a quick, easy way to make bacon in the oven that eliminates all that messy popping on the stove!
Tools to Make
You’ll need some pretty basic tools for this recipe!
- 8-inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls for your wet and dry ingredients
- Skillet for the bacon
That’s it! So simple, right?
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
I love slightly chilled cornbread! There’s nothing tastier than biting into a leftover square of my jalapeno cornbread recipe.
You can store your leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. I recommend waiting to slice them if you know you’re going to store them — that way the edges don’t get dried out!
Can You Freeze This?
Yes! Cornbread is very freezer-friendly. Simply wait until its cooled (and again don’t cut it yet — you don’t want to get the edges dry if you don’t have to!) and store it in the freezer for up to three months.
To thaw, let it sit in the fridge overnight, or even on the counter. Reheat in a toaster oven if you want some crispiness back in the crust!
Make Ahead Tips
This cornbread stores so well that I love making it ahead of time! Don’t worry about the flavor — it’ll taste just as good a few days later as it does fresh. That’s the magic of cornbread!
Serving Recommendations
The hands-down best way to serve cornbread? With chili, of course! Grab my winning chili recipes like chili mac or Texas chili to get the heartiest, tastiest dinner you’ll have all week!
Jalapeno Cornbread
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup corn meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a 12 inch skillet, add chopped bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and cooked through. Remove cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small bowl, combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil, melted butter, bacon, and jalapeno and mix well. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined.
- Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Fans Also Made:
More Side Dish Bread Recipes
- Sopes
- Corn Cakes
- Beer Bread
- Bisquick Biscuits
- Lion House Rolls
- Butter Swim Biscuits
- Cat Head Biscuits
Conclusion
Next time your chili looks lonely, reach for my jalapeno cornbread recipe. Spice, sweet, and oh let’s not forget that BACON for the savory, this side dish really is everything all in one!
What’s your favorite part of this cornbread — the spicy or the sweet? Let me know in the comments!
A really nice balance of flavors! It’s on my repeat list for chili, Mexican or just cravings. I always find that bringing eggs, milk, etc. to room temp makes for better results in recipes where cold ingredients aren’t specifically needed. If you’re in a hurry, you can put eggs in lukewarm water for a few minutes and microwave milk for a short burst. Everything mixes better, you get good egg volume and it makes for better textures.
Thank you for the tips, Kathleen! And I’m happy you liked this cornbread 🙂
I love this cornbread
This looks so incredibly good!!! By the way, I love your recipe card, what is it called?
Thanks Matt, not sure what it’s called. I’ll ask my tech person 🙂