Southern Cornbread Recipe – a family recipe passed down for generations. THE BEST! Great with chili and soups. We also use this cornbread in our Southern Cornbread Dressing at the holidays. Self-rising cornmeal, flour, eggs, and buttermilk. SO easy to make and tastes great!
Post Updated 10/20/2019
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It is finally feeling like Fall here in The Ham – I hope it stays this way! We decided to cook chili and cornbread for dinner last night. This cornbread recipe is the recipe that my Mom uses. I’ve eaten this cornbread my whole life. It is simple and super delicious. A wonderful crispy crust and super tender cornbread on the inside, My Mom uses this cornbread in her dressing/stuffing (best ever) for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
How to Make Southern Cornbread From Scratch
This cornbread is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Start by putting some oil in a small cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and then preheat the oven. In a large bowl, whisk together self-rising cornmeal mix and flour. Stir the eggs, and buttermilk into the dry ingredients. Stir the mixture just until combined. When the oven has preheated, remove the skillet and pour the batter into the hot skillet. Place the skillet back in the oven and bake.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can make this cornbread in a square baking dish or in a 9-inch cake pan. Sometimes I make the cornbread in a cast-iron cornbread stick pan. You can also use a muffin pan.
- I used White Lily Buttermilk White Corn Meal Mix. If you can’t find White Lily, any self-rising cornmeal will work.
- Please note that this recipe does NOT use Jiffy Mix.
- For extra flavor, use bacon grease instead of vegetable oil.
- Is Southern Cornbread sweet? No. There is no sugar in southern cornbread.
- How Long with Cornbread Last? This cornbread will keep 1 to 3 days in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
- You can store the cornbread in the refrigerator, but it isn’t necessary.
- I always make my cornbread a couple of days in advance when I am making dressing for the holidays.
- To make homemade buttermilk, use a ratio of 1 cup milk to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir the milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It will start to curdle when it is ready to use.
What Goes With Cornbread?
We make this easy cornbread all the time. It is a great side dish for just about everything! Soups, stews, chili, grilled chicken, and pork. We especially love this with some pinto beans or our favorite Slow Cooker Ham and White Beans. Comfort food at its best!
Looking for more recipes to go with this easy side dish? Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the website that go great with this Southern Cornbread:
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Slow Cooker Steak Soup – sirloin roast, beef broth, onion soup mix, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and egg noodles. Cooks…
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Southern Cornbread
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup self-rising cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
Instructions:
- Pour oil into a 9-inch iron skillet. Place skillet in oven. Heat oven to 425ºF with skillet inside.
- Combine the remaining ingredients. The batter should be the consistency of waffle batter. Add more buttermilk if necessary.
- Once the oven is preheated, remove skillet and pour in the batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes:
- If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can make this cornbread in a square baking dish or in a 9-inch cake pan. Sometimes I make the cornbread in a cast-iron cornbread stick pan. You can also use a muffin pan.
- I used White Lily Buttermilk White Corn Meal Mix. If you can’t find White Lily, any self-rising cornmeal will work.
- Please note that this recipe does NOT use Jiffy Mix.
- How Long with Cornbread Last? This cornbread will keep 1 to 3 days in an airtight container. I usually put the cornbread in a ziplock bag and store it on the counter.
- You can refrigerate the cornbread, but it isn’t necessary.
- I always make my cornbread a couple of days in advance when I am making dressing for the holidays.
- To make homemade buttermilk, use the ratio 1 cup milk to 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir the milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It will start to curdle when it is ready to use.
Steph
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Made the recipe but has a bitter taste how do I fix this or is their ok
Maybe your buttermilk was bad? I’ve never had it taste bitter.
If i need to make a double batch of this recipe, what size pan would you recommend?
Here it is! St Patrick’s Day. We always have corned beef, cabbage and potatoes and to sop up the delicious juices we always have white cornbread from a cast iron skillet handed down generations. This recipe is SO close to what the family serves that it’s amazing. Any leftovers become corned beef hash and split and toasted cornbread wedges topped with butter and honey. I’m happy to see a self rising white meal bread here rather than the cake like yellow variety.
I love corn bread but self raising cornmeal is not common here. What would I need to add to use regular cornmeal?
To make one cup of self-rising cornmeal, mix 1 cup cornmeal, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
1Tbl oil?? I’ve always used at least 1/4- 1/2 cup. But I use 1 1/2 -2 cups corn meal mix and about 1/4 cup flour. Depending on the size of skillet I use.
This is how we make our cornbread
Oh thank goodness! I just put this together and stuck it in the oven and was reading the posts thinking I had messed up using All Purpose flour. Glad to see it's what you use too!. Lately can't seem to make a good cornbread so keeping my fingers crossed.
Stephanie, The recipe said 1 cup self rising cornmeal and 1/2 cup of flour. Should it be 1 cup of cornmeal and a 1/2 cup of self rising flour?
Nope. I used self-rising cornmeal and regular flour. You can use Buttermilk Cornbread mix by Martha White or White Lily.
We don't have selfraising cornmeal in my country i live in. ( the Netherlands, Europe ) Can i use regular with adding some bakingpowder and salt myself? I know it's many years after you put this recipe on, but i got recent my first slowcooker and found the recipe of your chili for the slowcooker and you had a link to this cornbread attached to it. That's why my late reaction. And i appologize for any language mistakes i may have made, but english's not my speaking language. That's Dutch. Thanks in advance for answering. Will you send your answer by mail? m.boersma59@gmail.com. Thank you very much.
Hey!!! I hope you'll see this comment since it's way after the original post date but I was just wondering what brand of self rising cornmeal you use? I'm here in Birmingham too (at the risk of sounding like a lunatic I swear if I ever met you I would probably act like you were a celebrity because to me you are!!) so I am sure I can get the kind you use. I am getting married in March and this is my first Thanksgiving where I'm preparing the whole meal at our house…I although his family loves me I still want to impress them, so of course I'm using as many of your recipes as possible because I follow your blog (obviously ????) and everything I've ever made of yours my fiancé just RAVES about! And since the dressing is my favorite thing as well I've made the executive decision to use yours this year! I am not sure if you can post what brand you use so if you can't my email address is bmixon@jefcoed.com
Thank you so much!!!
Is it the same time and temp for metal muffin pan?
I use self rising in both corn meal,and flour. I always heat my case Iron skillet before I pour my batter in to it. I would oil my skillet then heat it on the stove. I have made my corn bread on top of the stove when my oven quiet working in the middle of baking. It was still just as good.
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great recipe. southern and I also use self rising flour and corn meal.
never heard of self rising cornmeal. will have to check it out.
I always use self rising flour and cornmeal!
Use self rising corn meal and flour.
I don't have a cast iron skillet. Do you think I could make it in an 8-inch or 9-inch glass pan?
Do you have a metal pan? I've made muffins in a metal muffin pan before. I've never made it in a glass pan. I think the glass pan could shatter with the hot oil and cold batter.
I always make my cornbread in a glass pan!
Kimberly – I've never had an issue with it and I've made it for years.
Missing an ingredient?!?! Baking soda or baking powder was terrible.
I'm sure its self rising cornmeal and flour
No leavening?
Really, is there anything better than southern corn bread made with buttermilk? I don't think so!
ohmygosh, this sounds so good. I'll have to make chili and cornbread this weekend!