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While we love classic Cornbread, it’s sometimes nice to kick the flavor up a notch with our Mexican cornbread!!
We added cheese and jalapeños to a buttermilk cornbread for a PERFECT combination and just the right touch of spice.
It’s prepped in only 10 minutes and is the perfect side dish to any of our Mexican soups or chili recipes (we especially love it with our White Chicken Chili and Chicken Tortilla Soup recipes).
Pop it in the oven while your soup is simmering, and you’ll have dinner on the table in no time!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Unexpected flavor. The combination of sweet cornbread and spicy jalapeños is a tasty flavor contrast.
- Easy to make. This easy side dish uses simple ingredients and preps in only 10 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.
- Customizable heat. Adjust the level of spice by adding more or fewer jalapeños to suit your preference.
Mexican Cornbread Ingredients
- ½ cup cornmeal – For a traditional flavor use regular yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal for a slightly sweeter taste. Do NOT use Jiffy corn muffin mix or Jiffy cornbread mix.
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour – or gluten-free baking flour at a 1:1 ratio. See How to Measure Flour.
- 2 tablespoons sugar – granulated
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1¼ cups buttermilk – see How to Make Buttermilk
- 1 jalapeno medium, chopped, seeds removed – Remove the ribs and seeds to lessen the spice. To make it spicier, leave the ribs on the jalapeños, or use two jalapeño peppers.
- ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded – or Mexican blend, Monterey Jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese
How to Make Mexican Cornbread
STEP 1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9 or 10-inch cake pan or cast iron skillet, and set aside.
STEP 2. BATTER. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and add oil, eggs, and buttermilk.
STEP 3. Stir in wet ingredients until just moistened and no dry spots remain. Fold in the chopped jalapeño and shredded cheddar cheese.
BAKE. Pour the batter into your prepared pan or skillet. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let stand a few minutes before serving. Top with melted butter and honey if desired.
Mexican Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 jalapeno, medium, chopped, seeds removed
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9 or 10-inch cake pan or cast iron skillet, and set aside.
- Whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Make a well in the center and add the oil, beaten eggs, and milk. Whisk until just moistened and no dry spots remain. Fold in the chopped jalapeños and cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- For the best taste and texture use a medium grind yellow or white cornmeal.
- Do not over-mix. Fold the cheese and jalapenos so they are evenly distributed.
- Make Mexican cornbread muffins. Fill the tins ⅔ full and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Use a cast iron skillet to get a crisp golden crust.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- For the best taste and texture use a medium grind yellow or white cornmeal.
- Do not over-mix. Fold the cheese and jalapenos so they are evenly distributed.
- Make muffins. Fill the tins ⅔ full and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Use a cast iron skillet to get a crisp golden crust.
Recipe FAQ
Include bell peppers (red, green, or orange), green onions, a small can of green chiles, or frozen corn.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for several days. Wrap this easy Mexican cornbread recipe with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil and keep it in the freezer for 1-2 months. Defrost and then reheat in the oven.
Complete The Meal
Main Dishes
Mexican Sides
Jalapeño Cornbread
30 mins
Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe
45 mins
Mexican Corn on the Cob
14 mins
Canned Refried Beans
10 mins
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This recipe was originally published September 2018.
Excellent. My first thought was very little cornmeal to flour ratio.. like hmm will this taste like corn bread? It does. I made my own buttermilk with milk and vinegar. I put the cheese in but not jalepenos as lol I want my grandkids to eat this. Oven at 375 but checked it and it was done at 32 minutes and moist. I feel the time of 40-45 minutes is why others are saying so dry. Next time I will definetly put some honey in the batter also.
Thanks for sharing what you did and your experience with the recipe. And for giving it a try!!
My wife who has never liked any cornbread thought this recipe was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written with great results. Next time I might add a touch of honey to the recipe but that is a personal preference. The corn bread saves well for at least a day.
I’m so glad to hear the cornbread recipe was a hit! Honey would be a tasty addition!
My family loves the little “kick” this cornbread recipe has. It’s a great mildly spicy twist on the classic cornbread!
Yum! I only added a sprinkle of smoked paprika to the dry ingredients before adding in the wet ones. I made buttermilk with whole milk and a tsp of lemon juice, letting it sit ten minutes. I also cooked it in the air fryer after buttering the nonstick metal pie pan I had to use, however had to toss a tiny bit of the dough for it was a tad too much for my pan to use. I bet it’s fantastic in the cast iron pan! I will keep adding tiny bit of smoked paprika to it, but this is definitely a delicious use of my homegrown jalapeño I will make again and again. Thank you for posting this recipe! FYI: Air fryer doesn’t have 375 F, so used 370 for 20 minutes but it needs to rest in the unplugged air fryer then like 20 minutes.
Add a can of cream corn. It’s delicious
I’ve made this quite a few times but if I had an onion and bell pepper and a little bit crumbled up pan sausage that has been cooked my family loves it
Making for dinner. Using cheddar jack cheese and pinch of habenero pepper. Like it hot.
@lilluna going to make this today will lyk how it turns out. Thnx😁
Hope you love the cornbread!
This looks great- but how do you adapt it for high altitude baking?
I’m sure you could google some high altitude cornbread recipes and compare the differences to see how to adjust the recipe. This is also a good reference for converting recipes for high altitude baking. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
All my favorite flavors packed into cornbread! YUM – this recipe is a keeper!
This cheesy, slightly spicy, cornbread is AMAZING! LOVE it with White Chili! So much flavor ! Moist & delicious! Great idea to cook it in my cast iron skillet! Perfection!!
My favorite cornbread recipe! It’s especially good since I like my chili a little on the sweeter side, so this adds a nice little kick to dinner to round it all out! Love it!
I’m so glad you love the recipe! A nice balance with your chili… I love it! Thanks for sharing.
My husband loved this cornbread.
Yay!! So happy to hear that!
I used an 8” Wilton cake pan with parchment paper cut to fit the bottom. Grease the inside with Crisco Shorting. It was delicious! Freezes well too.
Thanks for sharing what you did! And yes, it a great one to freeze!
I’ve yet to try the recipe, but am going to as soon as possible; looks and sounds delicious.
Yay!! Hope you enjoy it!
Nice twist to cornbread. I’ll have to make some Tao soup so go along with this delicious recipe.
The jalapeno definitely adds a nice little kick, which we love. This will be great to serve with any Mexican dish!
A quick and easy cornbread full of cheese and jalapeños. A nice side dish for your Mexican food.
Oh yum!!! I made this today so I could know if I wanted to make it for Cinco de Mayo and I LOOOVED it! Sooo good, thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing! I’m so happy you enjoyed the cornbread.
I’ve only made sweet cornbread for years, but thought I’d give this a try. Oh goodness, it was so yummy! My family gobbled it up so fast that I think next time I’ll have to make a double batch!
Oh yay!! So happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the cornbread!
We added a lot more jalapenos, some more cheese and nuts, and we loved it. It makes an amazing breakfast.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Adding more of those ingredients sounds heavenly!
Excellent I did not peppers so substituted with some Rotel.
That works 🙂 Glad you liked it!
Thank you for sharing your recipe
You are so welcome 🙂 Thank you for checking them out!
I just to MAKE this corn bread decades ago but I had forgotten the recipe. After trying for many years to find it, I came ACROSS YOURS. is the cLosest i can find to the one I used to make. It was a success! My family loves it!!
Yay!! I am glad you found it 🙂 Thank you & enjoy!
Great recipe. I added 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 cup minced onion. Yummy!!
Sounds great! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Thank you so much for your helpful shearing post!
I am glad to share 🙂 Thank you!
This Cornbread is such a great twist to the regular flavor of cornbread!
A greased cake pan worked great- thanks!! Not too spicy either like I was afraid of.
I am glad to hear that!! Thank you for sharing!
I love having soup at this time of year and this is the perfect addition! Delicious!
I agree! Thank you for sharing that!
Thank you!