Hot out of the pan, fully stuffed, and primed for pairing with your favorite warm-you-up soup, it’s Mexican Cornbread. It takes all the fluffy, buttery bliss that’s there to love about classic cornbread, then adds gooey, melty cheddar, fresh jalapeños, and, YES, corn. I normally have strong feelings about actual corn in my cornbread (they go like this: please don’t), but here it doesn’t merely work. It triumphs!
If you are looking for a simple, classic Southern cornbread recipe, this isn’t it. It’s stuffed with spices, cheese, and includes another ingredient that would make many a cornbread purist squirm: honey. If you are in the camp that doesn’t believe in sweetening cornbread, I volunteer as tribute to eat your slice.
If you are trying to make cornbread with Jiffy mix, I hope you’ll stay. This Mexican cornbread is made from scratch (not the box), but I pinky promise homemade cornbread is truly one of the easiest, highest-payoff recipes you’ll try. This Mexican Cornbread is more moist than Jiffy cornbread and more wholesome (I took the healthy cornbread route; this one is 100% whole grain), and all you need to make it is a bowl and a wooden spoon.
And if like me, you just love cornbread and think that a bowl of chili, hearty stew, or game watch feels more complete with it than without, then this stuffed Mexican Cornbread is most assuredly the recipe for you. It’s a fun change of pace from classic cornbread and adds interest and flair to any meal at which you serve it.
How to Make Mexican Cornbread
This is a straightforward dry-ingredient-meets-wet-ingredient recipe.
Mix up the dry ingredients:
- Cornmeal. I like a medium-grind cornmeal like this one, which gives the Mexican cornbread extra texture, but if you don’t have it on hand, regular finer-grind cornmeal works too.
- White Whole Wheat Flour. For whole-grain goodness. Its mild flavor tastes just like all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Baking Powder AND Baking Soda. For that perfect rise.
Mix up the wet ingredients:
- Buttermilk. I adore how tender buttermilk makes baked goods, and its light tang is a non-negotiable addition to cornbread. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, I included a tip to make your own.
- Butter. Not too much to be heavy, but enough to make this cornbread taste appropriately indulgent.
- Honey. We talked about this. Just do it.
- PSA: I am recently obsessed with these liquid measuring cups. They are flexible so the liquids (especially sticky liquids like honey) “squish” right out. They are easy to wash too.
(Gently) stir the dry and the wet ingredients together, then pile on the good stuff!
- Mexican Corn. Or Mexicorn. Or Fiesta Corn. Whatever your brand of choice calls it, it’s sold by the regular canned corn at the grocery store and is a fab shortcut. In addition to the corn kernels, which in this Mexican cornbread recipe taste welcome, appropriate, and in keeping with the recipe’s Southwest vibe, Mexican corn has bits of red and green pepper that add pretty flecks of color and extra flavor.
- Jalapeños. As long as you remove the seeds and membranes, they’re here for freshness and herbaceousness, not for spice. If you’d like more of a kick, I recommend swapping out the cheese (more below) or sneaking in a pinch of cayenne pepper with the dry ingredients.
- Cheese. Gooey greatness. I opted for a cheddar-jack blend because it is yummy and what we had in the refrigerator. If you’d like to up this cornbread’s spice-factor, swap a hot pepper jack cheese.
- Green Onion. For color, balance, bite, and further evidence that this is not your run-of-the-mill cornbread recipe.
How to Serve Cornbread
- Most recently, I’ve been loving this cornbread with my shortcut Green Chili, to the extent that anytime I eat one, I crave the other.
- Should you want to branch outside the classic chili/cornbread duo, try a big, fluffy slice of this cheesy Mexican cornbread alongside salsa- and avocado-topped fried (easy), poached (fancy), or scrambled (standby) eggs.
- For a meat option, Mexican Cornbread with sausage or bacon would be sublime and ideal either for a lazy gal brunch or fast weeknight brinner.
Storing Mexican Cornbread
- Mexican cornbread should be refrigerated and will last several days…or as long as you can resist it.
Recommended Tools to Make Mexican Cornbread
- Best 8×8-inch baking pan
- Liquid measuring cups
- Short-ish whisk (so much easier than the larger standard ones)
- Metal measuring cups
Mexican Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal I like medium grind for the texture
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk at room temperature; or 1 cup 2% milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar, cheddar jack, or pepper jack cheese, or a mix divided
- 1 (7-ounce) can Mexican-style corn drained (about 1 cup)
- 1 large jalapeño pepper seeded, membranes removed, and minced
- 2 green onions chopped, divided (about 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two opposite sides like handles. Lightly coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large, separate bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the eggs to the bowl with the melted butter and whisk until blended. Stir in the buttermilk and honey. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and, by hand, stir gently just until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Gently stir in 1 cup of the cheese, corn, jalapeño peppers, and half of the green onions. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining green onions and 1/2 cup cheese on top. Bake the cornbread for 28 to 32 minutes, or until center is set, the top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan, then using the parchment paper, lift it onto a cutting board. For tidy slicing, let cool completely. For warm, messy slices, cut right away and enjoy!
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite projects and tutorials.
Register
I thought this was very good! My only note is that I had to cook mine a good bit longer for the middle to be set as the first one I thought was done by the toothpick test was too wet/undone in the middle when trying to cut/eat… kind of odd but it may be that I used frozen corn because that is what I already had on hand…Anyway, delicious! Will definitely make again!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Ashley! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made this with gluten free and it was one of the best things I have ever baked! Thanks a bunch
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Debbe! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this and it was delicious would have been better if I had Mexican corn, I just used regular whole kernel.
Hi Judith! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This stuff is amazing. I think it’s the best cornbread I’ve ever had. Can you freeze it?
Hi Cynde, yes, it freezes well! Enjoy!
Hi Erin,
I wanted to try this but we don’t eat eggs.
Is there a good vegetarian substitute for eggs that i can use for this receipe ?
Please let me know
Hi Bhavikan! I’ve only tested the recipe as written so I am unsure about any replacements for the eggs. Sometimes followers use Flaxseed Eggs for substitutes but I haven’t tried it in this recipe. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Good morning making this today and only have jarred jalepeno will that work?? My granny used a cast iron skillet that has been heated to pretty hot in the oven so it forms a crust when mix is poured in will this work??? Thank you very much!!
Hi Sherie! I’ve only tested this recipe as written so it would be hard for me to advise on how either would work out. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
I made this for the first time last night, and loved it. I hate when people review a recipe that they changed….that’s not the recipe!! However, I had to make a change because I could not find the Mexican Corn, so I substituted a can of regular corn and added a small can of chopped chili’s. Other than that I followed the recipe as written – unusual for me! This wasn’t too spicy (I took the veins out of the jalapeno) and had great flavor! I’ll definitely hang on to this recipe!!
Hi Greg! So glad you enjoyed the cornbread! Thank you for this kind review!
I found it to be way to soggy
I had to bake it for an extra 12-15 minutes. I needed a little sugar other than the sweetness of the honey.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with this recipe, Shurry. The timing worked well for me (and many other readers), but each oven is different. Hope you were still able to enjoy it!
This was a big hit at Christmas!!
So easy and delicious.
Hi Debra! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I made this for the first time but it definitely won’t be the last! It was so good! I did add more butter than it called for and whole buttermilk. I ate way too much!E
Hi Ellen! So glad you enjoyed the cornbread! Thank you for this kind review!
This is my favorite jalapeno cornbread recipe. Thank you for sharing it. It’s a hit at my house.
Hi Jessica! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I subbed fresh corn and chopped some colorful orange, red and green peppers in addition to green onions and chopped cilantro. Used the pepper jack cheese and baked in a cast iron skillet. The best!
Hi Janean! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can MASECA Traditional Instant Corn Masa Flour be used ( mixtamalized flour)?
Hi Donald! I’ve not tested it with this kind of flour so it would be hard to say. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Made it tonight, we enjoyed it. Of course I made a sub as well. I do not eat any corn except whole kernel. However it didn’t hinder the final outcome in my opinion. Oh, wait, I did add some spices like garlic powder & smoked paprika. I also used pablano instead of green chilies. I have pablano in bulk and fresh. I’d like to address the lady who asked about baking it in a cast iron skillet, you absolutely can and I’d actually recommend doing so. I always heat the oven on about 400 and throw in some bacon grease; place in oven for 3-5 minutes then bring out and reduce oven to 375. Sprinkle some cornmeal over the bacon grease then add cornbread mixture, bake as instructed. I found it took mine about 40 minutes until I turned up the oven. We did enjoy this recipe with a pot of chili even in August in southern oklahoma it’s all delicious
Hi Quanna! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review and feedback on the cast iron!