Southern Skillet Cornbread Recipe

Hands On Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

42 mins

Servings:

8

This Southern cornbread recipe is one example of the way Southerners use what they have available to them to make recipes look effortless. For one, it requires just 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. And it uses something Southerners have a lot of—bacon drippings—for incredible flavor.

“For probably the last 25 years, I have been trying to recreate my beloved grandma’s cornbread... My search is over!” writes community member goldens2luv. “It is perfectly crisp, moist, and golden brown. After the first bite, I apologized to my husband for all the times I missed the mark in the past. This one, I’m committing to memory!"

Learn how to make this classic Southern cornbread recipe. When the skillet is fresh out of the oven, place butter on top and let it melt into the bread.

Southern Living Skillet Cornbread sliced to serve with butter — Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Southern Cornbread Ingredients

To make this skillet cornbread, you will need just six ingredients:

Bacon drippings: This is where the flavor comes from.
Self-rising cornmeal mix: Easier to get this mix than make your own.
Baking soda: Helps to get the cornbread to rise.
Eggs: This recipe calls for two.
Buttermilk: Adds richness while making the batter moist.
Butter: For serving.

Southern Living Skillet Cornbread ingredients — Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

How To Make Southern Skillet Cornbread

The full recipe for this Southern cornbread is below, but here's a brief recap:

Step 1. Warm bacon drippings: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the bacon drippings in a cast-iron skillet, and heat it in the oven for five minutes.
Step 2. Make cornbread batter: Combine the cornmeal mix and baking soda. Create a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together the eggs and buttermilk, and add them to the dry mixture, stirring until moistened.
Step 3. Add hot bacon drippings to batter: Remove the skillet from the oven, and tilt it in all directions to coat the bottom. (Tip: Make sure to coat the skillet thoroughly with bacon drippings.) Pour the hot drippings into the batter and whisk to blend.
Step 4. Add batter to skillet: Pour the batter into the hot skillet, and bake in the preheated oven for 27 minutes or until golden brown. Invert the cornbread onto a serving plate and cut it into wedges. Serve hot with butter.

Is Cornbread a Southern Thing?

Because corn is so prevalent among Southern crops, cornbread has long been a regional staple. Of course, the South is also known for its biscuits, but cornbread dates back even further as a cornerstone of the Southern diet.

Why Do Southerners Not Put Sugar in Cornbread?

Southern cooks avoid oversweetening their cornbreads by adding unnecessary sugar. “Thank you so much for not adding sugar to the recipe,” one Southern Living community member comments on this recipe. “Sugar makes cakes. Cake and pinto beans?”

Alas, however, some Southerners do like a little pinch of sugar in their cornbread, and to that we say, "To each their own!"

What To Serve With Southern Cornbread

Cut the warm cornbread into wedges, and serve it alongside your favorite barbecue dish or dinner recipe. For inspiration, try these great recipes to go along with Southern skillet cornbread:

More Great Cornbread Recipes

Trust us, we have plenty more cornbread recipes where this one came from. Consider trying one of these next:

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

1/4 cup bacon drippings
2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Butter

Directions

Prepare skillet:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place bacon drippings in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet; heat in oven 5 minutes.
Prepare cornbread batter:

Combine cornmeal mix and baking soda; make a well in center of mixture.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Stir together eggs and buttermilk; add to dry mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Remove skillet from oven; tilt skillet in all directions to coat bottom. Pour hot drippings into batter, whisking to blend.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Pour batter into hot skillet.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Bake and serve:

Bake at 425°F for 27 minutes or until golden brown.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Invert cornbread onto a serving plate; cut into wedges. Serve hot with butter.

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Southern cornbread different?

Southern-style cornbread is tender and moist. It's made with eggs, which results in a more cake-like texture, but the cornmeal gives plenty of texture. Southern cornbread is also rarely, if ever, sweetened, though some Southerners do enjoy a pinch of sugar in the batter.
Why is Southern cornbread not sweet?

Some Southerners do not like sweet cornbread. They prefer any "sweetness" come from the corn itself. Others will add a pinch for a more balanced cornbread. But if there's too much sugar, most Southerners will turn up their nose at your cornbread and call it cake.