Bbq

Serving

Bbq Kid-friendly

Skillet Cornbread

Name: Skillet Cornbread
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Bbq
Ingredients: 1 cup yellow cornmeal; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup buttermilk; 2 large eggs; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided; 1 tablespoon honey

Golden, buttery cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet for crisp edges and a tender, slightly sweet crumb.

40 minutes

Serves 8

Side

14 min prep

22 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy Wheat

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Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

8 steps

1
Preheat oven to 425°F and place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet inside to heat.
2
Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3
In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, 4 tablespoons melted butter, and honey.
4
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
5
Carefully remove the hot skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, swirling to coat.
6
Pour the batter into the hot skillet; it should sizzle.
7
Bake 18-22 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
8
Cool 5-10 minutes, slice into wedges, and serve warm.

Skillet Cornbread — plated and served — Serving moment. How Skillet Cornbread looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

72/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 62

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 71

Pantry-friendly 54

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

260

Calories

6 g

Protein

37 g

Carbs

11 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Cornbread sits at the meeting point of Indigenous corn cookery and Southern home cooking, where ground corn became everything from ash cakes to skillet breads. In barbecue meals, a slightly sweet skillet version does practical work: it catches sauce, balances smoke and salt, and gives the table something warm and sturdy to pass around.

Listahan note

This version leans into the cast-iron method: a hot skillet, butter on contact, and batter that sizzles as it goes in. The goal is crisp edges without drying out the center.

Technique cues

Preheating the skillet is not just tradition; it starts setting the crust the moment the batter hits the pan.
Stir the wet and dry mixtures only until no dry streaks remain. A few small lumps are better than a tough crumb.
Let the cornbread cool for a few minutes before slicing so the crumb firms up and the wedges lift cleanly.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix the dry bowl while the oven and skillet preheat, then whisk the wet bowl right before baking.
Make-ahead: Bake earlier in the day and warm the whole skillet or wedges just before serving.
Leftover move: Toast wedges in a skillet and serve with chili, barbecue beans, or a fried egg.
Cleanup rhythm: Wipe the cast iron once it cools slightly; butter and crumbs release more easily while the pan is still warm.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Yellow cornmeal

Corn flavor and texture

Purpose: It gives the bread its grainy bite, golden color, and clear corn flavor.

Handling: Whisk it thoroughly with the flour and leaveners so the batter hydrates evenly.

Adaptation: White cornmeal works with a milder color and slightly softer flavor.

All-purpose flour

Crumb structure

Purpose: It helps the cornbread slice neatly instead of crumbling apart completely.

Handling: Measure lightly and avoid packing it into the cup.

Adaptation: Using more cornmeal makes a more rustic, crumbly bread; using more flour makes it softer and more cake-like.

Buttermilk

Tang and moisture

Purpose: It gives the crumb tenderness and a gentle tang that keeps the sweetness in check.

Handling: Whisk it with the eggs, butter, and honey before adding to the dry bowl.

Adaptation: Plain milk with a small splash of vinegar or lemon juice gives a similar tang, though the texture may be a little lighter.

Large eggs

Binder

Purpose: Eggs help the wedges hold together and give the center a tender set.

Handling: Whisk them fully into the buttermilk so there are no streaks of egg in the batter.

Adaptation: One extra egg makes the crumb a bit richer and firmer; one fewer makes it more delicate and crumbly.

Unsalted butter, melted and divided

Fat and skillet crust

Purpose: Butter enriches the batter and creates the browned, crisp edge when it melts in the hot skillet.

Handling: Use part in the batter and reserve the rest for swirling in the hot pan right before pouring.

Adaptation: Neutral oil gives a softer flavor but can still help the edges brown.

Baking powder and baking soda

Lift

Purpose: Together they help the batter rise quickly in the hot oven and keep the crumb from feeling heavy.

Handling: Whisk them evenly through the dry ingredients before adding liquid.

Adaptation: Do not leave them out; stale leaveners make dense cornbread.

Technique notes

Use a 10-inch skillet so the batter lands at the right thickness; a larger pan bakes thinner and faster.
The batter should sizzle when it hits the buttered skillet. If it does not, the crust will be softer.
Pull it when the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Ingredient swaps

Less-sweet direction: Reduce the granulated sugar slightly and keep the honey for roundness; the bread will read more savory beside barbecue.
No cast-iron path: Use a metal cake pan preheated in the oven with the butter, knowing the edges will be less deeply crisp.
Richer finish: Brush the top with a little melted butter after baking for a softer, glossier surface.

Serve alongside

Smoked brisket
Pulled pork with vinegar slaw
Barbecue baked beans
Collard greens with pot liquor
Sweet tea
Lemonade
Amber lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooled wedges in a covered container.
Reheat in a skillet or low oven so the edges regain some crispness.
Freeze wrapped wedges, then thaw and warm uncovered to refresh the crumb.

Equipment

10-inch cast-iron skillet
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Oven mitts

Make this household-aware

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