This is savory cornbread with no sugar – just pure corn flavor, sharp cheddar, and fresh jalapeños. The secret is heating the cast iron skillet with bacon fat until it’s screaming hot, then pouring in the batter so it sizzles and creates a crispy, golden crust on the bottom and edges. The interior stays moist and tender from buttermilk, while the top gets cheesy and browned.

Perfect with elk chili, barbecue, or any time you want cornbread that’s more savory than sweet. The jalapeños add subtle heat (seeds removed), and the sharp cheddar brings flavor without being overwhelming. This is the cornbread that converts people who think they don’t like cornbread.

Chef Griffin

Cast Iron Cornbread · Savory Jalapeño Cheddar, Bacon Fat

Savory cornbread with sharp cheddar and jalapeños, baked in a cast iron skillet with bacon fat for crispy, golden edges.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

1½ cups medium grind yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups buttermilk – room temperature
2 large eggs – room temperature
4 tablespoons bacon fat – divided 3 for skillet, 1 melted into batter
2 fresh jalapeños – seeds removed finely diced
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese – shredded divided (1 cup for batter, ½ cup for topping)

Method

Preheat

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Place your 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven with 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in it. Let it heat while you prepare the batter – about 10 minutes. The skillet needs to be screaming hot and the bacon fat should be shimmering.

Prepare the Jalapeños

Cut the jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes (this is where most of the heat lives). Finely dice the jalapeños into small pieces – about ¼ inch. Set aside.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make sure there are no lumps – the baking powder and baking soda need to be evenly distributed.

Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs until well combined.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and let it cool slightly, then whisk it into the buttermilk mixture.

Combine and Add Mix-Ins

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until combined – don’t overmix. A few lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cornbread tough.
Fold in the diced jalapeños and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Reserve the remaining ½ cup cheddar for the top.

Bake

Carefully remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven (use oven mitts – it’s extremely hot). The bacon fat should be sizzling and shimmering.
Immediately pour the batter into the hot skillet. It should sizzle when it hits the fat – this is what creates that crispy crust. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly if needed.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar over the top of the batter.
Place the skillet back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges should be deeply golden and crispy, and the cheese on top should be melted and slightly browned.

Cool and Serve

Let the cornbread cool in the skillet for 5-10 minutes before slicing. This helps it set and makes it easier to cut.
Cut into wedges and serve warm with butter, or alongside elk chili.
Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to crisp up the edges again.

Notes

No sugar keeps this cornbread savory and not sweet. Sugar is common in Northern-style cornbread, but Southern and Texas cornbread is traditionally unsweetened. The natural sweetness of the corn and the richness of the bacon fat is all you need.

Hot cast iron with bacon fat is the secret to those crispy, golden edges. When the batter hits the hot fat, it immediately starts cooking and crisping. This creates texture contrast – crispy outside, tender inside. If you pour batter into a cold or room-temperature skillet, you won’t get that crust.

Buttermilk adds moisture, tang, and helps activate the baking soda for a tender crumb. The acidity in buttermilk also reacts with the baking soda to create lift and a light texture. Don’t substitute regular milk – the buttermilk is essential.

Room temperature ingredients (buttermilk and eggs) mix more easily and create a smoother batter. Cold ingredients can cause the bacon fat to solidify when you mix it in.

Medium grind cornmeal gives you that classic cornbread texture – not too gritty, not too smooth. Fine grind cornmeal makes cornbread that’s more cake-like, coarse grind can be too gritty. Yellow cornmeal is traditional and has better corn flavor than white.

Sharp cheddar has more flavor than mild cheddar. Since this is a savory cornbread, you want that sharp, tangy cheese flavor to come through. Extra sharp works too if you want even more punch.

Jalapeños with seeds removed add flavor and a subtle kick without overwhelming heat. If you want more heat, leave some seeds in or add a third jalapeño. If you want it mild, use just one jalapeño or substitute with diced green chiles.

Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing develops gluten in the flour, which makes the cornbread tough and dense instead of tender and crumbly.

High oven temperature (425°F) creates those golden, crispy edges and bakes the cornbread quickly so it doesn’t dry out. Lower temperatures make cornbread that’s dry and pale.

Bacon Fat

Bacon fat is traditional and adds incredible flavor. If you don’t have bacon fat:

Use melted butter (still delicious)
Use vegetable oil or neutral oil (works but less flavor)
Use a mix of butter and oil

Save your bacon fat in a jar in the fridge – it’s gold for cornbread, roasted vegetables, and sautéing.

Cast Iron Skillet Size

A 10-inch skillet is ideal for this recipe. If you only have a 12-inch skillet, the cornbread will be thinner and will bake faster – start checking at 15-18 minutes. If you only have an 8-inch skillet, the cornbread will be thicker and need 25-30 minutes.

Make-Ahead

Cornbread is best fresh from the oven, but you can make it a few hours ahead. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to crisp up the edges before serving. Don’t microwave – it makes the edges soggy.

Freezing

Cornbread freezes well. Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Cornbread is dry: You overmixed the batter or overbaked it. Mix just until combined, and pull it from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. A minute or two of overbaking makes a big difference.

Bottom didn’t get crispy: The skillet wasn’t hot enough. Make sure it preheats for the full 10 minutes and the bacon fat is shimmering before you add the batter.

Cornbread stuck to the pan: You didn’t use enough fat, or you didn’t let it cool enough before trying to remove it. Let it cool for at least 5-10 minutes – it will release more easily.

Too spicy: You left seeds in the jalapeños or used particularly hot peppers. Next time, remove all seeds and membranes, or reduce to one jalapeño.

Not spicy enough: Leave some jalapeño seeds in, add a third jalapeño, or stir in some diced pickled jalapeños for more kick.

Cornbread didn’t rise: Your baking powder or baking soda may be old and inactive. Test baking powder by adding a spoonful to hot water – it should fizz vigorously. Replace if it’s more than 6 months old.

Variations

Plain Cornbread Skip the jalapeños and cheddar for classic savory cornbread. Increase salt to 1¼ teaspoons.

Honey Butter Cornbread Make it slightly sweet by adding 2 tablespoons honey to the wet ingredients. Serve with honey butter.

Green Chile and Pepper Jack Use diced roasted green chiles (Hatch chiles if you can find them) instead of jalapeños, and substitute pepper jack cheese for sharp cheddar.

Bacon Cheddar Cornbread Add ½ cup cooked, crumbled bacon to the batter along with the cheese. Skip the jalapeños or keep them – both work.

Cornbread Muffins Divide the batter among 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 400°F for 15-18 minutes. Great for portion control and they freeze individually.

Skillet Cornbread with Honey Drizzle Make the savory version, then drizzle with honey just before serving. Sweet and savory contrast.

Cast Iron Cornbread · Savory Jalapeño Cheddar, Bacon Fat