Loaded Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

This Cornbread is for You If

Do you ever see a recipe title and think, “Well, this could go either way. It could be awesome or completely different than what I am thinking?”

If so, this section is for you.

You’ll like my version of loaded jalapeno cheddar cornbread if:

• you like a moist cornbread
• you like the crisp crust you get from baking in a skillet
• you enjoy the tang of cultured dairy (in this case, Greek yogurt)
• you’re looking for a gluten-free cornbread made with 100% cornmeal
• you like a bit of spice
• you’re a fan of sharp cheese
• you don’t mind a little sweetness in your cornbread
• you want a cornbread loaded up with goodies
• you like to experience a lot of textures in your food: chewy, crispy, tender

You might also consider my skillet-baked hummus cornbread.

If this one checks all your boxes and you don’t need any more convincing, feel free to jump straight to the recipe.

Mixing Method

Cornbread is a quickbread, which is made using the muffin method.

In short, this is the method where you

• whisk all the dry ingredients together
• whisk all the wet ingredients together
• gently fold the wet into the dry
• bake

Read on for ingredients and substitutions as well as how to vary it, where the recipe inspiration came from, equipment and ingredient recommendations and more.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need:

This recipe looks like it has a lot of ingredients. And it does. Because it’s “loaded.”

Let me break it down into parts:

Basic Cornbread Recipe

• Greek yogurt: This provides the “liquid” for the recipe. In this case, it’s very thick and tangy and helps to bind the ingredients as well as hydrate the cornmeal. You can also use buttermilk or sour cream. Buttermilk will yield a slightly thinner batter. Make sure whatever you use, yogurt or otherwise, is at room temperature
• butter: Melted, especially since the yogurt is so thick. Carries flavor and adds to the tenderness. You’ll also use butter or bacon fat to add to the hot skillet before you bake. Either will help make the crust nice and crispy as well as add lots of flavor to your finished cornbread
• eggs: Binds and assists with the rise. Make sure they’re at room temperature
• cornmeal: This is the only “flour” in this recipe. Do not use cornstarch. You want fine cornmeal, preferably stone-ground. Do not substitute polenta or grits. The grains are too large and your bread will be unpleasantly crunchy
• baking powder: provides rise while leaving the acidic tang of the Greek yogurt alone. If you’d like to neutralize some of that tang, you can either substitute whole milk for the yogurt OR add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to neutralize the acid in the yogurt
• salt: Brings all the flavors into focus
• dark brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness without the recipe reading as “sweet.” It also assists with browning and helps retain some moisture. You can substitute light brown sugar or even something like Sugar in the Raw or other less-refined sugar. Or use regular granulated

Spices and Flavoring

• chipotle in adobo: Adds a bit of a smoky undertone with a little heat. Double it if you want a bit more heat and smoke
• cumin: Earthy cumin and mellow corn are a match made in heaven. 1 1/2 teaspoons gently perfumes the batter. If you don’t like cumin, leave it out, or add a touch more or even use chili powder

The “Loaded” Part

• diced cheddar: You could also use shredded cheese. I just like the way the chunks of cheddar melt and leave little pockets of cheesy goodness in the finished bread. Substitute pepper jack or habanero jack for more spice
• pickled jalapenos: Minced in the batter with more whole rings on top. You could also use fresh jalapenos if you have them on hand and/or like a more “vegetal” rather than pickled flavor. Feel free to add more or less according to your preference
• corn: Press about a cup of corn kernels into the batter rather than mixing them in. They end up chewy and almost candied and provide a really nice textural contrast to the rest of the bread. You can also add some corn into the batter and put additional on top. Your call!

Gilding the Lily

I call this part gilding the lily because, while not strictly necessary, this step adds another layer of flavor, texture, and heat.

• hot honey: or regular honey, sorghum syrup, or maple syrup
• Trader Joe’s Cilantro Lime Chili Crisp: Or lime juice and cilantro or your favorite chili crisp

Mixing the two together yields the perfect sweet-hot-tangy topping.

Drizzle it on top of the bread with about 10 minutes left in the baking time so it has a chance to concentrate and get sticky.

Serve with more drizzled over at the table.

How to Make This Cornbread

Despite all the mixins and whatnot, at its heart, this is a quickbread recipe, and you make it with the muffin method.

First, preheat your oven to 425F and put your well-seasoned cast iron skillet in on the middle rack. You want the pan to be screaming hot.

Get everything all measured out and ready to go.

In one bowl, combine:

• cornmeal
• cumin
• salt
• baking powder
• brown sugar

In another bowl, combine:

• melted butter
• Greek yogurt
• eggs
• chipotles in adobo

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the

• diced cheese
• diced pickled peppers

Scrape the wet ingredients on top of all of that and then fold everything together until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Batter will be thick.

Add a couple of tablespoons of butter or bacon fat to the skillet in the oven and let it melt and brown a little.

Spread in the batter, top with

• corn
• jalapeno rings

Bake.

Add the chili crisp/hot honey drizzle, if using, during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Tasting Notes

Texture: Tight, tender crumb. Slightly crumbly. Moist inside with crispy crust. The top is chewy with corn kernels and slightly sticky from the hot honey drizzle

Flavor: The batter itself is tangy with Greek yogurt, and that comes through after baking. There are pockets of sharp cheddar, tangy-hot bits of pickled jalapeno, and smoky-hot bits of chipotle peppers. The top is a bit sweet from both the corn and the honey and there’s a lovely lime-y pop from the chili crisp

Variations

The original recipe, cited below, had more of an Indian-fusion flavor profile with fresh ginger, green onion, lime zest, curry powder, and maple syrup in the batter. It also started with browned butter. Solid choice!

If gluten is not an issue for you or you like cornbread that is less “corny” with a more cake-like texture, substitute all-purpose flour for some of the cornmeal.

Feel free to substitute browned butter for regular melted butter. Start with 1 1/4 sticks (5 oz) to end up with about 4 oz of browned butter.

If you love cilantro (I do–I just didn’t have any) mince up a good fistful and add that to the batter.

Ingredient and Equipment Recommendations

You can find the chili crisp at Trader Joe’s. Of course, you can also use a “regular” chili crisp.

And I found a Jalapeno Chili Crisp on Amazon you may want to try.

Hot honey is available at many grocery stores. I believe the original is Mike’s Hot Honey.

For baking the cornbread, I used my Lodge 10″ skillet that has sloped sides. It makes it really easy to get slices out of the pan.

The most accurate way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read thermometer to take the temperature of the cornbread near the center.

This is the one I recommend:

If you are feeling shoppy, you can find all my kitchen shopping recommendations in one place.

If You Don’t Have a Cast Iron Skillet

Bake in a 9″ cake pan or springform pan.

In that case, just line the bottom of the pan with parchment and spray the sides lightly with pan spray.

You can skip the step of heating the pan and melting fat into it, too.

Baking time may differ slightly, so keep an eye on it to judge when to add the drizzle.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Q & A

Just in case you missed it, this bears repeating:

To preserve the seasoning on your cast iron pan, once the cornbread has cooled completely, remove it to a covered plate or sealing container.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

The original recipe, as described above, is from Ixta Belfrage’s cookbook, Mezcla: Recipes to Excite.

I must admit, I’m not a fan of the book in general, but man did her cornbread deliver!

So, thank you Ixta for your cornbread recipe. I hope you’ll love my version as much as we loved yours.

Serving Suggestions

Since this is kind of a showy cornbread, serve it with some side dishes as opposed to a big main event meal.

Cowboy beans would be a fantastic accompaniment with their smoky/spicy/silky/meaty goodness.

A wedge of loaded cornbread would also pair nicely with my spicy succotash.

You could also pair some with any simple taco or taco casserole.

Or, hey! It’d be great with some posole/pozole, which is one of my favorite Mexican soups, too.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.

You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.

If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.

A Note About Measurements

This is the kitchen scale that I recommend for home cooks and bakers. Using a scale will help you be more accurate and consistent in your measurements.

It is lightweight, easy to store, accurate, and very easy to use.

I hope you’ve learned something from this post or that you’ve decided to make the recipe.

It would really help me and other readers out if you’d rate the recipe using the star ratings in the recipe card.

It’s also very helpful to me and to other readers if you leave a comment and/or a recipe review.

Thank you so much for being here and for helping others find my recipes by sharing on your social platforms!

I hope this skillet cornbread makes you as happy as it makes us.

Loading it up with fresh corn, cheddar, jalapenos and whatever your heart desires makes this hearty cornbread a showstopper and not an after thought!

Thanks for reading. Take care, and have a lovely day.

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