Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

Cast iron skillet cornbread is a southern staple and a must-have alongside any bowl of chili! Tender and savory with crunchy edges, you will quickly fall in love with this easy recipe!

There are some recipes from my childhood that were staples and that can instantly bring me back to a moment in time. And I love them for that. This cast iron skillet recipe is one of them!

My mom has so many different cast iron skillets, and they are all so old! Like I am talking about my great-grandmother's skillets that we were using on a regular basis for making cornbread growing up. She also had these fun corn-shaped and mini bundt muffin cast iron pans that she would make cornbread into too that I loved!

That is the beauty of cast iron. IT LASTS FOREVER! And the older and more seasoned it is, the better!

There is no other way to cook cornbread than in a cast iron. Period.

So today I am going to walk you through step by step how my mom made and how I now make old fashion southern cornbread!

Jump to:

• Ingredients Needed
• How to Make Your Own Buttermilk
• Where Can I Buy or How Do I Get Bacon Grease for This Recipe?
• How to Make
• Recipe

Ingredients Needed

The good thing about cornbread is it is a simple basic recipe. Requiring just a couple of pantry staples such as:

• Self Rising Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix
• Buttermilk
• Oil
• Egg
• Bacon Grease

How to Make Your Own Buttermilk

I never keep buttermilk in my fridge. So for those recipes that call for it, I just make my own!

For 1 cup of buttermilk, you will need just shy of 1 cup of whole milk and about a tablespoon of vinegar (to give you 1 cup in total). Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Use as directed in the recipe.

Whalaa! You know have your own buttermilk!

Where Can I Buy or How Do I Get Bacon Grease for This Recipe?

No proper southern home is complete without a mason jar of bacon grease in the fridge. I don't use it for anything but cornbread, but you bet I have a full quart jar in my fridge always! 😉

If you don't have bacon grease, buy a pound of bacon, fry it up in a skillet to eat for breakfast, or have it for any recipe, drain the drippings into a glass jar, and done!

You know have bacon grease. Keep covered and stored in the fridge - well - forever 🙂

How to Make

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheats. This is super important! You need the skillet to be smoking hot!
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together gently with a spatula.
3. Once the oven is heated, remove the hot skillet from the oven. Add 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Let melt. Pour the cornbread mixture right over top in the hot skillet.
4. Place back in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove and enjoy with chili, butter, or honey butter!

PRO TIP - store any leftovers in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and use for Southern Cornbread and Biscuit Dressing when Thanksgiving rolls around!

Don't forget to use this in Southern Cornbread and Biscuit Dressing when the holiday season rolls around! It is also delicious smothered in honey butter!

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