Mexican Cornbread is a twist on our classic Best Jiffy Cornbread Mix Recipe. The ingredients are simple and you will love the flavor. Serve it with your favorite soups as a delicious side.
Mexican Cornbread has become one of our favorite fall and winter side dishes. Whenever I make taco soup or chicken tortilla soup, my family asks for it too. At $0.90 a serving for a cheesy flavorful pan that comes together in under 10 minutes of active prep it is one of the best budget side dishes and the one that makes every soup night feel genuinely complete.
If you love this cornbread recipe, try Cornbread Casserole Recipe, Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread, Fried Cornbread Recipe, Gluten Free Cornbread and Gluten Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Recipe.
Want to turn it into dinner? Bake a cornbread topping right over seasoned beef with our Cowboy Cornbread Casserole.
Why This Recipe Works
This Mexican Cornbread bakes tender and moist with the best flavor. This cornbread is made from scratch with simple pantry ingredients. We love to serve topped with melted butter with our favorite slow cooker soup recipes.
Change up your classic cornbread recipe and make this Mexican Cornbread Recipe. You will love the extra kick of flavor.
What Makes Mexican Cornbread Different?
Mexican Cornbread starts with a classic cornbread base but adds extra flavor and moisture.
Mexican Corn: Adds sweetness, moisture, and mild pepper flavor.
Diced Green Chiles: Give the cornbread a little heat and Southwestern flavor.
Mexican Cheese Blend: Melts throughout the batter for cheesy flavor in every bite.
The result is a moist, flavorful cornbread that pairs perfectly with soups, chili, and Tex-Mex dinners.
Ingredients
- Self-Rising Cornmeal – We used yellow cornmeal. No need to add in all purpose flour or baking powder as it already has leavening agents.
- Vegetable Oil – Use oil of your choice
- Mexican Corn – Make sure to drain the corn
- Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend – Substitute with Monterey Jack Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese
- Buttermilk – Adds tangy flavor and helps create a light, tender crumb. Make a substitute with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice mixed into 1 cup milk.
- Eggs – Help bind the batter and add richness. Use large eggs for the best results.
- Diced Green Chiles – Add mild heat and savory flavor. Use hot green chiles if you prefer more spice.
- Fresh Cilantro – Adds fresh flavor. You can leave it out or substitute flat leaf parsley.
How to Make Your Own Self-Rising Cornmeal
If you only have plain cornmeal in the pantry you can easily make your own self-rising version in 30 seconds. For every 1 cup of plain cornmeal combine:
- 1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Whisk together and use in place of the self-rising cornmeal called for in the recipe. This substitution gives you the exact same rise and texture as store-bought self-rising cornmeal.
Cast Iron Skillet vs Baking Pan — Which to Use
Both options work beautifully but give slightly different results:
Cast iron skillet — gives you crispier more golden edges and a beautifully browned bottom crust that a baking pan cannot replicate. Preheat the empty skillet in the oven for 5 minutes before adding the batter for the crispiest possible edges — the hot skillet sears the batter the moment it goes in. This is the preferred method for the most impressive presentation.
9-inch square baking pan — gives you a more even uniform crumb throughout and is significantly easier to cut into clean squares for serving or transporting to a potluck. A better choice when you need neat presentation or are making this to take somewhere.
The bottom line: Cast iron for the best flavor and texture. Square pan for the easiest serving and transport.
How to Make Mexican Cornbread
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking pan.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, whisk together self-rising cornmeal, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and eggs until well combined.
Step 3 – Fold in the drained Mexican corn, shredded Mexican cheese blend, drained diced green chilies, and cilantro.
Step 4 – Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or baking pan.
Step 5 – Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 6 – Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Baking Dish – Make sure to prepare baking dish by spraying cooking spray to easily serve the cornbread and makes cleanup a breeze. We have even made this in a cast iron skillet for delicious results.
- Combine Ingredients – Mix together wet ingredients and dry ingredients until everything is completely mixed together.
- Baking Time – Cooking time will vary depending on the baking dish that you use. You will know that your cornbread is finished baking when the top is golden brown.
Variation Ideas
- Spicy Cornbread – If you prefer a spicier cornbread, use hot diced green chilies instead of mild. This will give the cornbread a little kick.
- Sour Cream – For a more moist cornbread, add ¼ cup sour cream to the batter.
- Meat – This cornbread is tasty with the addition of ground beef.
- Cream Corn – You can also stir in cream-style corn to give the cornbread even more of a moist texture.
- Muffins — this batter makes excellent cornbread muffins. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each cup approximately ⅔ full — this recipe makes 12 standard muffins. Bake at 400°F for 18–22 minutes until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Reduce to a mini muffin tin for 24 bite-sized muffins baked for 12–14 minutes — perfect for potlucks and parties.
- Veggies – For even more flavor, we have added in chopped onion and bell peppers.
- Spices – We have added in a teaspoon of salt and pepper for added flavor. Feel free to also add in a tablespoon of Mexican spices to enhance that Mexican flavor.
Make It a Meal — Loaded Mexican Cornbread
Add seasoned ground beef to turn this side dish into a complete one-pan dinner:
Step 1 — Brown ½ pound of ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain all excess grease completely.
Step 2 — Season with 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning and stir to combine.
Step 3 — Pour half the cornbread batter into the prepared pan. Spread the seasoned ground beef evenly over the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the top.
Step 4 — Bake as directed — add 5 extra minutes to the bake time since the additional filling makes the center take slightly longer to set.
The finished casserole slices like a layered dish with seasoned beef running through the center of every piece — a complete dinner in one pan for under $10 total.
Serving Suggestions
Easy Mexican Cornbread Recipe is delicious served with many recipes but we always serve it with the following recipes.
Storage and Freezer Instructions
How long can Mexican cornbread sit out?
Mexican cornbread contains cheese and buttermilk — do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. This is especially important when serving at a potluck or leaving on the counter after dinner. Always refrigerate after 2 hours.
Room Temperature
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 2 hours safely
Refrigerator
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days
Reheating
- Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 20–30 seconds — or wrap in foil and warm in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes for the closest result to fresh baked. The oven method restores the slightly crispy edges that the microwave cannot
Freezer
- Freeze in a freezer-safe container or wrap individual slices in plastic wrap then foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat as directed above
Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe, you must use self-rising cornmeal or your cornbread will not rise.
Yes, you can use a mix and mix in the additional ingredients to make this Mexican Cornbread.
Two causes account for almost every crumbly cornbread — overmixing the batter which develops too much gluten and creates a tough dry crumb or overbaking which dries out all the moisture. Always mix only until the cornmeal is just moistened and pull from the oven the moment a toothpick comes out clean.
Yes — add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using. The texture will be slightly less tender and the flavor slightly less tangy but the finished cornbread is still delicious.
Yes — fill a standard 12-cup muffin tin ⅔ full and bake at 400°F for 18–22 minutes. See the muffin timings in the variations section above.
Yes — cilantro can be omitted entirely without affecting the texture or rise. Flat-leaf parsley gives a milder herby substitute if you want to keep the fresh herb element without the cilantro flavor.
Mexican cornbread folds Mexican corn diced green chiles and shredded cheese into the batter — giving each slice a significantly more flavorful moist and complex result than plain cornbread that makes it genuinely exciting as a side dish rather than just a neutral accompaniment.
More Easy Cornbread Recipes
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Mexican Cornbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 â…“ cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can 11 ounces Mexican corn (corn with peppers), drained
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 can 4 ounces diced green chilies, drained
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together self-rising cornmeal, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and eggs until well combined.
- Fold in the drained Mexican corn, shredded Mexican cheese blend, drained diced green chilies, and cilantro. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or baking pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
We decided to give this recipe a shot and I’m super glad we did. We love cornbread and the extra kick of flavor made this extremely good!
This recipe was simple but packed with flavor!
I love the flavor of this cornbread!
Great twist on traditional corn bread , very good
My entire family loved this cornbread!