mexican cornbread;

Originally posted May 12, 2017. Updated January 2025 for content and clarity.

Homemade cornbread is just so homey and delicious. Warm and moist, with the coarse texture of cornmeal and studded with corn kernels, and then this Mexican cornbread takes it up a notch with cheese and green chilis! This recipe is a great side dish to any meal.

Warm out of the oven it’s almost like a corn soufflé all warm and toasty and moist. Let it cool completely to bring it closer to that “bread” texture. But honestly, my favorite is eating it with a spoon straight from the oven. And maybe blowing on it to cool first.

Fresh and warm out of the oven, Mexican Cornbread is almost like a corn soufflé. But give it some time to cool and it will set up into a moist but more cohesive cornbread.

secret to success

Because this Mexican cornbread is packed full of extra goodies, you don’t need to add butter or anything. It’s perfect as-is if you ask me. And my normal go-to for cornbread is honey butter, but I prefer the savory twist on this one.

Mexican Cornbread is also great to make ahead or bring to a potluck. It’s delicious, impressive, and shhhh not that hard to make. Just take credit when people tell you how tasty it is. For the most part you’re just dumping ingredients in a bowl, mix, and bake.

To make ahead of time, I recommend underbaking the first bake and then popping it back into the oven just before serving.

secret to success

If you do want to make Mexican cornbread ahead of time, I recommend underbaking by 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and store until ready to serve.

When you’re ready to serve, remove plastic wrap and pop it in the oven at 350F to finish baking 4-5 minutes. It may take more or less, so check on it. I often find it actually takes less time because residual heat from the original bake helps to cook it through more than you think. But the cheese and chilis help keep the cornbread moist and delicious.

Don’t limit serving to just Mexican dishes! This is the perfect side dish to a steaming bowl of warm soup or served with chicken wings for game day.

secret to success

Think outside the box of Mexican foods to pair this with. Don’t limit serving as a side dish to only Mexican foods! It goes great with a cup of zuppa toscana soup or served with wings. My favorites are my maple mustard wings and miso-glazed wings. In fact I served Mexican cornbread and wings when my parents were meeting the in-laws for the first time. Now, 8 years later, we’ee still putting Mexican cornbread on the table.

And of course, don’t forget that extra sprinkle of cheese on top. If you are preparing ahead of time you can either add cheese on the top up front or sprinkle it on before the second bake. If you want a darker color on the cheese, try broiling. The intense heat from the top will help melt the cheese.

Don’t forget that extra sprinkle of cheese on the top!  Again, if you’re prepping this in advance, it doesn’t hurt to leave the cheese for the second baking, and you can always broil the top to just melt the cheese if your cornbread is already done.

secrets to success;

Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!

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Looking for other perfect pairings? Check out these great dishes to pair with Mexican Cornbread!

• It’s in the name–I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Mexican! Of course the perfect pairing to any Taco Tuesday, but don’t stop there. Make homemade enchiladas or take it green with enchiladas verdes.
• My favorite pairing with this Mexican Cornbread is actually chicken wings. I have several flavors, but my all-time favorite is these miso-glazed wings that is the perfect savory complement of textures and flavors. But if you want a little contrast maple mustard wings are another fan favorite.
• This cornbread also pairs great with hearty soups like zuppa toscana or broccoli cheddar soup. Perfect for a cozy winter meal.