Description
This skillet cornbread recipe features a perfectly baked, golden cornbread with crisp edges and a tender, bacon-studded center. The delightful combination of floral honey and smoky applewood-smoked bacon brings a sweet-and-savory balance that elevates the classic cornbread flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 6 slices applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup honey, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven and skillet: Begin by preheating your oven to 400°F. While the oven heats, place a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat to warm it up for cooking the bacon.
- Cook the bacon: Add the finely chopped applewood-smoked bacon to the hot skillet and cook until it is crispy. Once cooked, remove the bacon pieces and drain them on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat in the skillet.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined to ensure even distribution.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and honey until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Combine mixtures and fold bacon: Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just moistened and combined; avoid overmixing. Then fold in the crispy bacon pieces carefully to evenly distribute them throughout the batter.
- Prepare skillet and bake: Swirl the tablespoon of reserved bacon fat in the warm cast iron skillet to coat the bottom and sides evenly. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and spread it out evenly. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with honey: Remove the skillet cornbread from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving. Drizzle additional honey over the slices for an enhanced sweet touch.
Notes
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make a substitute by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and let it stand for 10 minutes before using.
- Using a cast iron skillet helps develop crisp edges, but you can use any oven-safe skillet if needed.
- For a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the dry ingredients.
- To make the cornbread fully vegetarian, substitute the bacon with smoked paprika and omit the bacon fat, using melted butter or oil instead.
- Ensure not to overmix the batter to keep the cornbread tender and fluffy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/8 of recipe)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
