Jalapeño Cornbread with Masa
SOUTHERN ROOTS • MEXICO LIFE • A WORLD OF FLAVOR
Southern comfort, a little jalapeño, and the happiest kitchen substitution.
When Southern Cornbread Meets Mexico
Living in Mexico has changed the way I cook in ways I never expected.
Sometimes it’s because I discover a new ingredient. And sometimes it’s simply because I can’t find an ingredient I’ve used my entire life. That’s exactly how this cornbread happened.
I wanted cornbread to serve alongside a pot of caldo de res, but regular cornmeal—the kind I would automatically reach for back home in Texas—wasn’t easy to find here in Cabo.
What I could find was masa harina.
And if there is one thing I’ve learned from cooking in Mexico, it’s this: use what you have, learn what it can do, and don’t be afraid to make the recipe your own. So I did.
The masa gives this cornbread a deeper, toastier corn flavor—almost reminiscent of a freshly cooked corn tortilla—while a little flour keeps the crumb tender. Pickled jalapeños bring just enough heat, their brine adds a little tang, and cheese makes the whole thing savory and rich.
There’s just a touch of sugar. Not enough to turn it into sweet cornbread—I’m still a Southern girl—but enough to balance the jalapeño and salty cheese.
And because I baked it thin in a screaming-hot cast-iron grill pan, it developed those crispy, browned edges that may be my favorite part of any skillet cornbread.
What started as a substitution because I couldn’t find cornmeal turned into something I would absolutely make again on purpose. That’s one of my favorite things about cooking.
Sometimes you don’t need the ingredient you thought you needed. You just need to start cooking.
FROM REBECCA’S KITCHEN
Jalapeño Cornbread with Masa
Serves: About 4–6 • Oven: 425°F
Bake: 12–15 minutes • Rest: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup masa harina
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño brine
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ¼–⅓ cup shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1 tablespoon lard or butter, for the pan
Instructions
- Heat the oven and pan.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place your cast-iron skillet or grill pan in the oven while it heats. You want that pan good and hot so the batter starts sizzling the moment it hits the surface.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- Mix the wet ingredients.
In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, jalapeño brine and melted butter.
- Make the batter.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Add the good stuff.
Fold in the shredded cheese and chopped pickled jalapeños.
- Into the hot cast iron.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Add the lard or butter and swirl it around the bottom and edges of the pan. Pour in the batter. It should sizzle when it hits the hot fat.
- Bake.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set. Because this cornbread is intentionally thin, start checking it early.
- Rest and serve.
Let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting. Serve it warm—and don’t be shy with the butter.
Southern Roots, Mexico Life
This recipe may be one of the best examples of what cooking looks like for me now: Southern roots, ingredients from the place I call home today, and the freedom to adapt when the ingredient I thought I needed isn’t available.
That’s not settling for a substitution. Sometimes that’s how a new recipe begins.
With love from my kitchen,
Rebecca
