Here’s a delicious and easy Southern-style Fried Cornbread recipe — also known as hoecakes or cornmeal pancakes — crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfect for serving with beans, greens, chili, or just butter and honey.
🫓 Fried Cornbread (Hoecakes)
🍽️ Servings: About 8 cakes
⏱️ Time: 20 minutes total
🧂 Ingredients:
-
1 cup cornmeal (yellow or white, fine or medium grind)
-
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-
1 tsp baking powder
-
1/2 tsp salt
-
1 cup buttermilk (or whole milk + 1 tsp vinegar/lemon juice)
-
1 large egg
-
1 tbsp sugar (optional, for slight sweetness)
-
2–4 tbsp oil, bacon drippings, or butter (for frying)
🧑🍳 Instructions:
1. Mix Dry Ingredients:
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar (if using).
2. Add Wet Ingredients:
-
Stir in the buttermilk and egg. Mix until just combined — batter should be thick but pourable. Add a splash more milk if too thick.
3. Fry the Cornbread:
-
Heat 1–2 tablespoons of oil or bacon grease in a large skillet (cast iron is perfect) over medium heat.
-
Drop about 1/4 cup of batter per cake into the hot pan, flattening slightly with a spoon.
-
Fry 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
-
Add more oil to the pan as needed between batches.
4. Drain & Serve:
-
Place fried cornbread on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
-
Serve hot with butter, honey, or alongside soups, greens, or beans.
📝 Tips:
-
For crunchier edges, use more oil in the pan and don’t overcrowd.
-
Add-ins: Try chopped green onions, jalapeños, or shredded cheese in the batter.
-
No buttermilk? Use 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (let sit for 5 minutes).