Some nights you just need something warm, comforting, and easy to help melt off the stresses of the day, like a big bowl of chili. And maybe some cornbread, too, for good measure. This easy Chili Cornbread Skillet has all the comfort of a pot of chili, with homemade cornbread baked right on top to avoid excess dishes. Oh, and I hid a layer of gooey cheddar cheese between the chili and cornbread, too. Because cheese makes everything better!🧀
What Kind of Skillet Should I Use?
You’ll want a deep, 4-quart skillet for this recipe. I used my 10″ 4-quart Oxo stainless steel skillet for this recipe. If needed, you could also use a smaller wide soup pot or Dutch oven. Using an oven safe skillet or pot is the best option, but read on if you do not own an oven safe skillet or pot.
What if I Don’t Have an Oven Safe Skillet?
If you only own teflon skillets, skillets with plastic handles, or skillets that have other non-safe parts, you can still make this recipe. Simply let the chili simmer in your skillet or pot while you make the cornbread, and then transfer to a 4-quart casserole dish before topping with the cornbread batter and baking.
Can I Add Meat to the Chili Cornbread Skillet?
Absolutely! I made a vegetarian version this time around because it’s quite cost effective and it makes the meal more pantry-staple friendly, but you can always add meat if you have it on hand or prefer your chili con carne. Simply replace one can of beans with one pound ground beef or turkey. Brown the meat in the skillet before adding the onion, garlic, and jalapeño in the beginning.
Meal Prep and Freezer Friendly
This Chili Cornbread Skillet holds up extremely well in the refrigerator, and is also freezer friendly. As with any meal prep recipe, make sure to divide the dish into single serving portions right after cooking and get it into the refrigerator as soon as possible, so it cools quickly. Once cooled, the chili cornbread will keep in the refrigerator for about four days, or can be transferred to the refrigerator and kept frozen for about 3 months. You can see some of my favorite meal prep containers here.
Chili Cornbread Skillet
Servings 6Ingredients
Chili
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.15)
- 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($0.89)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.39)
- 3 15oz. cans beans (kidney, pinto, black) ($2.67)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.30)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar ($0.85)
Cornbread
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal ($0.24)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.15)
- 1/4 cup sugar ($0.20)
- 4 tsp baking powder ($0.24)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 cup milk ($0.31)
- 1 large egg ($0.23)
- 1/4 cup cooking oil ($0.16)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Slice the jalapeño lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and then dice the pepper. Add the cooking oil, onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a large 4-quart oven safe skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Drain the canned beans then add them to the skillet with the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and water. Stir to combine.
- Allow the chili to come up to a simmer. Let the chili continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, as you prepare the cornbread topping.
- Begin to preheat the oven to 425ºF. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until very well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and oil. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the cornmeal mixture and stir just until everything is moistened.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over top of the simmering chili. Carefully pour the cornbread batter over the chili and cheese, and spread it around until the surface is evenly covered.
- Transfer the skillet to the fully preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown on the surface. To serve, simply scoop the cornbread and chili beneath onto a plate or bowl, and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Love chili? Check out my Simple Homemade Chili recipe with tons of ways to customize the flavors to make it your own!
How to Make Chili Cornbread Skillet – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Slice the jalapeño lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then dice the remaining pepper. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño to a skillet with 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Drain three 15 oz. cans of beans (any combo of kidney, black bean, or pinto—I used two black beans, one kidney). Add the beans to the skillet along with one 15 oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, one 6 oz. can of tomato paste, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup water. Stir to combine. Allow the chili to come up to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer the chili, stirring occasionally, as you prepare the cornbread batter.
Begin preheating the oven to 425ºF. Combine 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Stir until they are very well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk, 1 large egg, and 1/4 cup cooking oil. Pour the bowl of whisked wet ingredients into the bowl with the cornmeal mixture and stir just until the batter is combined (don’t over stir).
Before adding the cornbread batter to the chili, sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar over the surface of the chili.
Carefully spread the cornbread batter over the surface of the hot chili, making sure to spread from edge to edge.
Bake the Chili Cornbread Skillet in the fully preheated 425ºF oven for about 25 minutes, or until the top of the cornbread is golden brown.
To serve, simply scoop the cornbread and chili beneath out of the skillet and onto a plate or bowl.
COMFORT FOOD.
This was incredible! I tripled the spices, added Italian seasoning, and replaced one can of beans with one pound of ground bison, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The chili to cornbread ratio was perfect for us. Loved the flavor and it was super quick and easy to throw together! It fed the two of us for three nights. Served with avo and sour cream on the side.
Made this to recipe (minus jalepenos) for me and my older parents and was impressed by the multiple ways this one is “beefed up” (without beef) with things like the beans, cheese, and cornbread. It was really satisfying, if a little “tame” for this particular spice-fiend (my parents, on the other hand, thought it was perfectly spiced). The temps and timing were perfect, as others pointed out, and it made more than enough for everyone to have extra helpings! This would be great for a small family with young kids too! Thanks for another great taste adventure :)
This was DELICIOUS. I have zero skills in the kitchen and continuously budgetbytes recipes make adult-eating accessible to me. Thank you!
I should probably mention something for people cooking this. I did go a bit heavier on the seasoning because historically that’s what I need to do with these recipes. Every other measurement was spot on though, as was the timing.
This was me! I just forgot to mention that I was too lazy to buy a can of diced tomatoes or tomato paste, so I used 3-8 oz cans of tomato sauce and a handful of grape tomatoes I had on hand. It was still delicious but a bit runnier than Beth’s recipe (obviously this is 100% my fault though!). Just know that if you’re trying to burn through some pantry stuff, these alternatives can work.
I made this for my family and we feel that both the chili and the cornbread are bland. This is, however, a good base recipe that people can play with and add to.
The one star review a couple posts back is completely unwarranted. Any time you follow a recipe you absolutely need to adjust seasoning to taste. That’s just cooking 101. That being said, this is a great recipe that I’ll absolutely be making again with some tweaks.
Things I changed:
Dry beans instead of canned. Takes way longer, but the texture is better IMO and it helps to cut back the almost 2kmg of sodium per serving you get as listed.
El pato instead of tomato paste. Adds a little more flavor and a little more liquid, which was necessary for my increased cook time with the dry beans.
Substitute Chipotle for chili powder. Has a great smoky flavor that really punches things up. This will go a long way to satisfy the appetites of any picky meat eaters you may have around the table. This one was a happy accident because I didn’t have chili powder. I think next time I would do .5tbsp chili powder, .5tbsp Chipotle.
Habanero instead of jalapeño. A single habanero was just enough spice for the whole pot. Pleasant without being too intense.
Things I would change next time:
The cornbread was good, but a little too fluffy for my liking, and a hair bland. I think next time I would put a little more salt, and less baking powder. The cornbread raised so much that there was way more cornbread than chili in a serving scoop, so I kind of had to dig more chili out from under the cornbread to get a whole serving, and by the time I get to the end of the pot I’ll probably have some cornbread left over.
I have never made cornbread as in the UK before but this plus the chili was great! I used slightly less tomato paste as I ran out and my kidney beans were already in a chilli sauce and it was fantastic. My partner is American and has asked me to make this more often – sign of a good meal!
This needs way more seasoning. It was lacking flavor in a major way. Almost all the other reviewers made massive adjustments to the recipe before cooking and reviewing. If you follow the recipe to the word, taste everything before putting it in the oven. The next time around, I would double or triple the seasoning in the chili and double or triple the seasoning/sugar in the cornbread. Be prepared to serve with either hot sauce, lime and cilantro, or maybe sour cream.
I was skeptical but Leslieeh is right. Double up on the seasoning, at the least.
I agree, it needed way more spice but you, as a home cook, need to adjust the recipe to your taste. This is inspiration for you to build on and I did; my first time making it, I made my modifications and it turned out amazing. When I make it again, it’ll be even better thanks to her inspiration.
Don’t give it a 1-star just because you can’t see its potential.
Thinking of making this in 2 separate dishes and freezing one for the cold hard winter ahead. Would you freeze it in cornbread topping unbaked? ir freeze just chili and do 1/2 of cornbread topping later?
I wouldn’t freeze the cornbread unbaked, but it freezes really well after baking! So if you’re going to make it in two separate dishes anyway, go ahead and cook all of it, then separate and freeze half.
This recipe is the most delicious thing I have ever made from your recipes (and I have made A LOT). The flavors are SO good and it is such a hearty and filling dish. Everything we make always turns out amazingly and everyone always asks us where we get such yummy meals (we are vegetarians, so I love your new and interesting ideas). Thank you!!! =)
I made my chili extra soupy (and extra large) by adding more beans, an extra can of tomato, an extra onion, some celery, a carrot and a bell pepper… And the cornbread sort of sunk into my soupy chili and ended up steaming on top like dumplings. I skipped the cheese because I was out. Omg. It was absolutely perfect. Done this way, the cornbread cooks up moist and flavorful and the chili is the perfect hearty but healthy accompaniment. Thank you budgetbytes for the recipe formula, and the consistent dinner inspiration!
NICE! So Chili dumplings. I may have to try that mistake.
Love this recipe, the first time I made it, I didn’t realise the recipe didn’t ask for mince.. I added it anyway and it was delicious…
Awesome. I love your Web site.
My husband and I loved this recipe! It was so flavorful yet simple. We added some ground pork because we are meat lovers and it turned out great!
Had some vegan chorizo chili in the freezer from months ago, this was the best way to repurpose. I only had about 4 servings so I just halved the cornbread recipe and put it in a large ramekin. Came out perfectly!
I wish there was a way to make this cornbread chili recipe without having to use an oven. I live in an SRO, and don’t have access to an oven.
Just a thought–maybe make it a little soupier as another reviewer did and dollop in the cornbread batter and cook as dumplings–you probably wouldn’t get the nice cornbread crust texture but the dumplings would be nice anyway. Good luck. :)