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Have ya ever had a craving for tacos? I sure have. Like, daily. Sometimes even twice a day. And that doesn’t include all those times that I would buy Taco Bell tacos and stick ’em in the fridge for breakfast and eat them icy cold. Look, I was pregnant. I considered cold tacos a delicacy. It’s the truth.
Anyway, I like tacos. My daughter likes cornbread. Sometimes she asks for cornbread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes she asks for a corndog just so she can eat all the corbread off the dog and then wave her hotdog around on the stick and shout about how it’s naked. Sometimes she makes me giggle.
Every now and then I like to make us both happy and serve this cornbread skillet. I usually call it cornbread pie though, because then my kids love me more. Pie for dinner means I’m the best mom ever. True story.
This is simple to whip up, but it does take a bit of time to bake. Totally worth it though, as most foods that contain taco meat, cheese, and green chiles are.
Taco Cornbread Skillet
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 small bell pepper diced
- 16 ounces canned pinto beans drained
- 10 ounces canned diced tomatoes with chiles drained
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
For the cornbread:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/3 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup canned corn
- 4 ounces canned diced green chiles
Instructions
To make the filling:
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet along with the onion and pepper and cook over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and cheese to the beef and stir to combine.
- Set aside while you make the cornbread.
To make the cornbread:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 12-inch cast iron skillet or 9×9 baking dish.
- Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a mixing bowl and whisk together to combine.
- Add the buttermilk and eggs to a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture, along with the corn and chiles, and stir well to combine.
- Let the mixture set for 10 minutes for the cornmeal to soften.
- Spread half of the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish and top with the beef mixture. Spoon the remaining cornbread batter over the top of the beef.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.
Nutrition Information:
Mexican Cornbread Skillet
For the filling:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped (1/2 cup of salsa would be great if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or your own recipe for seasoning mix)
- drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle some olive oil in a large skillet and heat it over medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers for a few minutes and then add the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces just as you would for tacos. Cook until no longer pink and then drain. Stir in the tomatoes and taco seasoning. Remove from the heat and get to work on the cornbread.
For the cornbread:
- 1 3/4 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/3 cups milk (buttermilk, if you have it!)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup corn (frozen or canned work, fresh is best!)
- 1 small can green chiles
- butter, for greasing the skillet
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a cast iron skillet with butter. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl crack the eggs and stir in the milk. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix in the corn and green chiles. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the cornmeal.
Pour half of the cornbread mixture into the bottom of your greased skillet. Spoon the meat mixture on top and cover with both cheeses. Spread on the remaining cornbread mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown and cooked through.
Rebecca says
What if you don’t like corn at all? Do you have to alter the other ingredients?
Karly says
I’d recommend trying a different recipe as this is a cornbread recipe.
Rachael says
I don’t have a cast iron skillet….can I just put it in a 9×9 pan and bake it that way?
thehealthyapron says
I can’t wait to try this! And I love that you made your own cornbread!
Amy (Sing For Your Supper) says
This is almost identical to my recipe- one of our favorite meals!
Kelsi says
i’ve been looking for a mexican cornbread recipe that doesn’t use creamed corn (gives me the heebie jeebies) for a while now. This one looks so yummy.
Brittany says
This is a really unique and delicoius-sounding recipe; so thanks for sharing. I love the golden colour. Why are skillet recipes always so good?!
Michelle says
Sounds good to me. One more reason I need to get a cast iron skillet!
tom says
Do you have a way to print recipes? Otherwise I have to copy paste etc.
Karly says
Mary Ellen,
It’s a 12 inch skillet. ๐
Enjoy!
Karly
MaryEllen says
How large is the skillet you’re using? It sounds like a meal my family would love! Thanks!
Karly says
Monica,
Buttermilk actually has a bit less fat than regular milk making it healthier but with a richer taste. It also has a bit of a tangy flavor. (Tangy…is that a word or did I just make that up?) It’s acidic and tangy and yummy and delicious. The acid helps to make the cornbread a bit softer and more tender and it helps it rise. ๐
Regular milk works just fine as well, but if you have buttermilk on hand give it a try! You can use it in just about any baking recipe in place of regular milk.
Karly
Erica Lea {Cooking for Seven} says
Your words make me smile. And you photos make want to dive right in.
Monica says
This looks delicious! Just curious, what is the benefit of buttermilk? What is different about it?
Joanne says
Pie for dinner would probably make me the coolest roommate ever as well. And cold tacos don’t sound so crazy. I’ve seen my hungover friends eat much much worse. ๐ This looks delicious especially for a cornbread lover like myself!
DessertForTwo says
Skillet cornbread is a go-to thing for me each week. I can’t wait to try this version! Thanks! ๐
Cold tacos is probably the weirdest pregnancy craving I’ve heard to date ๐