Hot water cornbread is fried with a golden brown crisp on the outside! A simple way to fry up patties on the stove for a Southern side dish with 5 ingredient chili or soup. Homemade with cornmeal or Jiffy corn muffin mix, it’s a fun way to make an Old Fashioned favorite.
This is a classic Southern treat made with cornmeal, boiling water, and a touch of magic. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Each Fried Cornbread cake is perfect alongside your favorite dishes. Use just a bit of oil to saute until golden brown or deep fry if you like. (affiliate links present)
Cornbread Patties
Boiling water cornbread is a unique variation of cornbread that uses well…..boiling water. In this recipe, this is mixed with cornmeal and a few other ingredients to create a dough-like mixture. The dough is then shaped into patties and fried in hot oil, resulting in crispy, pan-fried cornbread cakes.
When choosing an oil for frying, consider the smoke point (the temperature at which the oil starts to break down and produce smoke) and the flavor profile that will enhance your dish. For instance peanut or coconut would be an odd flavor to add to this one, I’d choose vegetable, olive, or even some butter in this case.
Jiffy Hot Water Cornbread
Since there is already some sugar and salt into the blue and white box all you need is the water!! It is one of our fun Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix Recipes for sure. Now it isn’t exactly the same tasting as making it homemade, remember that. Can be done though with less liquid than listed here, about half. Start with 1/4 cup boiled water and mix until you get a thick batter like you see above to form patties.
The only real difference with Sweet Potato Cornbread and this one really is that the batter is thick vs. regular cornbread. Think of this one ideally being more like cake batter.
Cornbread with Hot Water
These can be served in a number of different ways. It is a fun way to serve this otherwise crumbly dish that is typically sliced into squares. For instance if you love pinto Beans and Cornbread I would highly recommend this form the next time you serve it. The kids especially will find it a winner for dinner.
- 1 c cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 c boiling water
- 1 tsp sugar optional
- a small amount of vegetable, bacon grease, or even butter works if you aren’t deep frying
This is actually a great way to make Dairy Free Cornbread too. NO milk or butter necessary to make this one and is egg free too. If you have someone in your home who is lactose intolerant then yet another plus to this dish you didn’t even realize is here.
Hot Water Cornbread Recipe
Want to add some heat like Mexican Cornbread? That is easy as you can dice up chiles and/or jalapenos into the mix. Just make sure you drain it if they were canned so you don’t add excess moisture into the batter.
- In a bowl add yellow cornmeal and boiling water together, stir and let sit to soften the cornmeal.
- Add in sugar and salt, stir. Let sit as you heat the pan and oil.
- Use your hands to form dough into patties, about 3 inches in diameter.
- The thicker they are the longer they will take to cook and middle may not get done to your liking. I prefer 3/4″ thick for best results.
- You can deep fry these with a pan full of hot oil
- Or just saute in a cast iron skillet with a few tbsp until golden brown on both sides and cooked thru into the center.
- I prefer to use bacon grease or melted butter over vegetable oil for more flavor.
- Saute over medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and fluffy/moist in the center.
- Like we do with our Jiffy hushpuppies if submerged in oil you want to set on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Serve hot water cornbread warm with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on to the top.
I would say the main two reasons why I like this type of cornbread because it is that like our Air Fryer Cornbread, bringing a bit more fun to your meal, and the crispy outside texture we love.
Cooking Cornbread in a Pan
If you don’t finish it all you should totally save and use again later. We have a lot of Leftover Cornbread Recipes you can make with it, crumbled or left whole.
Hot water cornbread and hoe cakes, while both cornmeal-based, are not the same, although they share some similarities. They are two distinct Southern-style cornbread preparations with different ingredients and cooking methods. Hoe cakes are made with a mixture of cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and liquid (thinner, more similar to pancake batter).
If you do have leftovers, don’t throw them away. Quite a few can be crumbled and layered to make Jiffy Cornbread Salad, whether made with that boxed mix or homemade as shared below.
Wonder if you should use this same method when baking desserts too? Yep, hot liquid will help other ingredients like cocoa in our Cake with Hot Water too. Give that a try after you fall in love with this one. 😉
Hot Water Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet or pan
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 c cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 c boiling water
- 1 tsp sugar, optional
- 3 tbsp oil, olive oil, vegetable or bacon grease
Instructions
- In a bowl add cornmeal and boiling water together, stir. Add in sugar and salt, stir. Let sit as you heat the pan and oil.
- Use your hands to form dough into patties, about 3 inches in diameter. The thicker they are the longer they will take to cook and middle may not get done to your liking. I prefer 3/4" thick for best results.
- You can deep fry these with a pan full of hot oil or just saute with a few tbsp until golden brown on both sides and cooked thru into the center.
- I prefer to use bacon grease and saute over medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and fluffy/moist in the center.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
