Crackling bread is one of those old-school Southern recipes that takes me right back y’all. Folks have been serving it with ham, baked beans, and fried cabbage forever, but I can tear up a warm slice all by itself with a cold glass of milk. Bonus points if it just came out of the oven! My cracklin cornbread has pieces of pork crackling, smoky bacon, crispy edges, and a lil sugar. It ain’t overly sweet, though! It’s just right.
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How to Make Crackling Bread
These step-by-step photos show how to make cracklin cornbread, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Crackling Bread Recipe
1. Mix the dry ingredients and cracklings
Whisk together the cornmeal mix, sugar, and salt, then add the chopped bacon and pork cracklings.
2. Stir in the wet ingredients
Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together, then stir them into the cornmeal mixture until just combined.
PRO TIP: Some people chop their cracklings real small, but I keep mine medium-sized. They spread nicely throughout the bread without disappearing. I like to get that tender, meaty texture in each bite.
3. Melt the butter in the skillet
Add the butter to a cast iron skillet and heat it in the oven until completely melted and the pan is nice and hot.
4. Add the melted butter to the batter
Carefully swirl the butter around the skillet, then pour the remaining melted butter into the batter and stir it in.
5. Pour the crackling bread batter into the hot skillet
Transfer the batter to the skillet and spread it out into an even layer.
6. Bake your Southern cracklin cornbread
Bake until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, then let it cool before slicing.
PRO TIP: Mostly clean is the sweet spot, boos! A few moist crumbs are fine. If you wait until the toothpick is bone dry, your cornbread may be overbaked.
Full Crackling Bread Recipe
Crackling Bread Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons salted butter cut into cubes
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix like Pearl’s Milling Co.
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 strips thick-cut bacon cooked, roughly chopped
- 4 ounces pork cracklings roughly chopped
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temperature
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Once the oven is preheated, add the butter to a 10-inch cast iron skillet, then place it in the oven and heat until it’s melted, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the cornmeal mix, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chopped bacon and cracklings.
- In a large measuring cup or another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk until well combined. Then stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Once the butter is melted and hot, remove the pan from the oven, carefully swirl the butter around the bottom and sides of the pan, then pour the remaining butter into the batter. Stir the butter in, then pour it into the hot skillet.
- Return the cornbread to the oven and bake until the top is light golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean, about 20-22 minutes. Do not overbake.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then carefully release from the pan, cut into slices or squares, and serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Let the bread cool completely, then wrap it tightly or store it in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The fridge can dry cornbread out, so don’t leave those slices uncovered boos!
- Freezer: Wrap individual pieces tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter.
- Reheating: Warm slices in a 350°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. You can also cover a slice with a damp paper towel and microwave it in 15 second bursts until warm.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Use self-rising cornmeal mix, not plain cornmeal. The mix already contains the flour and leavening this bread needs to rise. Plain cornmeal by itself won’t work the same way.
- Pick tender, meaty cracklings. Skip the super hard pieces that feel like they could chip a tooth. Soft cracklings give you much better flavor and texture.
- Use room temperature eggs and buttermilk. Cold ingredients can make the melted butter seize up and keep the batter from mixing evenly.
- Mix with a light hand. Stir only until the dry streaks disappear. Overmixing can make your cracklin cornbread dense.
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Serving Ideas
- Beans: Sop up every last drop from a pot of pinto beans, butter beans, green beans, or Southern black eyed peas with a warm slice.
- Greens: This bread was made for collard greens, turnip greens, or mustard greens. Don’t leave one drop of that pot likker behind, boos!
- Southern Mains: This is exactly the side I want with spicy fried chicken, smothered pork chops, fried chicken gizzards, baked turkey wings, turkey necks, or fried catfish.
Recipe Help
Nope. Pork rinds are mostly fried pork skin. Cracklings have some fat and sometimes a little meat attached, which makes them denser, richer, and a bit chewier. You may also see them labeled as cracklins or chicharrones, but check the pieces because those names can be used for different styles.
Check a Mexican or Latin market, Southern meat market, butcher shop, barbecue spot, or the meat counter at a well-stocked grocery store. You can also find them online.
Yep boo! Use a 9-inch square metal baking pan or another oven-safe skillet.
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