This Southern hot water cornbread recipe comes straight from my Southern mama’s kitchen, y’all! Made with just a few pantry ingredients, my hot water cornbread recipe comes together easily and quickly. I mix my cornmeal batter together, shape it, and fry it until golden. Serve them up with collard greens or pinto beans like my fam used to do.
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How to Make Southern Hot Water Cornbread
These step-by-step photos show how to make easy hot water cornbread, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Southern Hot Water Cornbread Recipe
1. Start on making the cornbread batter
Add the cornmeal, sugar (if using), salt, baking powder (if using) to a heat safe bowl and whisk together. Then add the bacon grease or melted butter, and boiling water to a medium bowl stirring it all together. Whisk until fully combined and thickened like a paste almost. Let sit for about 3 minutes to let everything hydrate.
2. Add oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat it for frying
Scoop batter with a cookie scoop or shape into patties and fry in hot oil. Fry about 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown and crispy on the edges.
3. Fry the hot water cornbread on both sides until golden brown
Remove and drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Serve hot.
PRO TIP: I prefer yellow cornmeal, especially from Martha White. It was my big mama’s fave brand. You can also swap in white cornmeal. You will get a slightly different flavor and color.
Full Southern Hot Water Cornbread Recipe
Hot Water Cornbread Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 2 tsp granulated sugar optional
- 1- 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt can go up more if you want more for taste
- 1/2 tsp baking powder optional
- 2 tbsp bacon grease or melted butter
- 1- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large heatproof bowl, add cornmeal, sugar (if using), salt, and baking powder (if using) and whisk until combined.
- Stir in the melted bacon grease or melted butter and slowly pour in the boiling water, stirring constantly until a thick pasty batter forms. Don't pour all of it in. Start around 3/4 of a cup and continue until hydrated but still thickened. Let the mixture rest for about 3 minutes so everything hydrates well.
- Add about a 1/2 inch of oil to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Either scoop batter using a cookie scoop or shape into patties and add to hot oil. Fry 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown with crisp edges.
- Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Let the cornbread cool completely, then store it in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: For a longer hold, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Once cooled, freeze the cornbread on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag. It will keep for 2-3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm it up in a skillet over medium heat, or pop it in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes. An air fryer works great too if you want it extra crispy, boos.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Get your skillet right, boos. Heat your oil to about 375 so the cornbread fries up crisp. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil. If it sizzles right away and floats, it’s hot enough.
- Mix the batter to your liking. Start with 1 ½ cups of hot water and stir it in. If the batter feels too thick, add a little more until it’s scoopable but not runny.
- Scoop them how you like. I usually go with about 2 tablespoons of batter per piece, but make them bigger or smaller depending on how you like your cornbread.
- Go full Southern, y’all! Swap the oil for bacon grease if you have it.
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Serving Ideas
- Beans: Serve this Southern hot water cornbread up with butter beans, red beans and rice, or even black-eyed peas.
- Greens: Collard greens, mustard greens, or turnip greens! It’s perfect for sopping up that pot likker.
- Soups and Stews: I love some hot water cornbread with beef stew, southern chili, seafood gumbo, or even taco soup.
- Classic Southern Style: Traditional recipes like fried chicken, neck bones, smothered pork chops, chitterlings, salmon croquettes, and chicken bog.
Recipe Help
The batter is too dry, boo. Add a little more hot water until it comes together like a soft dough that holds its shape.
Your oil should be around 375 F before frying. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the cornbread will soak it up. Also, don’t crowd the pan or the oil temperature will drop.
Absolutely, boos! Any heavy skillet will work, but a cast iron is preferred for even heating.
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I love hot water cornbread with greens but my favorite is butter and honey. I could eat them all day.
My daily cornbread the best ❤️
Perfect. I had to make more for family since I ate the whole batch.
My mom used to make these all the time and they were a family favorite. I haven’t had them in years and have forgot how to make them and my mom can’t always remember. I’m going to make these this week! As strange as it may sound, we would split them and spread mayonnaise on them.
This is basically how my mother made fried cornbread but she used white cornmeal and she shaped the patties by hand. She would also drop the raw patties into a pot of boiling greens to make what we called corn dodgers – sort of like a dumpling.
Oh yes fantastic!!
Plain meal or self rising
You can actually use either depending on the texture you would prefer. If you want them to have a little left, self rising is the way to go!
Finally an authentic old school recipe for hot water cornbread.
This is how I was taught to make it . I see so many who confuse this with a hoe cake or add an egg to it…no, no, no !
The secret is the water must be boiling hot for it to come together as a patty.
My kids loved this better than regular cornbread and so do I.
We eat it with fried cabbage greens of course and red beans and rice!
Good Eats!
Finally an authentic old school recipe for hot water cornbread.
This is how I was taught to make it . I see so make who confuse this with a hoe cake or add an egg to it…no, no, no !
The secret is the water must be boiling hot for it to come together as a patty.
My kids loved this better than regular cornbread and so do I.
We eat it with fried cabbage greens of course and red beans and rice!
Good Eats!
I actually add a bit of oil to cornmeal, salt &water. Then I spoon the cornbread patties into a pan and bake them at 400 degrees. Sometimes I turn them over half way through cooking. Other times I don’t . They crisp up well and taste just like my mom’s but with much less oil. The baking time depends on how many I’m cooking. I check them after 10 minutes. They get crisp even without being turned during baking.Josie
Oh that’s a wonderful tip!!
how much oil do you add? I have fear of frying but I <3 corn bread
About 1 cup to start and add a bit more if you need it. Don’t be intimidated. You don’t need to deep fry it but just have enough to coat the bottom surface.
This recipe is Awesome, I’m a Southern Belle and grew up in North Carolina where we cornbread or biscuits at every meal and my Mom also , made cornmeal dumplings and dropped them in when she made Mustard Greens, Delicious.
Keep Up the Great Work, God Bless You