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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Re-read your instructions. You say, ” I would suggest anything like a strong olive oil since too much of that flavor will take away from the cornbread.” Don’t you mean “wouldn’t suggest”?
Yes exactly wouldn’t. It was a typo. Thank you for seeing that!
I grew up on hot water cornbread and crock pot pinto beans, so delicious!
Going to try your recipe. I use one cup each of flour and cornmeal and some baking powder along with the sugar and salt.
Just like my Mammy used to make!
My grandma made a small skillet size cornbread and she was from the south (Georgia) but she did not make individual cornbreads hers was size of probably smallest cast iron frying pan (that is what it she cooked it in) i don’t remember it being sweet at all can you make this recipe that way, and is this cornbread recipe sweet?
You can add sugar to this recipe if you want to sweeten them and you can make them in a smaller size. Is that what you are asking?
I love your recipes, I was just about to request a recipe for hot water cornbread then I saw you already had one, I can’t wait to make it on New Year’s day with my black eyed peas. Thank you for sharing the love.
Too funny that the day I cooked a favorite, hot-water I noticed your suggested with gizzards and collard greens with rice is exactly what we had for dinner. Love your recipes
Just wanted to suggest an edit. I think you wanted to say “I would not suggest olive oil”. Love your recipes. Haven’t had this since I was a little girl and my neighbor Grandma Scott from NC made these with white cornmeal. She just called them “bread” <3
In Puerto Rico we have a different take on this recipe. It’s pretty much the same ingredients except we make finger sized corn sticks then we fry. We also stuff them with cheese or make them sweeter (or not). We usually serve with a pink sauce made with half mayo and half ketchup. We call them surullos.
Very interesting
Put a good burn on these and they stay will crispy for days.
Nice!!