How To Make Hot Water Cornbread
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This hot water cornbread recipe is as old as the Tennessee Hills. Using only two ingredients, this is the definition of a simple and delicious Southern side dish.
Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, this hot water cornbread recipe is an old-fashioned Southern staple. Back in the day, it was invented out of necessity in order to survive and based on what folks had on hand or could easily acquire. For me, that inspires reverence for them and a respect for the wisdom of the old ways. It also makes me want to make them just like they did if only to feel a little closer to their wisdom.
So, this recipe is as simple as it comes, as all you need is self-rising cornmeal and hot water. But I wanted to start with the basics so you can work from there and have fun with it. The result is perfectly crispy, crunchy, and irresistible cornbread!
Serve this yummy cornbread with Easy Baby Back Ribs in Oven, Easy Creamed Corn, Vinegar Slaw, Southern-Style Fried Okra Recipe, and Fresh Green Beans and you will have the perfect southern meal.
Recipe Ingredients
- Self-rising cornmeal
- Hot water
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Large Cast Iron Skillet
How to Make Hot Water Cornbread Recipe Step by Step
Add self-rising cornmeal to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Add hot water.
Stir that together until there are no lumps left and it’s formed a good old batter.
If you need to add a tablespoon or so of water you can. If you need to add a little more cornmeal, you can do that too.
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Once that is hot, carefully drop your batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil and lightly press it flat with the back of a spoon.
Cook until browned on that side.
Then flip it and cook it until it is golden brown on the other.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, basket, or bowl, and serve warm. It’s that easy!
These little beauties with their crispy exterior are great on their own or with butter, maple syrup, molasses, etc.
Storage
- Once cooled completely, store your cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat them either in the microwave or oven.
- You can also freeze them in foil or a freezer bag for up to three months. Once thawed, wrap them in foil and reheat in the oven.
Recipe Notes
- You can use your favorite self-rising cornmeal mix. Martha White has all sorts of different ones and I like the white best but that is because it’s what my great grandmother used.
- The recipe calls for boiling water so to get it hot you can use your coffee maker, boil it on the stovetop, or heat it up in your tea kettle. Just make sure it’s boiling!
- Vegetable and canola oil is best for frying.
- If you want to add a little something extra, stir in one or more of these add-ins after you’ve stirred together the cornmeal and water: chopped onions, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 cup of drained corn kernels, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, finely diced jalapeños, or 1 teaspoon of parsley or basil.
Recipe FAQs
What do you serve with hot water cornbread?
Hot water cornbread can be served as a sweet or savory dish. To make it savory, serve it alongside chili, beef stew, or pork chops to soak up all the delicious sauce. Otherwise, as a sweet treat, top your cornbread with butter, maple syrup, molasses, or honey.
Do you put sugar in your cornbread?
I don’t add sugar to my hot water cornbread, but if you really want to you can add a teaspoon of sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Stir together cornmeal and water until completely smooth. Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, carefully drop batter from a spoon into the oil and lightly press flat with back of spoon.2 cups self-rising cornmeal, 1 cup hot water
- Cook until browned on the bottom, then flip and cook until browned on the other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot.
Makes about 15.
Notes
Nutrition
You may also like these cornbread recipes:
Mexican Cornbread Recipe by Mama
*From Scratch* Cornbread Topped Chicken Pot Pie
Wow, these look delicious. They remind me of hush puppies with the added onion. How much would you add to a recipe to make hush puppies? MMMM!
My mom used to make this and it’s sooo good.
She added some garlic powder and we used to eat it with polish sausage,
black eyed peas and hominy. Nothing like southern cooking!
Wow…..been doing this for years….now I find out there’s an actual recipe for it!
Absolutely nothing better to eat with beans or greens!
I was thinking exactly the same thing and when was I going to cook it with beans and greens!
I’m gonna go make me some of these right now. I love fried corn bread.
You must be from North Carolina. I have never heard of hot water cornbread until I moved to northwest Louisiana. My mom and her family were from North Carolina and we had fried cornbread a lot of times.
My mother was born and raised around Emerson, AR and this was on the table many times. My maw maw and my mama make it in larger pieces, like in little mini loaves and don’t brown it as much. Still to this day, I eat it with ketchup! They always used plain white cornmeal and salt and boiling water, with a small bowl of cold water on the side to cool your hands while you form the mini loaves.
Regarding hot water cornbread: My mother made that a few times for us usually when we had no milk available, as her mother and grandmother made before her, I am sure. In the old days, people primarily lived on the farm, and “off the land.” They raised their own corn, white, yellow, red or sometimes “Indian Corn.” (I remember having some blue cornmeal.) Mom used only cornmeal, salt, and boiling hot water. The hot water basically cooked the cornmeal. Then, she shaped a big spoonful of hot meal mixture by hand and dropped the corn pone into the hot shortning, usually home rendered lard and fried then on both sides until done. They were not flat. There was no baking powder, soda, nor milk used. Hot fried corn pones made with homegrown cornmeal, salt and boiling water was very good, something farm families had on hand that made a good hot bread. I believe corn was the mainstay for families and animals from early times through the mid 1950’s along with their homegrown meats, vegetables and fruits. Mothers used to “cook supper”, now we “make dinner” by pulling tabs, strings, or peeling back plastic and microwaving. Gotta make some hotwater cornbread tomorrow to have with pinto beans cooked with sliced New Orleans style sausage in my 6 qt. pressure cooker, collard greens or maybe some quick cornbread waffles in my waffle iron with homemade chili. Yummy. I enjoy your receipes and homey southern wit.
That is exactly how my Mother taught me to make it. Can make as large or small batch as you want.
Mary
I’ll bet you know where Haynesville, La. is. My mother made Hot Water Cornbread almost every day of the week. It is still one of our family favorites even though I don’t fry nearly as much as I used to.
I always added salt to mine and in later years switched from plain white cornmeal to yellow, but Mother always said your water must be boiling. There was nothing better than fried cornbread with Black-eyed Peas, new potatoes and fresh tomatoes.
My family and husbands are from TX and we all make hotwater cornbread, have for generations. We normally have it with Granny’s stew, chili, black-eyed peas or just whatever you normally might eat cornbread with 🙂 my husband likes to put is in a glass and pour buttermilk over it and then eat it with a fork.
Eliza, the way your husband eats it is just how I grow up eating it, yum yum, I love hot water cornbread and buttermilk. I grew up with my parents in TN and my grandparents in MS and hot water cornbread brings back so many memories.
Yum, I’m gonna make some of these tonight to go with my supper!
I’m fixin’ta make some right now to go with my usual New Year’s Day dinner of blackeye peas cooked w/collard greens & smoked turkey sausage and newly-added this year..some pan-sauteed cabbage with green apple wedges.
GOD Bless You and Yours! Thanks for Caring Enough to take me Home through your recipes!
Just exactly how my Momma taught me, and my hubby’s favorite cornbread! Can’t have white beans or homemade vegetable soup without it!