Thin and Crispy Lacy Cornbread

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You’ll only need four ingredients.
• It’s quick and easy to make.
• It has an amazing texture.
• It’s a perfect complement to southern vegetables, soups, and stews.

🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need

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• Fine Ground White Cornmeal – For this recipe, plain white cornmeal that has been finely ground is a must. You won’t achieve the same texture with any other cornmeal product such as cornmeal mix (which contains flour and leavening agents), coarse ground cornmeal, or yellow cornmeal. If you can’t source it in your local stores, two good brands, Palmetto Farms and Hoover’s are available online.
• Salt – Unless otherwise stated, I use Kosher salt in all of my recipes. Use whatever you have on hand.
• Hot Water – I often simply use hot tap water. You can also bring the water just to a boil on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• Peanut Oil – I recommend peanut oil both for the taste and for its ability to cook at a high temperature without smoking.

🥄 How to Make Lacy Cornbread

1. Stir the salt into the cornmeal in a medium bowl. Add the hot water and blend using a wooden spoon or wire whisk making sure there are no lumps in the mixture.

2. This is a very thin batter. Thinner than pancake batter. See how it barely coats the spoon? That’s exactly what you want. Just set it aside for a few minutes while you prepare the skillet or griddle.

3. Heat a flat griddle or skillet for several minutes over medium heat. When the pan is hot, drizzle with one or two tablespoons of peanut oil tilting the griddle so that the entire surface is coated.
4. Ladle the batter by tablespoons onto the hot pan. Do not crowd the pan. When the edges begin to brown, turn with a metal spatula and cook the second side. It cooks very quickly, so watch it carefully.

5. Remove the cooked cornbread to paper towels to drain. Re-oil the skillet and stir the batter in between each batch. If the batter thickens, thin it with a tablespoon or two of hot water.

Oh, and those dark edges in the photo? That’s not a mistake 😊. That’s the very best part of this thin and crispy cornbread.

❗Recipe Tips

• Use a well-seasoned cast iron griddle or skillet. This is key for getting that perfectly crispy texture. (I urge you to invest in one good cast iron skillet. They’re relatively inexpensive and will last several generations if properly cared for. I have some that belonged to my great-grandmothers.)
• Don’t overcrowd the pan! Make sure you allow some space between the pieces of cornbread as you’re pouring them into the skillet or griddle. Adding too much batter into the pan will cause the bread to steam rather than fry.
• Be sure to use the correct kind of cornmeal. You’ll need plain, fine grind white cornmeal (not cornmeal mix).
• Preheat the skillet. Make sure the skillet is very hot before adding the oil and cornbread batter in order to achieve a crispy texture. Re-oil the skillet and stir the batter in between each batch of cornbread. If the batter thickens, thin it with a tablespoon or two of hot water.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

It’s almost easier to answer what not to serve with lacy cornbread. It’s a great addition to many meals, but some of my favorites things to serve it with are pinto beans, butter beans, Hoppin’ John, stewed okra and tomatoes, and vegetable soup.

🍚 Storage and Reheating Instructions

This pan fried cornbread is best served immediately after cooking, but it will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days. To reheat, place it on a baking sheet and warm in a 350 degree oven for about five minutes.