How to Make Crispy Hot Water Cornbread | Food Wishes

This homey, and very satisfying deep-fried hot water cornbread might be the most Southern of all the Southern cornbread. The taste is familiar, but the crusty, crispy exterior makes for a new and exciting experience. Perfect served with a full barbecue spread, or just a humble bowl of beans. Enjoy!

[ThomasD]

You can pat them slightly thinner and cook then on an oiled griddle, cast iron pan, or on a hot rock next to the campfire (those taste the best.)

[TuttleDB]

My mom taught me to make this except we only used corn meal, a little salt, and boiling water. Let it sit to cool/hydrate and fried in a cast iron skillet in crisco/bacon grease/oil or a combination depending on what we had. A lot of times, we made it when we didn’t have all the ingredients for baked cornbread. We slathered it with butter, if we had any, and ate it with pinto beans or greens. The absolute best! I grew up in East Texas.

[ambrosia]

My grandmother used to make this all the time. She was from rural Georgia, and I can attest to the fact that hwc is the most southern of all the southern cornbreads.

[altonbritton]

Those look awesome. My Mom used to cook her cornbread in the waffle maker to get them extra crispy.

[BiggaTigga]

I haven't had this since I was a child. Thank you for the recipe, Chef John!

[JimJimmington-ei]

Been making Chef John's jalapeno cornbread for YEARS now and it never disappoints. Everyone who eats it loves it. I shared the recipe more times than I can count.

Can't go wrong with Chef John!

[Figsyy]

As a lifelong southerner, my heart skipped a beat when I saw this. It looks exactly like how we make it. Well done!

[stephano]

The fridge rest works better because you're allowing the cornmeal to hydrate.

[drbockel]

We had these when I was a kid (Atlanta, GA). Except the ones we had were done in cast iron and only contained cornmeal and water, shallow-fried and slathered with butter.

[Mitchell]

Chef John, the true og cornstar of Youtube

[danielleporter]

Hot water cornbread is the best to sop up the pot liquid from where greens are on your plate and to eat with Pinto beans if you're out of flour tortillas. My mom used to shape hwc with two spoons making canelles and shallow frying them.

[medawson]

I have eaten these all my life. My Mother and Grandmother used to make them fried in bacon grease. There was no chilling involved.😁

[robertacooper]

Hot water cornbread is so good. My recipe is a little different .❤ I use my hands after putting in the boiling water.❤ Mix, pat them out and fry. Thanks for sharing😊

[CHIG]

In West Virginia any cornbread that has sugar is called JohnnyCake. Both are good 👍

[coolcanoechic]

I would replace some of that hot water with hot melted butter and honey. In my recipe, I use 1 stick of melted butter and a half cup of honey. Soooo good! I love the frying part. They kind of look like doughnuts.

[lawrencetaylor]

Since my Dad was from the South, my Mom had to learn to make cornbread we had for often. I never complained. Merci Chef John.

[ericluna]

So happy to see some basic recipes! Those are needed at this time, thanks chef!

[janetgerney]

Grew up eating these!
Well, similar. Mom used bacon grease to fry them but none in the batter.
No baking powder, either.
We called them fried pones.

[KnightOnBaldMountain]

These look great. Without the sugar of course.

[johnwheeler]

chef john i grew up earting hot water cornbread in deep east tx with white corn meal and butter with summer vegetables... great i love your channel