Southern Crackling Cornbread

Southern crackling cornbread is a true Southern recipe. Made with a traditional cornbread recipe and buttermilk. We take the succulent pork cracklin’ and bake it up in a cake of cornbread for a succulent surprise in every bite.

pan of cracklin bread in cast iron skillet
A person holds a piece of freshly baked bread, showing its fluffy interior. The bread loaf, with a golden-brown crust, rests on a wooden cutting board in the background.

What is Crackling Cornbread?

Cracklin’ cornbread. To define what it is, you must define its parts. Cracklin’s are a southern fried confection made from any part of the pig that includes, skin, fat and meat. We like to use Pork belly for this as it is the easiest to prepare.

Never fear though, you do not have to make your own. They are easily found in a lot of grocery stores.Be sure you get get cracklings though, not pork skins or chiccarones as they are very different.

Southern Cornbread with a twist.

The bread portion of the recipe is a really easy, really great cornbread. So this recipe can be easily modified to make only a wonderful cake of cornbread minus the Cracklins. We do suggest though, sometime, in this life, you do try the Cracklin’ Bread. It really is life altering! It is so good, we even recommend using it to make our CORNBREAD SALAD!

How to Make Southern Crackling Cornbread

Just like with any great recipe, you have to start with really good ingredients. Listed below is all you need to make Cracklin’ Bread and we give you a few suggestions on what we feel works best.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Butter – we like to use unsalted with this recipe. Just like in baking, you want to control the salt content and since the cracklings are pork, they are naturally salty.
  • 2 cups Self Rising Cornmeal Mix – it’s no secret that we love White Lily products. The milling of their products is done in such a way that you are left with a perfectly mixable batter with very few lumps. If you can’t find White Lily in your area, ask your local grocer to order some!
  • 1/2 cup Plain Flour – again, we recommend White Lily for this too. The addition of a small amount of flour gives a smoothness in texture to your cornbread. I think its the perfect secret ingredient!
  • 2 & 1/2 cups Buttermilk – the purpose of buttermilk is two fold in this recipe. Pork cracklings can be kind of dry, the buttermilk helps soften them just enough to reconstitute them during the cooking process. It almost brings them back to life! The buttermilk also wets the batter and adding a zip to the bread itself.
  • 2 eggs, beaten – as in any good cornbread, the eggs act as the glue that holds it all together. There will be no trace of egg in the recipe once this is done.
  • 1 cup cooked Pork Cracklin’s – Big D likes to make his own for this and we freeze some just to have on hand for this purpose. A really good cracklin has all 3 layers of perfection. The crispy skin, the juicy fat and the tender meat. If you aren’t sure where to find them, do a quick google search for “pork cracklings near me” or call your local butcher or grocer. You can also order some really good ones from BILLY’S BOUDIN in Louisiana.

How to Make it!

cracklling bread ingredients

Most cornbread is always a really easy thing. You just mix and pour. This one has a little more “prep” work to it. So there are a couple of important steps you will want to do beforehand to insure a perfect cracklin’ bread every time.

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Chop cracklings carefully with a knife to bite size pieces. Sometime cracklings can be kind of big and irregular in size. Chopping them gets them a little smaller and more uniform. Add eggs to buttermilks and lightly beat. Add in cracklings and allow to sit in buttermilk and egg mixture. Mix well.

3. Place butter in a 10 in cast iron skillet and place in the oven while it preheats. Allow the butter to melt while you prepare your ingredients. Once everything is mixed, carefully remove the skillet right when you are ready to pour in your batter.

4. Sift flour and cornmeal together and place in a large mixing bowl. Add in wet ingredients and mix well.

5. Pour batter in the hot skillet on top of the melted butter. Do not mix.

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6. Bake 25-30 minutes until browned. Cool and remove from pan and Enjoy!

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Why Brooke loves this recipe!

Recipes are like antiques. They are meant to be handed down from one generation to another. Each one holding a special memory or nostalgic memory. Here is why we love this one!

Logo for "The Buttered Home" featuring a butter churn in the center enclosed by a circular design. The text "EST 2018" is on either side of the churn. Below the circle, the text reads "THE BUTTERED HOME" with the tagline "home cooking made easy" underneath.

Cornbread is a staple in any good Southern home. Dressing it up from time to time with things like cracklings make it new and interesting. This also gets you thinking about other things you can add to make a new and different cornbread. I love thinking about our food!

A close-up of a slice of homemade bread placed on a wooden cutting board. The bread has a golden-brown crust and a soft, airy interior with small pieces of what appear to be dried fruit or nuts. Other slices are visible in the background.

🍴 PRO TIP!

Be sure you preheat that cast iron skillet with the butter. Doing this makes sure you get those crispy, delicious edges.

A close-up of hands breaking apart a piece of freshly baked bread or cake. The bread or cake has a light, fluffy texture and appears to contain small chunks of nuts or fruit. A blurred, speckled surface is visible in the background.

🗹 RECIPE FAQ’S

Tips and Tricks

Will my cracklings be tough or too hard?

Mixing them with the buttermilk and egg first, helps soften them a bit. However, if you are concerned they will still be too hard, you can soak them in a little warm water for about 30 minutes before preparing your cornbread.

Is a Cracklin the same as a Graton?

Yes! Graton is the French cajun name for this delicate but powerful little food. Cracklings aka Gratons are very different than pork rinds though. The rind is made just from the skin and is lighter with no meat on it. My best advice is to find some true cracklings to make this bread as using pork rinds will not add anything as they will like disappear in the cornbread.

Is Cracklin’ Cornbread a Southern thing?

The best answer I have is it is a Louisiana thing. And since LA is in the south, the short answer is yes. However, it probably is more French cuisine at its origin if the truth be told. The beloved Cracklin’ Bread was also made famous in the Southern literary classic by Alabama native, Harper Lee, u0022To Kill A Mockingbirdu0022. It was little scouts favorite after school treat! Indulge me a little, I like history, literature and Southern culture. You will find a little of all 3 on this food blog!

What can I substitute for Cracklins?

The easiest thing if you can’t find crackling is to use very very crispy fried bacon.

Storage and reheating

Southern Crackling cornbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat wrapped in foil in a low temp oven until warm.

This cornbread also freezes well. Once completely cooled, wrap tightly in foil and then place in a freezer bag. It will keep up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat as above.

A close-up of a round, golden-brown cornbread with a slice cut and slightly lifted. The texture appears airy and moist. In the background, there is a blurred plate with a piece of butter.

Other great cornbread recipes

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A round, golden-brown Irish soda bread with a crispy crust sits on a wooden surface. A slice has been cut from the loaf, showing a slightly moist interior with bits of dried fruit. A plate with a stick of butter is in the background.

Southern Crackling Cornbread

Southern Crackling Cornbread is a true Southern recipe. Made with a traditional cornbread recipe and buttermilk. We take the succulent pork cracklin' and bake it up in a cake of cornbread for a succulent surprise in every bite.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Serving Size 10

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 2 cups Self Rising Cornmeal Mix
  • 1/2 cup Plain Flour
  • 2 & 1/2 cups Buttermilk
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1 cup cooked Pork Cracklin's

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Chop cracklings carefully with a knife to bite size pieces. Sometime cracklings can be kind of big and irregular in size. Chopping them gets them a little smaller and more uniform. Add eggs to buttermilks and lightly beat. Add in cracklings and allow to sit in buttermilk and egg mixture. Mix well.
  • Place butter in a 10 in cast iron skillet and place in the oven while it preheats. Allow the butter to melt while you prepare your ingredients. Once everything is mixed, carefully remove the skillet right when you are ready to pour in your batter.
  • Sift flour and cornmeal together and place in a
    large mixing bowl. Add in wet ingredients and mix well.
  • Pour batter in the hot skillet on top of the melted butter. Do not mix.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes until browned. Cool and remove from pan and Enjoy!

See How To Make It!

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2 Comments

    1. We make ours from frying a pork belly. Most times, you can ask your butcher at your local market where to find them. I have often seem them already prepared with the other pork.