This Smoked Cornbread is baked on a pellet grill in a preheated cast-iron skillet for golden, crispy edges, a soft, tender center, and just the right amount of smoky flavor. It's one of my favorite side dishes to serve with smoked brisket, fall-off-the-bone smoked ribs, a bowl of smoked chili, or just about any backyard BBQ.
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If you want more smoker sides, try my Smoked Baked Potatoes, Smoked Zucchini, Smoked Cauliflower, or Traeger Smoked Corn on the Cob.
Recipe At-A-Glance
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pellet Grill Smoke Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Servings: 8 wedges
- Difficulty: Easy
- Key Ingredients: Yellow cornmeal, buttermilk, sour cream, eggs
- Flavor: Buttery, lightly smoky, crisp edges, tender center
- Best For: Classic BBQ side dish, brisket night, beginners to smoking
Jump to:
- Recipe At-A-Glance
- Why You'll Love Cooking Cornbread on the Smoker
- Ingredients
- How to Make Smoked Cornbread
- Why You Should Preheat Your Cast Iron Skillet
- Jeri's Pro Tips
- Best Wood Pellets for Smoked Cornbread
- Timing Your Cornbread with Main BBQ Dishes
- Easy Customizations & Mix-Ins
- What to Serve With Smoked Cornbread
- Storage & Reheating Instructions
- FAQs
- More Smoker Recipes You'll Love
- Printable Recipe
- Comments
Why You'll Love Cooking Cornbread on the Smoker
- Subtle smoky flavor: The pellet grill adds a light wood-fired flavor without overpowering the sweet corn taste.
- Perfect texture: Golden, crispy edges with a moist, tender center.
- Crispy skillet crust: Preheating the cast-iron skillet creates the golden, crispy bottom that makes skillet cornbread so good.
- Pairs with everything: This fits right in alongside White Chicken Chili, 3 Bean Turkey Chili, Smoked Boneless Chicken Thighs, Smoked Meatloaf, Smoked Salmon, Smoked Pork Butt, and Stuffing Stuffed Chicken.
- Endlessly adaptable: This pellet grill batter holds mix-ins perfectly if you want to make a cheesy cornbread recipe or add a spicy kick.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Yellow Cornmeal: Use a medium-grind yellow cornmeal for a rustic, traditional texture. Fine cornmeal works but can make the bread feel more like cake.
- All-Purpose Flour: Balances out the coarse cornmeal and provides structure. Equal parts cornmeal and flour create the perfect crumb.
- Granulated Sugar: Just ¼ cup balances the savory smoke. If you prefer a strictly savory southern-style cornbread, leave it out.
- Baking Powder: Your leavening agent to help the dense batter rise up light and fluffy.
- Salt: Just ½ teaspoon to bring out the buttery flavor.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a subtle tang. Full-fat buttermilk is best. No buttermilk? Mix ¾ cup of whole milk with 2¼ teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice; let it sit for 5-10 minutes until slightly curdled.
- Sour Cream: The secret weapon for ultra-moist cornbread. It keeps the bread from drying out on the smoker. Plain Greek yogurt works too, but sour cream gives the best flavor.
- Eggs: Two large eggs at room temperature bind the ingredients together.
- Melted Butter and Olive Oil: Butter adds rich flavor, while a little olive oil keeps the cornbread moist, even the next day.
How to Make Smoked Cornbread
Resist the urge to peek! Every time you lift the lid, heat escapes, which can add several minutes to the cooking time.
Preheat the Smoker & Skillet: Set your pellet grill to 350°F. Place a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet on the grill grates. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and let it preheat with the grill for about 15 minutes.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk thoroughly to break up any dense pockets.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together full-fat buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, melted butter, and olive oil until smooth.
Fold to Create a Thick Batter: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula just until the flour streaks disappear. Do not overmix. The batter should be thick enough to scoop rather than pour. Overmixing activates the gluten and makes the cornbread dense.
Bake on the Pellet Grill: Carefully open the smoker lid. Pour the thick batter directly into the sizzling hot, buttered cast-iron skillet. Smooth the top quickly, close the lid, and smoke at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes. It is done when the edges are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center pulls out clean.
Rest and Slice: Carefully remove the hot skillet using heavy-duty grill mitts. Let the cornbread rest and cool for 10 minutes. This lets the structure set so it slices cleanly into neat wedges. Serve warm.
Why You Should Preheat Your Cast Iron Skillet
If you want that crispy edge that handles thick BBQ sauces without crumbling, do not skip preheating your skillet. Pouring cold batter into a blazing-hot pan instantly sears the outer layer of cornmeal.
Jeri's Pro Tips
- Preheat the skillet for the crispiest crust.
- Don't overmix the batter. A few lumps are perfectly fine.
- Use room-temperature eggs so the batter mixes evenly.
- Swap the skillet-melting butter for rendered bacon grease or beef tallow saved from your brisket trim. It creates an incredible, savory, diner-style crust.
- Let the cornbread rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Use mild wood pellets like pecan, apple, or cherry.
Best Wood Pellets for Smoked Cornbread
I've made this recipe on both my Traeger Ironwood and Pit Boss pellet grills, and I've found that mild wood pellets produce the best flavor. Because cornbread absorbs smoke easily, avoid stronger woods like mesquite, which can leave a bitter aftertaste.
- Pecan: My personal favorite for baking cornbread. It adds just enough smoky flavor without masking the buttery corn flavor.
- Apple or Cherry: Adds a subtle sweetness that complements the natural corn profile.
- Hickory: A great choice if you want a traditional BBQ flavor without being overpowering.
Timing Your Cornbread with Main BBQ Dishes
One of the most common questions is how to cook this side dish when your main meat is smoking at a much lower temperature (like 225°F or 250°F). You have two foolproof options:
| Method | How to Do It | Why It Works |
| The Brisket Rest Window | Remove your brisket or pork butt to rest in a cooler. Immediately crank the pellet grill up to 350°F and bake the cornbread. | Your cornbread finishes cooking exactly when your meat is ready to slice, meaning both hit the table hot. |
| The Low-and-Slow Bake | Drop the smoker temperature to 250°F and extend the bake time to roughly 75-90 minutes. | Lets you cook the side dish at the same time as your main course without adjusting the pellet grill temp. |
Easy Customizations & Mix-Ins
- Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread: Fold in 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of finely diced fresh jalapeños (or sweet Canned Cowboy Candy or diced Refrigerator Pickled Jalapenos).
- Honey Butter Glaze: Melt equal parts honey and butter together, then brush it over the warm cornbread crust the second it comes off the smoker.
- Loaded BBQ Style: Stir in ¼ cup of crumbled crispy bacon and a handful of sweet corn kernels or drained canned cream corn directly into the batter.
What to Serve With Smoked Cornbread
Smoked cornbread pairs well with just about any barbecue meal, from brisket and ribs to chili and smoked chicken.
- Smoked Pulled Pork or Pellet Grill Smoked Brisket
- 2-2-1 Smoked Ribs or Smoked Party Ribs
- Smoked Boneless Beef Short Ribs
- Smoked Chicken Quarters or Smoked Chicken Wings
You can also use it as a base for Southwest Eggs Benedict.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- To Store: Keep leftovers wrapped tightly in foil or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: Slice the cornbread completely, wrap individual wedges tightly in plastic wrap, and store them in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.
- To Reheat: To restore that fresh-out-of-the-smoker texture, warm wedges in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat with a small pat of butter until warmed through and recrisped on the bottom. Alternatively, heat in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.
FAQs
Yes. You can cook boxed mix like Jiffy in a smoker using the exact same preheated skillet method. Bake it according to the package temperature directions (usually 400°F) for 20-25 minutes. However, this scratch-made buttermilk and sour cream recipe holds onto moisture much better.
The secret is the combination of sour cream and olive oil. Adding a touch of oil keeps the crumb soft, while the fat content in sour cream locks in moisture against the dry heat of a pellet grill fan.
Absolutely. You can use an oven-safe baking dish, a square cake pan, or a disposable aluminum pie tin. Just note that the bottom and side crusts will not get nearly as dark or crispy as they do in preheated cast iron.
Yes! Grease a standard muffin tin (or line with paper liners). Scoop the batter evenly and smoke on your pellet grill at 350°F for 18 to 22 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness.
Yes. Follow the identical steps, and bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes. You will miss out on the wood-fired smoke profile, but the texture is perfect.
Swap out the all-purpose flour for a high-quality, 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Ensure your cornmeal brand is certified gluten-free as well.
Yes! Bake it a day ahead, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly. Warm it in a 300°F oven with a little butter before serving. It stays moist and reheats well.
More Smoker Recipes You'll Love
Printable Recipe
Smoked Cornbread on a Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup milk + 2¼ teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice)
- ¼ cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (plus 2 tablespoons for the skillet)
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your pellet grill to 350°F and place a 10-inch cast iron skillet directly on the grill grates. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the cold skillet before closing the lid. Let the pan preheat for about 15 minutes, letting the butter fully melt and coat the skillet. Preheating the skillet creates the signature crispy crust and helps prevent sticking.
- While the skillet heats, prepare your dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of cornmeal, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix until well combined and no lumps of baking powder or flour remain.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together your wet ingredients: ¾ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup melted butter, and ¼ cup of olive oil. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth. If your eggs are cold, the melted butter may clump slightly - this is fine and will smooth out in the batter.
- Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently stir until everything is just combined. The batter will be thick and spoonable, not thin and pourable like pancake batter. Don't overmix to keep the cornbread tender.
- Spoon the batter into the hot skillet and spread it out evenly. It should sizzle slightly as it hits the pan - that's a good sign.
- Close the lid and smoke the cornbread at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Resist the urge to open the lid early; every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and can extend the cooking time.
- Once fully cooked, remove the skillet from the grill (use high-heat gloves or oven mitts - it'll be very hot) and let the cornbread rest for about 10 minutes in the pan. This cooling time helps it set and makes slicing easier. Serve warm, straight from the skillet, or carefully transfer it to a cutting board and slice into wedges. Enjoy!
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Notes
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use another oven-safe pan, but the bottom crust won't be as crisp.
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until combined. Overmixing can make the cornbread dense.
- Cornbread can be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 days at room temperature. Wrap tightly or store in an airtight container.
- To reheat, warm in the oven at 300°F or heat slices in a skillet with a little butter for the best texture.
- This recipe also works well as muffins. Divide batter into a greased muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes.
- For the best flavor, use mild wood pellets like pecan, apple, or cherry. Avoid mesquite, which can overpower the cornbread.
- I've tested this recipe on both my Traeger Ironwood and Pit Boss pellet grills with consistently great results.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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