Post-Thanksgiving, I had one box of cornbread mix sitting in my pantry, just staring at me, basically begging to be used. I decided to get creative and create a one pan meal that incorporates everything I love into one bite. So what better than my favorite flavors– barbecue chicken and cornbread. This barbecue chicken cornbread bake is so easy to make, and it’s absolutely delicious. Sweet and spicy jalapeño cornbread meets tangy barbecue chicken, red onion, and melted cheese for the perfect fall & winter meal that you’re gonna want to make on repeat. Hope you loved as much as we did!
Making a BBQ chicken cornbread bake
Making this bbq chicken cornbread bake is so easy, which makes it a perfect weeknight meal or even meal prep option. I like to make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy the leftovers for lunch for a couple of days since it keeps and reheats pretty well.
First, you’ll mix up all of your cornbread ingredients, and you’ll pour those into a greased pan. You can use a skillet or I used a 9 x 9 deep baking pan, and an 8 x 8 also works. Then you’re going to cook and chop your chicken, but you could also use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. Mix the chopped chicken with diced red onion, tomato sauce, and barbecue sauce. I personally use Stubbs barbecue sauce because it has great flavor and minimal additives and is a bit lower in sugar than some other ones out there. You can totally use whatever sauce you like– you could even use a spicy bbq sauce to give this a little more kick. Once you’ve mixed up your barbecue chicken mixture, you’re going to put it directly on top of the cornbread mixture, leaving about half inch exposed around the entire perimeter.
You’ll then bake it at 350°F, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove, top it with shredded cheddar, and bake it for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let it cool a bit, and then cut it into nine pieces. To serve, top it with a dollop of sour cream or a drizzle of ranch and a generous amount of chopped green onions. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Enjoy!
BBQ Chicken Cornbread Bake
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 9×9 Pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 8.5 ounce corn muffin mix
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ can corn can use fresh or frozen also
- 3 tbsp jalapeño peppers diced canned or chopped finely fresh
- 3 cups chicken cooked and chopped (rotisserie chicken works)
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 8 ounce tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- Optional toppings: sour cream ranch dressing, etc
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-inch skillet or 9×9 pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the corn muffin mix, egg, and milk in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until fully combined and then add in the corn and jalapeños, stirring until completely incorporated. Pour your cornbread batter to the prepared skillet and set aside.
- Combine the chopped chicken, red onion, tomato sauce, and BBQ sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Spoon the mixture evenly over the top of the cornbread batter, leaving the very outer edge (about a half inch) uncovered.
- Bake for 28 to 35 minutes or until the edges of the cornbread are lightly browned. Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the chicken mixture. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Cut into 9 servings, and top each with a dollop of sour cream and lots of chopped green onion. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
