Chef Tom fires up the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill for a delicious savory Bacon Cornbread with Black Pepper Honey!
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Cooking the bacon first and saving its rendered fat: Crisping the bacon before mixing the batter lets you reserve a few tablespoons of grease specifically to grease the skillet, tying the cornbread's crust flavor back to the bacon itself.
- Whisking the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining: Mixing the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in one bowl and the eggs, sour cream, corn, and honey in another ensures the leavening is distributed evenly before the two mixtures ever meet.
- Folding in the bacon last, after the batter comes together: Adding the crispy bacon at the very end keeps the pieces distinct throughout the batter, rather than breaking them down by overmixing earlier in the process.
- A simple two-ingredient finishing honey: Stirring smoked black pepper straight into raw honey creates a sweet-and-spicy topping poured on right before serving, adding a contrasting kick to the rich, savory cornbread underneath.
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Calories
592
Treat yourself to a taste of heaven with Chef Tom's savory Bacon Cornbread recipe with Black Pepper Honey, made on the Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill. Experience the smoky, sweet flavors that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you wanting more!
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon, diced
- 1 3/4 cups cornmeal, ground fine-medium
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
- 4 eggs, whole
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups (1 14.75 oz can) creamed corn
-
1/4 cup Reida Farm Wildflower Honey
- 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, melted
-
3 parts Reida Farm Kansas Wildflower Honey
-
1 part Noble Saltworks Smoked Black Pepper
For the Black Pepper Honey:
Directions
- Preheat Your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 375°F.
- Cook the diced bacon in Finex 12” Cast Iron Skillet until crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the bacon grease for later. Discard the rest and rinse the skillet.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, creamed corn and honey. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and whisk. Add the melted butter and whisk to incorporate. Fold in the cooked bacon.
- Grease a Lodge 12” Cast Iron Skillet with the reserved bacon grease. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and smooth out.
- Bake until center is set and cornbread comes away from the sides of the skillet, about 45 minutes. Remove from the grill. Allow to cool, slice and serve topped with the Black Pepper Honey.
- To make the Black Pepper Honey, combine ingredients and mix well.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why cook the bacon first and save its rendered fat instead of just adding raw bacon to the batter?
Crisping the bacon first lets you reserve a few tablespoons of grease specifically to grease the skillet, tying the cornbread's crust flavor directly back to the bacon rather than using a neutral oil or plain butter for the pan.
Why whisk the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls before combining them?
Mixing the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together first, and the eggs, sour cream, corn, and honey together separately, ensures the leavening is distributed evenly through the dry mix before the two combine into one batter.
Why fold in the bacon at the very end instead of mixing it in earlier?
Adding it last keeps the crispy pieces distinct throughout the batter, instead of breaking them down into smaller bits by overmixing earlier in the process.
Why make a separate black pepper honey instead of just using plain honey as a topping?
Stirring smoked black pepper into raw honey creates a sweet-and-spicy contrast that plain honey wouldn't provide, balancing the rich, savory cornbread underneath.
How do I know when the cornbread is actually done baking?
Look for the center to be set and the edges to pull away slightly from the sides of the skillet — that visual cue is more reliable than the stated 45-minute time alone, since oven and grill temperatures can vary.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5 — this bakes in a cast iron skillet in a regular oven exactly the way it does on the grill; the pellet grill is only being used as an outdoor oven, not for smoke or char.
Recipe Highlights
Bacon-fat greased skillet: Ties the crust flavor back to the bacon itself.
Separately whisked wet and dry mixes: Distributes leavening evenly before combining.
Late-folded bacon: Keeps pieces distinct instead of overmixed.
Black pepper honey: Adds a sweet-and-spicy contrast at the very end.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6.36 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 592
- Carbs
- 42 grams
- Protein
- 20 grams
- Fat
- 40 grams
- Sodium
- 1163 milligrams
