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This Chili Cornbread Casserole recipe is the ultimate comfort food—hearty, flavorful chili topped with a golden, tender layer of homemade cornbread. Baked in one skillet and ready in under an hour, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner or cozy weekend meal.
Packed with ground beef, beans, veggies, and bold spices, then finished with a buttery cornbread crust.
If you enjoy this easy Chili Cornbread Casserole, you’ll definitely want to try my Pumpkin Chili, a seasonal twist that’s perfect for fall nights. For a pasta-inspired comfort food, my Skillet Lasagna brings all the cheesy, saucy flavor of classic lasagna with none of the fuss. And when you need a low-effort dinner that practically cooks itself, my Crockpot Taco Chicken Chili is a family favorite.
Why You’ll Love Chili Cornbread Casserole
- One-skillet meal: Like my One-Pot Chili Mac and Cheese, everything bakes together in a single skillet for easy prep, easy cleanup, and a hearty all-in-one dinner.
- Comfort food at its best: Flavorful and hearty chili topped with tender, golden cornbread makes this a cozy dish everyone will love.
- Versatile and family-friendly: This cornbread chili casserole is great for weeknights, weekends, or sharing with friends—just add your favorite chili toppings like green onions, tortilla chips, or cheddar cheese.
Equipment
Ingredients
Find the full list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here are a few key ingredients you’ll need:
- Ground beef: Lean but flavorful, forming the hearty base of the chili.
- Kidney beans: Classic for chili, adding texture, protein, and fiber.
- Cornmeal: Brings that golden, slightly crumbly cornbread topping to life.
- Milk: Helps keep the cornbread tender and moist.
- Chili powder & cumin: Bold spices that give the chili its signature flavor.
How to Make Chili Cornbread Casserole
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making chili cornbread casserole.
Step 1: Set a 10-12 inch cast iron or oven-proof large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until beef is cooked through and veggies are softened (Photo 1).
Step 2: Drain fat and add the garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper, oregano, and cook for 1 more minute (Photo 2).
Step 3: Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, corn and brown sugar (Photo 3).
Step 4: Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to keep a simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 5: While the chili simmers, preheat the oven to 375 F and make the cornbread. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda (Photo 4).
Step 6: In a liquid measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter until well combined. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
Step 7: Remove the chili from the stove and gently spread the cornbread mix over the top, making sure to have the cornbread touch all the sides of the dish.
Step 8: Place a baking sheet on the rack under the skillet in case the chili bubbles up and drips a bit. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the cornbread is golden brown on top.
Step 9: Remove from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with your favorite chili garnishes.
How to Store
- Store any leftover Chili Cornbread Casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheating gently in the oven.
- For longer storage, you can freeze individual portions in an airtight container for up to 2 months—just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- If you use unsalted butter in the cornbread recipe add an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 teaspoon in total).
- You can sub any kind of your favorite beans—kidney, pinto, or black beans all work great.
- Whole milk works best in cornbread. If you use skim milk your cornbread will be more crumbly. You can also use buttermilk instead of normal milk, adding 1 tablespoon extra because it’s thicker than milk..
- You can make this with lean ground turkey or ground chicken if desired. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan before adding the meat if you do though because it doesn’t have the fat that ground beef has and may stick to the pan if you don’t.
- If you don’t have a large oven-proof skillet you can transfer the chili to a 10×10 inch baking dish (or slightly larger if needed). Then top and bake the same.
To Make Ahead
Make the chili part up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge while you preheat the oven. Bake uncovered until the chili is hot. Remove from the oven, top with freshly made cornbread batter and bake the same as instructed.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
- Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili
- Ground Beef Sheet Pan Quesadillas
- Cheeseburger Sliders
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment with a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Chili Cornbread Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chili
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned or frozen corn
- 1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
For the Cornbread
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal, not self-rising
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled for a few minutes
Optional Toppings
- Sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, or any favorite chili toppings, for garnish
Instructions
- Set a 10-12 inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet over medium heat. *If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, see notes section below.
- Add the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until beef is cooked through and veggies are softened. Drain fat and add the garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, pepper, oregano, and cook for 1 more minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, corn and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to keep a simmer. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- While the chili simmers, preheat the oven to 375 F and make the cornbread.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- In a liquid measuring cup or a small mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and melted butter until well combined. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Remove the chili from the stove and gently spread the cornbread mix over the top, making sure to have the cornbread touch all the sides of the dish.
- Place a baking sheet on the rack under the skillet in case the chili bubbles up and drips a bit. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the cornbread is golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving with your favorite chili garnishes.
Notes
- If you use unsalted butter in the cornbread recipe add an additional ¼ teaspoon salt. (1 teaspoon in total)
- You can sub any kind of your favorite beans—kidney, pinto, or black beans all work great.
- You can make this with lean ground turkey or ground chicken if desired. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan before adding the meat if you do though because it doesn’t have the fat that ground beef has and may stick to the pan if you don’t.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This meal turned out excellent! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you so much for the positive review, Kirsten! Your comment made my day, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!