Skillet Chili with Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Crust

5 from 36 votes

Skillet Chili with Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Crust

An easy skillet chili recipe topped with a quick jalapeño cheddar cornbread crust baked right on top! This tamale pie is warm and hearty and comes together in one pan. No one’s going to be mad that there are fewer dishes to clean!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Beef

Servings: servings

Calories: 641kcal

Author: Marzia

Equipment

Ingredients

Skillet Chili

1 tablespoon oil
1 lb. ground beef 85:15, or ground chicken thighs or turkey
½ large onion chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper chopped
2 jalapeños deseeded and diced (see notes)
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder or more to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or ancho, more to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
15 ounce fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 ounce can tomato sauce

Cornbread Crust

8.5 ounce box cornbread mix
1 egg
½ cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar shredded cheese
1 jalapeno deseeded and diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons water or milk

Instructions

BROWN:
Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe, 10-inch skillet, such as a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and crumble as needed, allow to cook for 5-7 minutes or until the beef browns. Drain any excess grease, leaving just a tablespoon in the pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeños and continue to sauté for 5-6 minutes or until the veggies cook down a bit.
SKILLET CHILI: Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and all the remaining ingredients for the chili, stir to combine. Let it come to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes. If the chili starts drying out too much, add a few tablespoons of water and allow it to continue simmering. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF. While the chili is simmering, prepare the cornbread mix.
CORNBREAD: Combine all the ingredients for the cornbread in a large bowl. When the chili is done simmering, remove from heat. Drop the mixture in dollops and then spread over the chili. You want it to be evenly distributed across the whole skillet.
BAKE: Place the skillet on a large baking sheet so if the juices overflow they don't ruin the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

If you would like to use beans in your chili recipe, reduce the ground beef to ¾ pound and use 1 (15-ounce) can of beans that are drained and rinsed. I highly suggest using black beans!
Replace the jalepeños in the skillet chili with green bell peppers (about ½ a pepper in the chili) to make this milder!
To make this even quicker on a weeknight. Prepare the chili mixture over the weekend and refrigerate until ready to use (chili mixture can be made up to two days in advance).

Nutrition