Easy Cornbread Salad
Cornbread salad adds some down-home flavor to any get-together! With crispy bacon, lots of cornbread, creamy ranch, beans, veggies, and cheese, this layered salad recipe is guaranteed to be a hit.
Cornbread salad is kind of like a cross between taco salad, a layered salad, and panzanella. You’ve got the beans, corn, and creamy dressing of the taco salad, the aesthetic qualities of a 7 layer salad, and like panzanella, the key ingredient is bread—cornbread, in this case. Put it all together and you have a SERIOUSLY delicious side dish.
Because yes, this is more of a side than the healthy kind of salad you make for a light weeknight dinner or to bring to work for lunch. It’s the kind of salad you take to a potluck or barbecue or put out for a big get-together. (Also, there are no greens here, so I think salad haters are going to be willing to give this one a chance. If the lack of greens doesn’t convince them, the bacon and ranch dressing just might.)
This recipe is also a fun way to use up leftover cornbread. When I plan on making it for a party, I usually make a batch of cornbread the night before, then I reserve the cornbread I need for the cornbread salad and we have the rest with a big pot of chili for dinner. Store-bought cornbread works too, but let’s be real: it’s just not the same as homemade!
Ingredients for Cornbread Salad
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Bacon – I like to bake the bacon in the oven and then crumble it.
- Baked Cornbread – Buttermilk cornbread is my favorite. Jalapeño or cheesy cornbread would be good too!
- Ranch Seasoning – Buy a packet or make this homemade ranch seasoning.
- Sour Cream and Mayonnaise – For a rich and creamy dressing!
- Smoked Paprika – The secret ingredient that adds a smoky element to the flavor.
- Pinto Beans – Rinse these well, then drain them.
- Grape Tomatoes – I like using grape tomatoes instead of diced regular tomatoes because they release less liquid into the salad and hold their shape better.
- Red Onion – If you’re not a fan of raw onion, you can let the diced onions sit in ice water to mellow their flavor a bit.
- Green Bell Pepper – Green pepper has a sharper flavor than red, orange, and yellow peppers, which I like in this cornbread salad.
- Green Onions – For crunch, color, and flavor.
- Cheese – I use a mix of cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheese.
- Corn – I recommend frozen corn kernels rather than canned. You can thaw them in the fridge overnight or in a colander under warm water.
How to Make Cornbread Salad
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full printable instructions.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the ranch seasoning, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
- Layer the ingredients. Crumble half the cornbread into the serving dish or large bowl. Add half each ingredient, ending with the dressing, then repeat the layers, ending with the dressing on top again.
- Refrigerate. Cover the salad and chill until you’re ready to serve it.
Tips for Making Cornbread Salad
Here are some simple tips for the perfect cornbread salad!
- Use a trifle dish. Or, at the very least, a glass bowl. Basically, you want to be able to see the layers! If you don’t have a trifle dish and don’t want to spend a lot for one, you might have luck at a resale shop.
- Don’t crumble the cornbread too much. You want it to have some texture to it rather than being a fine crumb.
- Make sure the ingredients are all dry. You don’t want bean juice on the beans, water clinging to the fresh veggies after washing them, or thawed corn that’s still moist. Excess liquid will drip to the bottom of the bowl and make the cornbread soggy.
Variations and Substitutions
I love this recipe as written, but if you’re looking for some inspiration for switching things up, here are some ideas.
- Add some heat. You can layer in some sliced jalapeños or pickled jalapeños for a cornbread salad with a kick.
- Take a shortcut. Swap in store-bought ranch instead of making your own if you’d like. Just make sure you use one that’s thick and creamy—in fact, you might even want to use a ranch dip. This keeps the dressing from seeping into all the layers, which won’t look as nice in your trifle dish.
- Switch up the beans. Black-eyed peas would be great in this, or use some funky heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo.
How to Store Leftovers
Cover leftover cornbread salad in the trifle dish or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, but you can expect that after a day or so, the cornbread will start to soften and the textures will be a bit lacking. It will still be delicious, though!
What to Serve With Cornbread Salad
- The Best Oven Fried Chicken
- Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Pork Chops
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork
- Honey Chipotle BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
More Salad Recipes
- Thanksgiving Salad
- Lobster Pasta Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Citrus Avocado Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
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Get the Recipe: Cornbread Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 cups baked cornbread, cubed
- 1 1 oz packet Ranch seasoning
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half horizontally
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cup green onions, chopped
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
- ½ cup monterey jack cheese, grated
- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
Equipment
- trifle bowl
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Ranch seasoning, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Set aside.
- Lightly crumble half of the cornbread in the bottom of a large trifle dish. Layer with half of the pinto beans, half of the tomatoes, half of the red onion, half of the bell pepper, half of the green onion, half of the cheddar, half of the bacon, and half of the corn.
- Top with half of the dressing mixture and repeat all layers once more.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!