What to Eat with Mexican Cornbread (13 Easy Dishes)

Are you tired of eating Mexican cornbread by itself?

We get it.

Read Also: What To Eat With Cornbread – 22 Best Sides

You’re a responsible adult who knows how to operate a stove.

You know that Mexican cornbread is a side dish, not a meal in itself—but sometimes it’s just so good, you can’t resist the temptation to eat it on its own.

Well, we’re here to help. We’ve spent years honing our skills as make-it-up-as-we-go chefs, and we know how to pair your favorite food with other things that are really tasty.

Here are some tasty combinations for your Mexican cornbread (that aren’t just eating two pieces of Mexican cornbread).

See Also: 22 Best Mexican Vegetable Side Dishes

See Also: What to Serve with Mexican Chicken Casserole? 10 Best Side Dishes

What to Eat with Mexican Cornbread (13 Easy Dishes)

Mexican cornbread is delicious enough to be eaten on its own, but it’s also great paired with other foods!

Read Also: The 8 Best Substitutes For Eggs In Cornbread

For breakfast, Mexican cornbread pairs perfectly with a spicy bowl of chili con carne.

For lunch or dinner, try dipping your Mexican cornbread in guacamole and salsa or serve it alongside black beans, rice, and pico de gallo.

You can also enjoy Mexican cornbread as a snack by making a sandwich out of it.

Just slice the bread in half lengthwise and fill it with whatever you want—from cheese to avocado to chorizo to lettuce.

Anyway, let’s dive into some of our favorites!

1. Chicken enchiladas

This recipe uses black beans, sour cream, red enchilada sauce and skinless chicken breasts to make the perfect meal for any occasion.

It’s definitely tasty enough to stand on its own, but when combined with Mexican cornbread?

It’s even better!

And here are 2 of our favorite tips for making this recipe work:

• Make both recipes at the same time—when you’re making one anyway, might as well make two! Easier clean-up and less time between steps than having to make each separately.
• Use store-bought tortillas for the enchiladas—it’s way faster and easier than making your own from scratch. 

2. Chili

Chili is hearty and filling enough on its own, but when you add Mexican cornbread into the mix?

You’ve got yourself a killer meal that will satisfy even the most voracious of appetites.

To make this meal work, we recommend just throwing everything in one pot.

Brown up some lean ground beef, add in your red kidney beans, tomato sauce, beef broth, and tomato paste, and voila!

You’ve got yourself some chili.

To make this recipe work with your Mexican cornbread, follow these three tips:

• Use Mexican cornbread in place of the flour tortillas called for in the recipe
• Skip the cheese on top—the flavor of your cornbread is enough!
• If you think your chili is too spicy for Mexican cornbread, hold off on adding any extra cayenne pepper or hot sauce (or add only half of what’s called for)

3. Taco salad

This simple ground beef taco salad from Wholesome Yum is made with ingredients like sour cream and cheese that complement the cornbread perfectly—but it’s also quick and easy to make, so you won’t feel totally guilty about eating Mexican cornbread by itself.

Here are 3 tips for making this recipe work for your Mexican cornbread:

• Adjust the amount of cheddar cheese in the recipe depending on how cheesy the cornbread is
• Skip the tortilla chips or use them sparingly if your cornbread is particularly crumbly
• Add avocado to this recipe if you have any lying around

4. Flautas

This recipe for flautas from Two Peas & Their Pod is perfect for when you find yourself with just a few extra minutes and box of Mexican cornbread mix but no main course.

Grab a rotisserie chicken from your local supermarket and whip up this super-easy dish in about 30 minutes!

1. First, shred the chicken and add some sour cream, queso fresco, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.
2. Mix them all together in a bowl until they’re well-combined.
3. Heat up your flour tortillas while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Then spoon some of the chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll them up, and place them into a baking pan seam-side down.
5. Bake the flautas for 15 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Serve with pico de gallo and enjoy!

5. Burritos

These beef burritos from BBC Good Food are hearty and delicious—and they’re also easy to make.

Here’s how:

1. First, simmer black beans in water until they’re soft enough to mash.
2. Then add some of the liquid back into the beans and keep simmering until there’s only about 1/4 cup of liquid left in the pot.
3. Next, brown some beef mince with cider vinegar and then add it to the beans.
4. Then pour in some mexican tomato rice (or white rice will also work) and mix.
5. Finally, roll up the beef mixture in corn tortillas and serve them with your Mexican cornbread!

6. Grilled vegetables

This recipe has all of the elements we look for in a great side dish: easy prep, minimal ingredients, and maximum flavor.

It’s also a great way to showcase the sweet notes of Mexican cornbread and round out your meal with a light, fresh side.

Here’s how it works:

1. Slice up yellow squash, eggplant, zucchini and red bell pepper into 1-inch thick slices and toss them with olive oil.
2. Grill until tender and charred on the edges, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Serve alongside your Mexican cornbread or on top of it (to make a sandwich) if you’re feeling adventurous!

7. Classic Hard Shell Tacos

We know, we know—it’s hard to resist the temptation to eat Mexican cornbread by itself…and we’re not here to judge you when you do.

But sometimes, you just want to eat something else with it.

Something like these Classic Hard Shell Tacos from Isabel Eats.

1. To start, brown your lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink.
2. Then add in 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin and salt and pepper to taste and stir it all together. Once that’s done, transfer the meat onto a plate.
3. In the same skillet, cook your hard taco shells according to the directions on the package (usually just heating them up in oil for about 1 minute).
4. Then drain them on paper towels to get rid of any excess oil.
5. The last step is easy: Just assemble your tacos by filling each shell with meat and topping it off with shredded cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, and taco sauce or salsa.
6. And then enjoy!

8. Refried beans

Refried beans are tasty and filling, but they’re also super easy to make.

Plus they go really well with Mexican cornbread—it’s like they were meant to be together.

Start by gathering your ingredients: pinto beans, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and chili powder.

Once you’ve prepared these simple ingredients and put them together in your crockpot (we love this recipe from Cookie and Kate), all you need to do is wait for the flavor to develop!

It’s about as hands-off as cooking gets.

Once your refried beans are ready, all you need for dinner is something fizzy and cold—and maybe some hot sauce if you’re feeling spicy.

And remember: don’t throw away those leftover beans! Use them as a base for burritos or nachos later in the week.

9. Creamy corn soup

First things first: if you want to use this recipe as an excuse to eat more Mexican cornbread, go for it!

That’s what we did, and honestly, it was hard to stop once we started.

Maybe it’ll be hard for you too.

But if you can manage to tear yourself away from the plate of deliciousness long enough to make your way into the kitchen and put together a meal of creamy corn soup with Mexican cornbread on the side, we have every reason to believe that you won’t regret it.

This creamy soup is packed with sweet potatoes and corn and made with chicken broth and cream; plus, there’s bacon on top!

It’s simple and satisfying, which means you won’t feel like you have to spend hours in the kitchen when all you really want is some Mexican cornbread.

10. Quesadillas

We’re huge fans of this recipe for The Ultimate Quesadilla, and we know you’re going to love it too.

This recipe calls for apple cider vinegar, avocado, fresh tomatoes, flour tortillas, and black olives.

You can use store-bought Mexican cornbread as the filling in this quesadilla—or you can make your own!

It’s up to you if you want to make your own cornbread or use a store-bought variety.

Here are three tips for cooking like a pro:

• Don’t slice your avocado until right before you’re ready to serve it so that it doesn’t turn brown in the fridge.
• When you’re grating your cheese, be sure not to grate too much at once—if you overpack the grater, it’ll just turn into a big ball of cheese that won’t melt nicely into your quesadilla (and then who will save us all?).
• If you have any leftover quesadilla ingredients, they’ll last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge!

11. Tamales

This Tamales recipe from Tastes Better From Scratch is a simple recipe that uses a few ingredients from the Mexican cuisine pantry to create something that’s perfect for sharing with friends or family—or eating when no one else is looking.

It combines salsa verde chicken with masa harina, authentic Mexican rice, cheese, and dried corn husks.

12. Chorizo

Chorizo is a spicy ground pork sausage that’s often served with eggs for breakfast, tacos for lunch, and paella for dinner.

But this tasty meat goes great alongside any kind of cornbread.

Turn it into a filling and flavorful taco filling, or just serve it up with some guacamole on the side and have an amazing lunch—with no leftovers!

If you want to try this for yourself, we recommend Hola Jalapeno’s recipe for Mexican Chorizo.

13. Enchiladas

Sometimes, even the most satisfying meal can be missing something.

That’s where Gimme Some Oven’s enchiladas come in.

This recipe starts with black beans for a nice, protein-rich base, which is important because we all know you’re not going to be able to resist eating that entire pan of Mexican cornbread on its own (and protein will help keep you full).

You’ll top the beans with sour cream and red enchilada sauce before adding skinless chicken breasts and flour tortillas.

It’s a filling, delicious meal—and it combines two of our favorite things in one bite: Mexican cornbread and enchiladas.

You’ll feel satisfied—and if you still feel like you need more when your plate is done?

Just go ahead and have another serving of Mexican cornbread!