Pulled BBQ Pork Casserole with Jalapeño Cornbread Topping
Pulled BBQ Pork Casserole with Jalapeño Cornbread Topping
This Pulled BBQ Pork Casserole with Jalapeño Cornbread Topping is what I would call comfort food with a little attitude.
It has saucy pulled pork on the bottom, sweet corn, melty cheddar cheese, and a jalapeño cheddar cornbread topping baked right over the whole thing. So basically, BBQ dinner and cornbread decided to stop being separate and become one bubbly, golden casserole.
Love that for them. Love it more for us.
This is the kind of dinner that feels hearty, cozy, and a little game-day-ish, but still simple enough to throw together when you already have cooked pulled pork. Which is honestly the ideal casserole situation. We are not braising meat, making cornbread from scratch, and pretending it’s a casual Tuesday. We are using what works.
Why You’ll Love This Pulled BBQ Pork Casserole
This casserole is rich, saucy, cheesy, and sweet-spicy in the best way. The pulled pork gets mixed with BBQ sauce, a little broth or water, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and optional brown sugar or honey. It gives the pork more flavor and keeps it from drying out while it bakes.
Then the corn and cheddar go on top, because obviously we needed a cozy middle layer. The corn adds sweetness, the cheese melts into the pork, and the whole thing starts giving BBQ potluck energy in the best possible way.
And then there is the jalapeño cornbread topping, which is very much the main character.
The Jalapeño Cornbread Topping
The topping starts with Jiffy corn muffin mix, which is exactly the kind of shortcut I support. It is mixed with an egg, milk or buttermilk, melted butter, diced jalapeños, and cheddar cheese.
The result is a soft, golden cornbread layer with little bites of jalapeño and melty cheddar throughout. It bakes right on top of the pork, so the bottom gets cozy with the BBQ sauce while the top turns golden.
If you want less heat, remove the seeds from the jalapeños. If you want more tang and a little extra kick, finish the casserole with pickled jalapeños after baking.
Basically, you can choose your own jalapeño personality.
Use Cooked Pulled Pork
This recipe is made with pulled pork that is already cooked and shredded. That is what makes it so easy.
It works especially well with pork that is already a little saucy, but not overly wet. If the pork is too dry, the BBQ sauce mixture helps bring it back to life. If it is already very saucy, you may not need quite as much added liquid.
We want cozy and saucy. We do not want soup with a cornbread hat.
Tips for the Best BBQ Pork Casserole
Spread the BBQ pork evenly in the bottom of the baking dish so every scoop has a good amount of filling.
When you mix the cornbread batter, stir just until combined. Overmixing can make cornbread tougher, and we are aiming for soft, tender, golden, and snacky.
The cornbread topping does not have to be spread perfectly. A little rustic is fine. Honestly, rustic is just uneven with confidence.
If the top starts browning before the center is cooked through, loosely cover the casserole with foil and keep baking until the cornbread is fully set.
Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. It gives everything time to settle so you get better scoops instead of hot BBQ chaos.
How to Finish and Serve It
The optional honey butter finish is very worth considering. Melted butter mixed with a little honey brushed over warm cornbread gives the topping a glossy, sweet finish that plays so well with the BBQ pork and jalapeños.
For serving, add extra BBQ sauce, pickled jalapeños, and green onions or parsley if you want a little color and freshness.
This casserole is hearty enough on its own, but it would also be great with a simple salad, slaw, roasted vegetables, or chips and dip if you are leaning into the game-day dinner vibe.
Pulled BBQ pork, cheddar, corn, jalapeño cornbread, and a little honey butter moment on top.
A cozy casserole with just enough kick to keep things interesting.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 1 T Packed Brown Sugar
- 2 t Paprika
- 2 t Garlic Powder
- 2 t Onion Powder
- 1 t Salt
- 1 t Pepper
- 1/2 t Cumin
- 1/4 t Cayenne Optional
- 2-3 Pound Boneless Pork Loin Roast Cut into 3-4 inch cubes
- 2 T Oil of Choice (I use Avocado)
- 1/3 C Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 C Barbecue Sauce Divided
- 1 1/4 C Water
- 1 t Bouillon Chicken
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne.
- Season the cubed pork with the spice mixture and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, one cup of barbecue sauce, and one cup of water mixed with bouillon.
- Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Add the avocado oil and allow it to get hot.
- Add half of the cubed pork to the hot oil and sauté for 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the browned pork to a plate and repeat with the remaining half of the cubed pork.
- Turn the Instant Pot off. Use the remaining 1/4 cup of water a wooden spoon to deglaze (scrape the brown bits) from the bottom of the pot.
- Add all of the meat along with the barbecue sauce mixture to the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and set to sealing.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes. Once the cooking time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then do a quick release.
- Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and shred. Stir in the remaining cup of barbecue sauce and serve on buns as desired.
BBQ Pork Jalapeño Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
BBQ Pork Layer
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth pork broth, beef broth, or water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 pounds cooked pulled pork
- 1 –2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey optional
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional
Casserole Layer
- 1 15- ounce can corn drained
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Topping
- 1 8.5- ounce box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk or buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon honey optional
- 1 –2 jalapeños finely diced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese from the divided cheese above
Optional Finish
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Extra BBQ sauce
- Pickled jalapeños
- Green onions or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a bowl, stir together the pulled pork, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar or honey if using, and smoked paprika if using. Spread the BBQ pork evenly into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the drained corn over the pork. Top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the Jiffy mix, egg, milk or buttermilk, melted butter, honey if using, diced jalapeños, and remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese. Mix just until combined.
- Spoon the jalapeño cheddar cornbread batter over the casserole and gently spread it into an even layer. It does not have to be perfect.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden and cooked through in the center. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Optional: stir together melted butter and honey, then brush it over the warm cornbread topping.
- Let the casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Finish with extra BBQ sauce, pickled jalapeños, and green onions or parsley if desired.
