This gluten free chili cornbread casserole combines a hearty, smoky beef and bean chili with a golden, tender cornbread topping. It’s two classic comforts in one big pot!
Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Chili Cornbread Casserole
- Two classics in one comforting dish: Rich & savory ground meat & bean chili topped with a tender & golden gluten free cornbread baked on top.
- Hearty & filling: The chili is packed with protein and fiber from the meat and beans, while the cornbread topping makes the meal even more satisfying.
- Adaptable: You can make it dairy free and/or egg free. Try a different ground meat in place of beef. Use whatever canned beans you’ve got on hand. Play around with the spice level – you’ve got options!
Key Ingredients
Chili
- bacon: Start things off by frying up some chopped bacon to add an extra smokey, savory flavor to the chili. Remove the bacon once crispy and use the leftover fat to sauté the aromatics.
- ground meat: Aim for about 10-15% fat. You don’t want to go too high since we’ve got the added fat from the bacon.
- vegetable: Sauté the aromatics (onion, garlic and bell pepper) in the rendered bacon fat until soft. There are a lot of contributing flavors in this chili, but the veggie base is the backbone. If you want a spicier chili, add 1 (or more!) jalapeños to the veggie mix.
- tomato paste & canned tomatoes: Tomato paste packs in extra tomato flavor in a smaller package – especially when you give it a few minutes to fry/caramelize. You also need a can of diced or chopped tomatoes to make it saucy.
- beans: Don’t rinse the beans – the starchy water will help thicken the chili and give it a bit more mouth feel!
- herbs, spices & seasonings: Ancho chili powder is warm and smokey. It’s not very spicy which is why I also include regular chili powder in addition to dried cumin, oregano, salt & pepper. Tamari/soy sauce adds extra umami (savoriness) and vinegar adds a bit of sharp, acidity to bright things up.
Gluten Free Chili Cornbread Casserole – Bite-Sized Steps
Make the Chili
Equipment Needed: Large, oven-safe skillet, casserole dish or dutch oven (about 11 or 12-inch round skillet that can hold 3-4 quarts).
If you don’t have an oven-safe dish Prep the chili in a large, heavy-bottomed pot then transfer to a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish before adding the cornbread.
- Fry bacon pieces until crisp. Remove & set aside.
- Sauté onion, garlic & pepper in leftover bacon fat until soft.
- Add the meat – stir and cook until no pink remains.
- Add tomato paste & spices – stir/fry a few minutes.
- Stir in remaining ingredients including cooked bacon.
- Simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes
Prep Cornbread, Combine & Bake
- Cornbread batter: Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl then stir in the wet ingredients until evenly combined.
- Add to chili: Spread the cornbread mixture in an even layer over the top of the chili layer.
- You can also dollop the batter on top in clumps to make it more like a biscuit cobbler topping for more defined, individual portions.
- Bake: Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the cornbread layer is golden brown and cooked through.
Substitutes & Dietary Options 🔄
Substitutions➕
- Meat: Feel free to swap the beef for ground chicken, turkey or pork instead.
- Pepper: Swap the bell pepper for poblano for a bit more heat. You can also add 1-2 diced jalapeños if you’d like to kick up the spice level even more.
- Beans: I used a combo of black beans and red kidney beans, but pinto beans and cannellini beans are also great options.
Make it Dairy Free
- Use a non-dairy milk (like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk) in place of milk.
- Use vegan butter, coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil in place of butter.
Make it Egg Free
- Make 1 flax egg: Mix 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 tbsp water. Set aside for about 5-10 minutes to let thicken, the use in place of the egg.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftovers
- Cool leftover chili to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Reheat fully before eating.
Make Ahead
- 1 day prep: Make the chili, cool and refrigerate 24 hours ahead of time. Bring the chili to room temp while you preheat the oven and make the cornbread batter then add the topping and bake as usual.
- Freeze for later: Bake as usual, and cool completely. Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap and foil or transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Bake from frozen. Bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes at 375°F (190°C) then cover with foil and baking another 30 minutes or until cooked through.
More Comforting One Pot Dinners
- White Wine Braised Chicken and Vegetables
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken & Enchilada Rice
- One Pot Ground Turkey Pasta
- One Pot Cheesy Zucchini Chicken & Rice
- One Pot Ground Beef and Broccoli with Rice
More Gluten Free Chili Recipes
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this Gluten Free Chili Cornbread Casserole recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Yield: 8
Gluten Free Chili Cornbread Casserole Recipe
5.0 Stars (1 Review)
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Two comfort-food favorites in one dish: a rich & savory ground meat & bean chili topped with a tender & golden gluten free cornbread baked on top.
Ingredients
Chili
- 5 strips uncooked bacon, chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced - any color
- 1 lb ground beef, aim for about 10% fat (450)
- ¼ cup tomato paste (65g)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar - light or dark (30g)
- 1 tbsp ancho chili powder OR 1 tbsp regular chili powder - mild, medium or hot
- 1 tsp ground cumin, oregano, black pepper - each
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (15oz|400g)
- 1 can unsalted black beans, drained/not rinsed (15oz|400g)
- 1 can red kidney beans, drained/not rinsed (15oz|400g)
- 1 cup water (240g)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (15g)
- 1 tbsp gluten free soy sauce/tamari (15g)
Cornbread
- 1 cup yellow, medium grind cornmeal - ensure gluten free (160g)
- 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour blend (140g)
- ½ tsp xanthan gum (only add if your flour blend doesn't already contain xanthan)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (60g)
- 1 cup milk (240g) dairy or unsweetened non dairy milk
- 1 egg or 1 prepared flax egg (see notes)
- ½ cup melted butter (112g) or vegetable oil (110g)
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
- Bacon: Add chopped bacon to a large, oven-safe skillet or dutch oven (aim for an 11 or 12-inch round skillet that can hold 3-4 quarts). Cook over a medium heat until crispy. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pot (leave the oil behind) and transfer to a small bowl or plate for now.
- Aromatics: Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the pot. Cook, about 4-5 minutes to soften. Stir occasionally.
- Brown the meat: Add the beef and increase to a medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the beef as it cooks. Cook until browned all over and no-pink remains. If you notice excess liquids pooling around the beef, increase to a high heat to boil off the excess liquid.
- Tomato paste & spices: Stir the tomato paste, sugar, chili powders, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper into the beef until fully combined. Cook for a few minutes over a medium-high.
- Simmer: Add the remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon to the pot. Stir well to combine. Bring the liquids to a boil for 1-2 minutes then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Let cook, uncovered for about 30 minutes. Stir every so often to keep the bottom from burning.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cornbread: In a large mixing bowl: whisk together the dry ingredients until fully combined then add the wet ingredients. Mix until no lumps remain.
- Assemble: Remove the chili from the heat then dollop and smooth the batter over the top of the chili until mostly covered.
- Bake: Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until the cornbread is golden and cooked. Remove and let cool about 10 minutes before serving with your favorite toppings.
- Leftovers: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
Notes
- If you don't have an oven-safe dish - Prep the chili in a large, heavy-bottomed pot then transfer to a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish before adding the cornbread.
- Flax egg: Whisk together 1 tbsp of ground flax with 2 tbsp water. Mix together and set aside for 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens up into a gel-like consistency then use in place of egg.
- Make Ahead: Make the chili, cool and refrigerate 24 hours ahead of time. Bring the chili to room temp while you preheat the oven and make the cornbread batter then add the topping and bake as usual.
- Freeze for later: Bake as usual, and cool completely. Wrap up tightly in plastic wrap and foil or transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Bake from frozen. Bake, uncovered for about 30 minutes at 375°F (190°C) then cover with foil and baking another 30 minutes or until cooked through.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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