This bbq chicken cornbread casserole is an easy dinner that comes together with a few pantry staples in just 15 minutes! Made with sweet and tangy barbecue chicken and a cheesy, crispy cornbread topping, the family-friendly meal pleases everyone at the table.
Table of Contents
If you love cornbread bakes, be sure to try this Jiffy cornbread taco bake, a farmhouse-favorite ham casserole with cornbread, this chicken cornbread casserole, a ground beef casserole with cornbread crust, this tamale pie, and this pulled pork casserole with cornbread topping, too!
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! I used poblano peppers and Rotel for the canned tomatoes and a Sweet and Spicy BBQ for some heat. We will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation! The hubby said several times, “That was an excellent dinner!”.
– Dawn Nicole
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. Thanks to help from a rotisserie chicken and a package of Jiffy mix, this bbq chicken cornbread bake is ready for the oven in about 15 minutes of prep time.
- A full meal in one dish. You don’t have to scramble to pull together a side dish or veggies at the last minute. The filling is loaded with plenty of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and corn, and you’ve got your cornbread right on top.
- Budget-friendly. Take advantage of a small amount of leftover chicken or pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken. This casserole is a great way to stretch what you have, while also giving the dish a protein boost. If you like, substitute canned beans for the meat and create a vegetarian option. It’s cheesy, sweet, tangy, filling, comforting, and finished with a delicious cornbread crust!
Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an easy bbq chicken cornbread casserole. As always, specific measurements and step by step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Olive oil: to saute the veggies. Use canola oil, vegetable oil, or butter if you prefer.
- Onion, bell pepper, corn, and diced tomatoes: flavorful vegetables that bulk up the filling. Instead of the plain diced tomatoes, you can use a can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies for a little bit of heat. You might also like to saute some garlic or add garlic powder to the filling for even more flavor.
- Bbq sauce: any store-bought sauce that you like will be fine here. I typically reach for Sweet Baby Ray’s original bbq sauce for dishes like this, which has a thicker, sweeter consistency than a more tangy, acidic sauce like Stubbs.
- Chicken: use leftovers from a previous meal, the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, frozen pulled chicken, or boil your own chicken at home. If starting with raw chicken, you’ll need about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs to equal 1 ¾ cups – 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat.
- Cheese: we love the combination of sharp cheddar cheese with bbq chicken, but you can use just about any cheese that you enjoy. Try Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, mozzarella, Gruyere, or Gouda.
- Box Jiffy corn muffin mix: the base of the cornbread crust, you’ll also need the egg and milk called for on the package.
Directions
This Jiffy bbq chicken cornbread casserole comes together quickly for an easy dinner recipe any night of the week. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview with my notes:
- Saute the bell pepper and onion in olive oil until the veggies start to soften.
- Add the bbq sauce and simmer for a couple more minutes.
- Stir in the corn, tomatoes, chicken, and half of the cheese. Taste the chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper, or extra spices (like chili powder, cumin, or cayenne) if desired, before transferring to the baking dish. The amount of salt and pepper that you need will depend on the seasoning on your meat, on the bbq sauce that you use, and on your personal preference.
- Pour the chicken filling into a greased 2-quart baking pan.
- Mix together the cornbread batter with the remaining cheese.
- Spread the cornbread batter over the chicken filling.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown and cooked through.
- Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs like parsley or chives, sliced green onions, and/or a dollop of sour cream.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the bbq cheddar cornbread bake with sides like homemade coleslaw, a green salad with buttermilk dressing, cucumber tomato onion salad, cucumber dill salad, Southern-style green beans, or Southern collard greens.
Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to Freeze: Let the casserole cool completely. Wrap tightly or store in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: If reheating an entire casserole, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil. Bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through (about 15-20 minutes). Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy with the addition of chopped jalapeno peppers, hot sauce, or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Use leftover turkey, pulled pork, or cooked ham instead of the chicken.
- Make it vegetarian by replacing the meat with cans of beans or lentils.
- Take advantage of leftover vegetables that you have on hand. Almost anything can be thrown into the filling! Try broccoli, green beans, or peas.
- Instead of a cornbread topping, try a similar twist using canned biscuits on top (like this easy chicken pot pie with biscuits).
Fabulous, delicious comfort food. We LOVED IT!
– Elizabeth
More Cornbread Casserole Recipes
Farmhouse Chicken Cornbread Casserole
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
BBQ Ground Beef Cornbread Casserole
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole
55 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
BBQ Chicken Cornbread Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels (you do not need to thaw the corn in advance)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, not drained
- 9 ounces (about 1 ¾ cups) cooked, diced chicken
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 (8.5 ounce) box cornbread mix plus ingredients called for on the package (I use Jiffy brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish (or other 2-quart baking dish) with cooking spray; set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper just until tender, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add barbecue sauce, and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in frozen corn, tomatoes with their juices, chicken, and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese. Taste the filling and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Transfer the chicken mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, prepare the cornbread batter according to package instructions. Stir in remaining ½ cup of cheese.
- Spread cornbread batter over chicken mixture. I like to do this by using a large spoon to dollop the batter all over the top of the casserole. Then use the back of the spoon to gently spread it around until it covers most of the dish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in December, 2016. It was updated in May, 2024.
This casserole is totally calling my name! As in, I want it for breakfast! 🙂 I have a major thing for cornbread, and I love that you layered it on top of barbecue chicken. What a perfect meal for busy weeknights!
Thanks, Gayle! It’s full of so much flavor — and I love the cornbread crust the most, too!
I have a major thing for eggs benedict; I do make it on occasions, but frequently order it when out. I was on vacation in Maui and ordered this and instead of English muffin it was served on cornbread – OMG, I have never made it any other ways since!!!
Awesome! Such a great flavor combo! 🙂
I love anything with cornbread and Jesse loves anything with barbeque sauce so this is totally the best of both worlds 😉
Yep, this is totally a crowd-pleaser! I love cornbread too, and my boys are all about the BBQ chicken. We love this dinner!
You are so creative!! I love how you threw this all together and came up with the perfect family meal!
Thank you, Kelly! Have a great weekend!
Jiffy cornbread mix is my FAVORITE. This looks like the best use of it…ever!
It’s my favorite, too! Thanks so much! 🙂
Well, this will go right to the top of the Southern husband’s list of favorites (and I think I will love it too!) Hurray!
Awesome. I hope that you both love it, Kate!
ANOTHER ONE TO ADD TO MY GROWING LIST OF RECIPES TO MAKE1 THANK YOU
Oh, you’re so welcome, Norma! I hope that you enjoy it! We love that meal!
Fabulous, delicious comfort food. We LOVED IT!
Thank you, Elizabeth!
Made this tonight and it was a big hit! I used poblano peppers and Rotel for the canned tomatoes and a Sweet and Spicy BBQ for some heat. We will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation! The hubby said several times, “That was an excellent dinner!”.
Thanks for a delicious recipe, Blair!
I’m so happy to hear that, Dawn Nicole! Thanks for letting me know. Your spicy version sounds really good!
I googled “BBQ chicken casserole” and your recipe popped up so here I am! 🙂 Thanks for this budget-friendly, quick & easy recipe…Very yummy!
Greetings from the Central Coast of California
Hi! So glad that you found my blog! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note. 🙂
I totally didn’t follow your recipe because I was missing some of the ingredients but I know this is going to be delicious! Thank you so much for the inspiration!
I had frozen chopped turkey in the freezer from the holidays and a surplus of barbecue sauce from grilling season that I wanted to get creative with.
I googled “barbecue chicken casseroles” and your is one that came up that sounded the best.
I made the filling tonight and my husband is going to mix up the topping and bake it tomorrow before I get home from work.
I didn’t have green peppers, corn, tomatoes, or cheddar cheese….
so I used onions and garlic, frozen mixed veggies (corn, carrots, green beans and peas), and a combination of white American cheese and cream cheese. The creaminess of the cheese complimented and mellowed out the barbecue sauce so nicely in the taste I took as I was spreading the filling in the baking dish for tomorrow!
I can’t wait for my workday to be over tomorrow now so I can come home to this dinner! I know some people dislike it when a recipe is reviewed after changes are made to it but I doubt I would have gotten this creative without your help! Thanks again!
Awesome — your version sounds perfect, Monica! Thanks for your kind note. I hope you enjoy the meal!