Skillet Cheddar-Bacon Beer Bread is a savory quick bread with smoky bacon, sharp cheddar, and green onions. Golden and crisp on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside, it’s the perfect pair to your favorite hearty soup or homemade chili.
As much as I love the inviting aroma and satisfying taste of homemade bread, I find working with yeast a little too tedious for my blood. Blooming of the yeast, kneading the dough, and waiting for it to rise are a bit too much for my inner child who wants instant gratification.
So on days when I crave the warmth and comfort of a fresh loaf straight out of the oven, I depend on this skillet cheddar-bacon beer bread to make it happen. With simple easy steps, basic pantry ingredients, and about 5 minutes prep time, it’s virtually foolproof!
In its most basic form, beer bread is a simple mixture of flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and beer but I love to throw in crisp bacon, shredded cheddar, and green onions to kick things up a notch. The flavor is unbelievable! You get a golden, crisp crust and a moist, buttery inner loaf interspersed with smoky bacon and sharp cheddar that’s sure to win raves!
You’ll definitely enjoy dunking this hearty beer bread in your favorite soup or pairing it with homemade chili. Try drenching thick slices with sausage gravy to go with your breakfast eggs in the morning (one of my guilty pleasures).
Here are a few quick tips on how to pull together this scrumptious skillet cheddar-bacon beer bread deliciously every time:
- As most quick bread, beer bread uses baking powder as the leavening agent instead of yeast. Check the expiration of your baking powder and make sure it’s fresh to ensure a full rise.
- Preheat your oven before you start preparing the batter. You don’t want the batter to stand too long before it goes into the oven as it may cause the middle of the bread to sink.
- Do NOT overmix the batter. Once you add the beer to the flour mixture, stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Overmixing the batter will result in peaks, tunnels, and tough texture. A few lumps here and there are GOOD. The batter for this beer bread is very thick so please don’t be tempted to add more liquid.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture instead of pouring the beer all over. This will help you combine the wet and dry ingredients uniformly, preventing overmixing.
- You can use any of your favorite beer, I find the subtle flavors of a lager-style such as Stella Artois complement this skillet cheddar-bacon beer bread best.
- The melted butter poured on the batter before baking helps the crust crisp and brown beautifully.
- If the top is browning way before the inside is cooked through, loosely tent with foil.
I like to bake this beer bread in my trusty cast iron skillet as I love how rustic it looks and how I can bring the skillet to the dinner table to help keep the bread warm while we eat. You can, of course, use a loaf pan, if you like, and adjust the cooking time to about 1 hour. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 3 cups flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 bottle (12 ounces) lager-style beer
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add bacon and cook until brown and crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
- In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. Add bacon, cheese, and green onions. Stir to combine. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add beer. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
- Spray a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer batter to skillet and with a spatula spread evenly. Pour melted butter over batter.
- Bake in preheated for about 50 to 55 minutes or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool before slicing. Serve warm.
Nutrition Information
“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.”
Freya Farringotn says
This bread looks so delicious, I’ve once used beer in cooking with a beer-butt chicken, very yummy you should try it!
Lalaine says
With a name as beer-butt chicken, I can’t wait! 🙂 Thanks, Freya.
Niks Mendoza says
Bacon… beer…and cheddar? What more can we ask for…. definitely craving for this.
Lalaine says
It’s got all my favorite food groups 🙂
Hanady | Recipe Nomad says
I’ve never had flavored cornbread! These look terrrfic! I can’t wait to try this!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Hanady! I hope you like it!
Jamie Bird says
Is it better for beer to be room temp or cold? Ty!
Britta says
I am vegan so this is not necessarily the one for me but I do love to experiment with bread. Olives and walnuts are always a winner, I think!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Brita!
Adriana Lopez Martn says
What a beautiful recipe this is a perfect idea for Easter brunch. I am already planing the feast and I will include your dish. Goes perfect with all my selections.
Lalaine says
Planning the menu is always the fun part of the party 🙂 Thanks, Adriana.
CourtneyLynne says
Omg can we say yum?!?! I must try your bread recipe!
Jennifer A Stewart says
I am terrible at yeast breads too! I even got a bread machine for our wedding and used it twice. Both times for pizza dough. LOL. I am a sucker for cornbread and crusty french bread but the thought of pouring melted butter over the top of the batter and making a crispy crust is so great!
Lalaine says
Pouring melted butter-such a good sight, don’t you think? 🙂
Erin says
I made a cheddar beer soup that would go great with this! I love that you used bacon – everything is better with BACON!
Lalaine says
I usually eat this with soup but have to try it with beer soup. Sounds like the perfect pairing. 🙂
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
You had me at “bacon” then reeled me in with “bread” “skillet” and “cheddar”. Looks like the gang is all assembled for some serious tastyness!
Lalaine says
Yes, all my favorite food groups are in this beer bread. 🙂
Dawn McAlexander says
This would be a man’s dream bread. I can see my husband salivating now over this. He would love it. As a matter of fact, so would I.
Lalaine says
That sounds so great! Everybody is happy 🙂
Cindy Ingalls says
Beer and cheddar go so well together. To have them in one glorious piece of bread sounds divine.
Lalaine says
I absolutely agree, Cindy!
Bethany Stout says
This looks so yummy. I need to try this.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Bethany.
Emma says
Yum – this looks so fluffy! And cheese and bacon make everything better. How delicious.
Lalaine says
They are a tandem to beat 🙂
Ave says
Oh, this Skillet Cheddar-Bacon Beer Bread looks like a perfect comfort food! I really like that it’s super easy to make!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Ave! It is a keeper!
April says
I asked a very simple question which is still “awaiting moderation”…
What size skillet did you use? 10″? 12″? 14”? Obviously size will determine thickness which, in turn, determines the baking time.
Editing your recipe to reflect accurate information would be helpful.
Lalaine says
Hello April,
I am sorry, your first comment somehow when to my spam folder and I had to retrieve it. Yes, you’re right, the size of the skillet is an important information I missed to include. I apologize. I used a 12-inch skillet and I updated the recipe to reflect this. Thank you for bringing to my attention. I appreciate it.