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.”
Cassie Konkle says
I think this recipe was good, but not great. The flavors were all really subtle, and I guess I was hoping for a stronger flavor profile. Also, my bread finished cooking in 30 minutes, which was MUCH faster than the recommended cook time. I’m pretty sure it would have burnt to the point of being inedible if I’d left it in for a full 55 minutes. I did preheat my cast iron skillet before pouring in the batter, so that may have made a difference. I would make this recipe again, but I would definitely tweak a few things now that I know how the base recipe turns out. Maybe add some extra bacon and cheese and use some bacon grease to up the bacon flavor.
Linda Musselman says
My bread did not rise. What did I do wrong?
sas212 says
Great tasting recipe that’s easy and quick to put together! I had originally planned on using the green onions like the recipe called for but I decided to used a few serrano peppers I had in the freezer and it came out great with just enough heat. I also used a light coating of the bacon grease on my cast iron and the bottom crust came out perfectly crispy and the melted butter (not the lean version I guess) made the top just as equally crispy. I was surprised at how light and airy the crumb of the bread is; not dense at all. This one is a keeper fer sure! Thanks!
Lalaine says
Thank you so much for the feedback. I am glad you enjoyed it. Will try greasing my pan with bacon grease next time, I can just imagine the added flavor. 🙂
Holly says
Could you make the beer bread with all whole wheat flour or half white and half whole wheat?
Lalaine says
I’ve never tried it myself but I don’t see why it won’t work. 🙂
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
Such a deliciously savoury side dish! Yum!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Sasha!
Sarah Farmer Earll says
my only question is… why wouldn’t you bake this in the skillet in which you fried the bacon..?? like I do with cornbread, it makes such a crunchy tasty crust!
Lalaine says
Hello Sarah
Yes, it would be more flavor to bake it in the same skillet and I do that sometimes, too, but some of my readers may balk at the idea of using bacon grease so I write the recipes using a “leaner” option. Thank you so much for the tip, I would definitely include it in the post. 🙂
Sue Ringsdorf says
Definitely pinning this recipe to try soon. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Lalaine says
Thank you, Sue 🙂
Mitze says
Are there any substitutions that will work for the beer?
Lalaine says
The beer is needed to leaven the dough and make it rise. I haven’t personally tried it but carbonated soda might work, the taste might be a little different though.
Ingrid says
What about near beer or non alcoholic beer ?
Leslie Dey says
I’ve used hard Apple Cider, just check for sugar content.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Leslie!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says
Love savory “quick” breads like this – especially with bacon! So perfect for a cast iron skillet.
Lalaine says
Thanks, Julie! I am loving savory breads lately!
Hannah says
Ohh, i love bacon. This dish will definitely turned upside down.
Ayesha Heart says
Ahhh, Bacon is life. I love anything that has Bacon in it 🙂 Thanks for this I now know what to prepare over the weekend 🙂
Lalaine says
Bacon does make everything better 🙂
Jay Simms says
I am in love with everything about this bread! I may have to splurge on my diet and try this out over the weekend
Lalaine says
Moderation is the key 🙂
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
Beer bread with bacon – YUM!! I’m pretty sure I would eat the entire thing in one sitting. Definitely one to try!!
Lalaine says
It’s definitely hard to eat just one slice 🙂
Dawn Gibson-Thigpen says
wow. now see i would eat the entire dish. i loveeeee food like this. totally going against my healthy living. hehe…but i know i couldn’t resist. 5 stars
Lalaine says
Thanks< Dawn 🙂
Ashley - Forking Up says
I love making beer bread, but I’ve never tried to do it in a skillet! Beer bread is so easy and fun, you can really add anything to it. I’ve made sweet and savory options.
Lalaine says
You should try this recipe:)You will love this!
Priya Srinivasan says
That bread looks so good!!! cheese and bacon must be a great combo!!
Lalaine says
Great combination indeed 🙂
Molly Kumar says
Oh My Gosh !!! If I make this bread, I would hide with it in a corner ad eat all of it as it really sounds so delicious n I dont want to be sharing it 😉
Lalaine says
Lol! I absolutely understand! 🙂