5 Substitutes for Cornmeal That Aren’t Corny!
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Loading... - Heather Craven
- 06 Feb 2023
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Cornmeal is ground, dried corn, and is a signature ingredient in recipes from all over the world! From Mexican food like tacos and tortillas to Venezuelan arepas, Italian polenta, and even Canadian bacon, cornmeal is an important ingredient in many pantries!
In Africa, cornmeal is the most common staple next to rice, and in the United States, cornmeal is incredibly popular.
Cornmeal can be used in most recipes where flour is needed, but it does tend to be more coarse than typical flour. It does however come finely ground, to medium and very coarse (as in the case of hominy grits.) It is used to make taco shells, tortillas, tamales, and more, and is also popular in certain desserts.
It can be used to bread things to make them crispy, or slowly simmered with water or milk to make a creamy polenta. It often has a light corn-like flavor but is considered quite mild. Cornmeal is also gluten-free and plant-based so it can be enjoyed by anyone who can eat corn!
Corn is a very cheap crop, so cornmeal is very affordable and readily available in most shops. It comes in a variety of types and colors including white (most common in America), yellow and blue. It can be steel ground or stone ground—stone ground cornmeal often contains more of the husk of the corn, meaning it has more fiber.
It often has more flavor and nutrition as well and is believed to be the superior choice, but if you cannot find stone ground cornmeal, steel ground will work just fine! Some common products that contain steel ground cornmeal are: Doritos, Fritos, Corn Pops, Cheetos, and other corn chips.
We’ve compiled a list of cornmeal substitutes in case you cannot find cornmeal. Some of these will be appropriate for folks with corn allergies too!
1. Grits (Including Hominy Grits)
Grits are made in the exact same way as cornmeal, but ground much more coarsely, with hominy grits being the largest of them all.
Grits are a staple food in the American south and are (at their most basic level) slow-simmered with water. However, when simmered with stock and topped with cheese, butter, shrimp, or meat, grits are a delicious, well-rounded meal! (Or better yet, all of the above!)
Grits are known for being very filling while not costing a lot, and a little bit of seasoning or flavoring can go a long way. By adding garlic, spices, or even simply salt, these affordable grains are taken to the next level. To substitute grits for cornmeal, you will need to use 1 cup for every ¾ cup, because they are so much coarser. Read More…
