This homemade, classic Oyster Dressing is made using Southern cornbread and traditional spices and vegetables. Add this to your holiday spread or soul food dinner menu.
What Type of Oysters to Use
You can use whatever type of oysters you prefer for the recipe. You can use fresh or canned, just be sure they are shucked.
The Difference Between Dressing and Stuffing
The true definition of stuffing is when a bird, such as a turkey is actually stuffed with the side dish and cooked. But the differences between standard dressing (typically from those from the North) and Southern dressing lie completely in the preparation.
Southern recipes are made using cornbread. Stuffing is made using cubes of bread and it’s really dry. Most dressing recipes are served moist or a balance between moist and not soggy.
Some are definitely moister than others. I like to prepare mine in the middle. I don’t like it dry, but I don’t want it to be wet, either.
How to Season it
This recipe uses the Holy Trinity of vegetables: white onion, green peppers, and celery.
Sage is probably the star of the show for dressing. It’s a critical spice. Most times I use dried sage, but I have made it using fresh as well. Whichever you wish to use will work fine. I also love to use Old Bay as a complement to the seafood oysters.
Use Day Old Cornbread
If you use fresh cornbread, your dressing mix will be really soupy and hard to thicken. Your cornbread has to be dry and pretty much stale.
I like to make my Southern Homemade Cornbread Recipe the night before. You can use cornbread mix if you wish.
Once baked, allow it to cool. I store mine in the fridge overnight loosely covered in foil. You don’t want to store it in a tightly sealed bag because that will lock in moisture and it won’t dry out.
If you can’t use day old cornbread, you can also over-bake the cornbread until it’s really dry.
How to Make Oyster Dressing
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil, celery, onions, garlic, and green peppers.
- Saute until the onions are translucent, fragrant, and the vegetables are soft.
- Place the day old cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon and/or your hands to break down the cornbread.
- Add in the sauteed veggies, ground sage, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Add in the eggs and cream of chicken soup. Stir.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth.
- Add in 1/2 of the dressing mixture and spread it throughout the bottom of the pan.
- Add the oysters on top.
- Top it with a layer of the remaining dressing.
- Bake.
Cook Time and Temperature
Bake the dish for 45 minutes uncovered on 350 degrees until a toothpick returns clean.
Should You Cover the Dressing While it Bakes?
If you like moist dressing, cover it with foil while it bakes. If you like drier dressing with a crunchy top, bake it uncovered.
Can You Add Bread to it?
Some like to add additional bread to their dressing. If you wish you can add any of the following.
- Pieces of cubed bread
- Pieces of cubed biscuits
- Pieces of cubed dinner rolls
- Croutons
Can You Make it Ahead and the Night Before?
You can prepare it the night before and place it unbaked in the refrigerator. From there, you can bake when you like. Allow the dressing to come to room temperature prior to baking.
How to Make it Vegetarian
You can make the dish without meat by substituting chicken broth for vegetable broth. Instead of cream of chicken soup, you can use cream of mushroom.
How to Freeze It
Place the dish in sealable bags or containers. Ensure they are tightly sealed. It can be frozen for up to several months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it in the oven until warm.
Pair with These Recipes
Hog Maw
Southern Green Beans and Potatoes
Patti Labelle’s Mac and Cheese
Smothered Turkey Necks
Chitterlings
Collard Greens with Ham Hocks
Southern Fried Okra
More Dressing Recipes
Southern Cornbread Dressing with Chicken
Seafood Dressing
Cornbread Dressing with Sausage
Keto Cornbread Dressing
Oyster Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green peppers
- 4 garlic cloves Minced.
- 2 teaspoons ground sage Adjust to taste. 5 leaves if using fresh
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 14 oz cream of chicken soup I use homemade linked here.
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs Beaten
- 8 oz oysters Shucked if using fresh.
Instructions
- You will need cooked cornbread for this recipe. You can use this Southern Homemade Cornbread recipe or Jiffy Cornbread Recipe here. After preparing the cornbread, store it in the fridge overnight and prep the dressing using day-old cornbread.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, celery, onions, garlic, and green peppers.
- Saute until the onions are translucent, fragrant, and the vegetables are soft. Remove the vegetables from the pan. Set aside to cool while prepping the remaining ingredients.
- Place day old cornbread in a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon and/or your hands to break down the cornbread. You want to fully crumble it.
- Add in the sauteed veggies, ground sage, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Stop and taste the mixture here. This is where you want to adjust the seasoning and spice if necessary to suit your taste. Before adding the eggs, taste the dressing.
- Add in the eggs and cream of chicken soup. Stir.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth. The chicken broth quantity noted above is a guide. You have to really monitor the dressing as you prepare it to determine how much broth you will need and if you will need more or less.
- Start with a little chicken broth and then stir until the dressing is thick. Add more when needed. You should get the consistency of thick oatmeal.
- Add in 1/2 of the dressing mixture and spread it throughout the bottom of the pan.
- Add the oysters on top.
- Top it with a layer of the remaining dressing.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered on 350 degrees until a toothpick returns clean.
Notes
- If you are using Jiffy or a boxed cornbread mix you’ll need 2 cups, which is about 16-17 ounces.
- I prefer dressing that isn’t too soggy. If you like moist dressing, cover it with foil while bakes.
- You can find my Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe here. 14oz is 1 and 3/4 cups.
Tia
Wednesday 16th of August 2023
Nice recipes