This oyster dressing is a classic Southern recipe that features dried bread, herbs and spices, chopped veggies, and shucked oysters! It is moist, flavorful, and the perfect side dish for any oyster lover! Go ahead and serve this tasty recipe at your next family get-together for an unforgettable meal!
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Easy Oyster Dressing Recipe
Stuffing (or dressing) is a quintessential side dish when it comes to Thanksgiving and holidays. There are so many tasty twists and variations out there, although they all share the same basic ingredients.
If you have anyone in your family who is a fan of oysters, then this oyster stuffing is a must! It is moist, delicious, and tastes just like grandma used to make. I promise they will request it every single year!
Whether you're a pro at hosting Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Thanksgiving a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday turkey early, too!
🥘 Ingredients
I used canned and drained oysters for this recipe. However, if you have access to fresh oysters then you can always use those!
- Bread - 5 cups of dry bread, cut into cubes. You'll want to use day-old bread for this recipe so that it isn't too soft. If you don't have day-old dry bread you can cut up fresh bread into 1-inch cubes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway, until lightly toasted.
- Butter - ¼ cup of butter (or 4 tablespoons).
- Onion - 1 cup of yellow or white onion, peeled and diced.
- Celery - 1 cup of chopped celery. This is equivalent to about 2 stalks.
- Poultry Seasoning - 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning.
- Sage - ⅛ teaspoon of ground sage.
- Salt & Pepper - ⅛ teaspoon of both salt and pepper, to taste.
- Chicken Broth - ¾ cup of chicken broth, as needed.
- Hot Sauce - 1 tablespoon of your favorite brand of hot sauce.
- Lemon Juice - A splash of lemon juice and lemon zest, if desired.
- Oysters - 8 ounces of shucked oysters (canned) that have been drained and chopped.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Oyster Dressing
This beginner-friendly recipe is a great dish to prepare for the holidays! To get started, you'll need a 2-quart casserole dish, a medium-sized skillet, and a small bowl.
This recipe will yield 6 servings. You may or may not want to make a double batch depending on how much your family loves oysters!
- Preheat. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease your 9x13 or 2-quart casserole dish. Place 5 cups of breadcrumbs into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Saute. In a medium skillet, add ¼ cup of butter, 1 cup of diced onion, and 1 cup of chopped celery. Melt the butter and saute celery and onion until slightly soft.
- Add seasonings. Mix in 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning and ⅛ teaspoon each of ground sage, salt, and pepper. Add seasoned onion and celery to the mixing bowl with the bread cubes.
- Mix. In a small bowl, add ¾ cup of chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of hot sauce, and a splash of lemon juice. Mix until fully combined. Add the liquids and 8 ounces of chopped oysters to the bowl of stuffing. *Dressing should be moist. If it's dry, add more chicken broth.
- Bake. Transfer your oyster dressing mix to a casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve.
This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving stuffing recipes! Pair it with some other holiday favorites like fondant potatoes and oven-roasted turkey! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you don't have day-old dry bread you can cut up fresh bread into 1-inch cubes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway, until lightly toasted.
- Your dressing should be moist, if dry add more chicken broth before baking.
- When done, your dressing should have a temperature of 160°F (71°C) and be a light golden brown on top.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep your stuffing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place your oyster dressing into an airtight container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Allow the stuffing to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
For an in-depth guide, check out my post on how to freeze stuffing!
Reheating
To reheat, place your stuffing into a casserole dish and add enough broth to bring some moisture back. Cover the dish with foil and bake it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through. Then, remove the foil and allow it to bake for 10 minutes longer to crisp back up.
For more tips and tricks, take a look at my guide to reheating stuffing!
❓ Recipe FAQs
Technically, stuffing is cooked inside of the turkey while dressing is baked in a separate dish. However, many people use the two terms interchangeably.
You want your stuffing to be moist, not wet. Add enough chicken broth just to moisten up all of the ingredients, but you don't want a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl.
Absolutely! Using fresh oysters will yield extra delicious stuffing! If you live on the coast or have easy access to fresh oysters, then I completely recommend grabbing some. However, your dressing will still be completely delicious if you use the canned version.
🦃 Easy Holiday Side Dish Recipes
- White Cheddar Mac & Cheese - Macaroni and cheese is a family-friendly holiday side dish that is incredibly easy to make!
- Apple Cider Cranberry Sauce - This cranberry sauce adds in some apple cider for extra flavor!
- Oat Rolls - Every Thanksgiving table needs some homemade rolls that pair well with everything!
- Creamed Corn Cornbread - Using creamed corn to make cornbread will yield an extra rich and moist dish!
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes - These mashed sweet potatoes are an easy and simple way to enjoy this tasty spud!
- Bacon Cheddar Green Bean Casserole - Green bean casserole is a classic, and this recipe adds in bacon and cheddar cheese!
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📖 Recipe Card
Oyster Dressing
Ingredients
- 5 cups day old bread (dry, cut into cubes)
- ¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons)
- 1 cup yellow onion (or white onion, diced)
- 1 cup celery (about 2 stalks, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon ground sage
- ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ¾ cup chicken broth (as needed)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 splash lemon juice (optional lemon zest as well)
- 8 oz shucked oysters (canned, drained, and chopped)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease your 9x13 or 2-quart casserole dish. Place breadcrumbs into a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
- In a medium skillet, add butter, diced onion, and chopped celery. Melt the butter and saute celery and onion until slightly soft.
- Mix in poultry seasoning, ground sage, salt, and pepper. Add seasoned onion and celery to the mixing bowl with the bread cubes.
- In a small bowl, add the chicken broth, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Mix until fully combined. Add the liquids and chopped oysters to the bowl of stuffing. *Dressing should be moist if it's dry add more chicken broth.
- Transfer your oyster dressing mix to a casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, and serve.
Notes
- If you don't have day-old dry bread you can cut up fresh bread into 1-inch cubes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Your dressing should be moist, if dry add more chicken broth before baking.
- When done, your dressing should have a temperature of 160°F (71°C) and be a light golden brown on top.
- To store: Keep your stuffing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: Place your oyster dressing into an airtight container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Allow the stuffing to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. For an in-depth guide, check out my post on how to freeze stuffing!
- To reheat: Place your stuffing into a casserole dish and add in enough broth to bring some moisture back. Cover the dish with foil and bake it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until heated through. Then, remove the foil and allow it to bake for 10 minutes longer to crisp back up. For more tips and tricks, take a look at my guide to reheating stuffing!
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