Oyster Dressing Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Oyster dressing is a classic savory Southern dish of oysters and seasoned bread, often served as a side dish during Thanksgiving and other holiday meals.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, oysters

Servings:

Calories: 388kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

24 ounce loaf of soft white bread cubed (I love French bread for this)
8 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion chopped
2 jalapeno peppers chopped (use bell pepper for less spicy)
2 stalks celery chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped or more as desired
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend or use Creole seasonings
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh oysters with their liquor
1.5 cups chicken broth
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup parsley + more for garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 275 degrees F. (135 C). Add cubed bread to a couple of baking sheets and bake them for 30 minutes, stirring here and there, until they get fairly dry. No need to toast them here, just dry them out. Drying them out helps the bread absorb more of the moisture. Remove and set aside.
While the bread is baking, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften up.
Add the garlic, Cajun seasonings and salt and pepper. Cook another minute. Remove from heat.
Add the bread cubes to a large bowl, then add the buttery vegetable mixture, along with the oysters with their liquor, chicken broth, beaten eggs, ¼ cup parsley, and parmesan cheese. Gently stir until everything is nicely mixed together.
Increase oven heat to 350 degrees F (175C).
Pour the stuffing into a large lightly oiled baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

Seasoning Alternatives. Cajun, or blend of paprika, cayenne, garlic, onion.
Bay leaf is popular.

Nutrition