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Cornbread Dressing is a classic holiday side with a moist, tender center, golden edges, and plenty of savory flavor. Serve it with turkey and gravy for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another holiday meal.
This recipe starts with day-old Homemade Cornbread, so make it the day before while you’re already baking pies and desserts. Then, serve the finished dressing with Turkey Gravy, or browse my Thanksgiving Recipes for more holiday favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Moist without being soggy: The broth softens the cornbread while the eggs help the dressing set.
- Easy to prep ahead: Make the cornbread before the day you plan to assemble the dressing.
- Classic Southern flavor: Sautéed onion and celery with poultry seasoning give the dressing its savory, herby flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cornbread: Make the cornbread a day ahead so it has time to dry slightly. You can use my Cornbread Mix, Jiffy, or another dry cornbread mix to make it. Crumble or break the baked cornbread into pieces before making the dressing.
- Avocado oil: Helps sauté the vegetables without burning the butter.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flavor.
- Yellow onion: Dice it small so it softens evenly and distributes throughout the dressing.
- Celery: Adds classic flavor and a little texture.
- Poultry seasoning: My Poultry Seasoning adds savory flavor in one step. You can add more to taste.
- Sea salt: Adjust based on how salty your broth and cornbread are.
- Eggs: Help bind the dressing and give it a soft, cohesive texture.
- Chicken broth: Adds moisture and savory flavor. Use a little more if you prefer softer dressing.
How to Make Cornbread Dressing
Use the step-by-step photos below as a visual guide. The most important things to watch are the vegetables becoming tender, the cornbread being evenly moistened, and the center setting without drying out.
Build the Savory Base
Cook the onion and celery in the butter and oil until they’re soft and starting to brown. You want the vegetables tender with plenty of flavor developed in the pan before they go into the dressing.
Moisten the Cornbread
Add the crumbled cornbread and cooked vegetables to a large bowl, then fold in the broth. The cornbread should be evenly moist and soft enough to hold together, without liquid pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
Adjust Before Adding the Eggs
Taste the mixture and add more poultry seasoning, salt, or a little extra broth if needed. Once the flavor and texture are where you want them, mix in the beaten eggs.
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Bake Until Set
Spread the mixture into the baking dish and bake until the top is lightly browned and the center is set. The dressing should still be moist in the middle and will firm up a little more as it rests.
Tips for the Best Cornbread Dressing
- Make the cornbread ahead: I make mine the day before the holiday with other dishes that make Thanksgiving day cooking easier like baking Sweet Potato Pie or shredding cheese for Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
- Save everything from the skillet: Add the vegetables along with the butter, seasonings, and browned bits for maximum flavor.
- Adjust before adding the eggs: Taste for salt and poultry seasoning, and add additional broth until the texture is where you want it.
- Don’t overbake: Take the dressing out once the center is set. It will continue to firm as it rests.
Easy Swaps and Variations
- Use Jiffy cornbread: Prepare Jiffy according to the package directions if you don’t want to make the cornbread completely from scratch.
- Use turkey broth: Swap the chicken broth for turkey broth if you have it on hand.
- Add sausage: Brown breakfast or sage sausage, drain any excess grease, and fold it into the dressing before baking.
- Need a lower-carb option for guests? My Keto Cornbread Dressing uses almond flour cornbread for a similar holiday side with fewer carbs.
What to Serve With Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread dressing works well for a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Serve it with Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin or Air Fryer Turkey Thighs. For a slightly larger holiday meal, Oven Roasted Turkey Breast and Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast are other great options. Spoon Turkey Gravy over the turkey and dressing.
For the sides, add Collard Greens with Bacon, Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, and Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
Cornbread Dressing FAQs
Use flavorful cornbread that has had time to dry slightly and enough broth to make it moist without becoming soupy. Taste the mixture before adding the eggs so you can adjust the seasoning and moisture.
Stuffing and dressing use many of the same ingredients, but stuffing traditionally refers to a mixture cooked inside poultry. Dressing is baked separately in a dish, like this recipe.
Too little broth can make dressing dry, while too much can make it soggy. Avoid overmixing and overbaking, and adjust the seasoning before adding the raw eggs.
Eggs help bind the mixture and give this dressing its soft but cohesive texture. I recommend using them in this recipe as written.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Make ahead: Make the cornbread at least a day in advance. You can also sauté the onion and celery ahead and refrigerate them until you’re ready to assemble the dressing.
- Store: Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze cooled dressing in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Cover and warm in the oven until heated through. Add a small splash of broth first if the dressing seems dry. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.
Cornbread Dressing
Use DRDAVINAHS at checkout to save on some equipment & ingredients!
Ingredients
- 1 Homemade Cornbread, prepared 1 day ahead, click for my recipe, or make 2 boxes of jiffy cornbread mix prepared according to the package directions, cut into cubes
- ¼ cup Avocado oil
- 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
- 1 ½ cup Yellow Onion, about 1 medium onion diced
- 1 ¼ cup celery, about 3 stalks, chopped
- 2 tbsp Poultry seasoning, or more to taste, click for my recipe
- ½ tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt, use DRDAVINAHS to save
- 2 large Eggs, beaten
- 1 ¼ cup Chicken Broth, add up to ¼ cup more if you prefer your dressing to have a softer texture
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, celery, onions, poultry seasoning and salt to the pan. Saute until the vegetables are tender and browned (about 10 minutes)
- Crumble the cornbread (think rough cubes and crumbs) and add it to a large bowl
- Add all the contents of the vegetables pan and broth (including browned bits and oil) to the bowl with the cornbread. Fold the ingredients together until well incorporated. Add more broth if you’d like it moister and more poultry seasoning if you want more flavor
- Add the eggs and mix to combine
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the center is set. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
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Recipe Notes
- Make the cornbread ahead: Prepare it at least one day in advance so it has time to dry slightly.
- Adjust the moisture: Add up to ¼ cup more broth if you prefer a softer, moister dressing.
- Taste before adding eggs: Adjust the salt, poultry seasoning, and broth before mixing in the raw eggs.
- Don’t overbake: Remove the dressing once the center is set. It will continue to firm as it rests.
- Jiffy works too: Prepare it according to the package directions, then use it in place of homemade cornbread.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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