Skip the soggy stuffing—this oyster dressing (oyster stuffing) blends buttery white bread and cornbread with briny oysters, Old Bay, lemon, and fresh herbs for a tender center and crisp golden top. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas, it’s a savory crowd-pleaser that tastes like the coast came to dinner.
Why You’ll Love It
This oyster dressing recipe takes your traditional Thanksgiving stuffing and gives it a briny, seafood twist.
- Buttery & briny balance – With the combination of oysters and Old Bay seafood seasoning, you get the perfect balance of buttery and briny flavor.
- Perfect texture – This dressing has both a soft, custardy center and a golden crispy crust for a texture that you’ll love.
- Combination of breads – This recipe uses an easy white bread and cornbread blend for flavor and structure.
Gather This
Besides oysters and the bread, you might already have most of the ingredients you need to make this oyster dressing. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Bread – Some Maryland recipes use all cornbread, but I find it best to use a mix of white bread and cornbread, this is another area you can be creative and use anything from pumpernickel to brioche.
- Oysters – I actually don’t use fresh oysters. Nope this is an oyster dressing that uses canned oysters. Much like my Aunt Donna’s famous clams casino, I just don’t have the time, patience, budget or will to shuck as many oysters as I need to make this dish. Secondly, I can use the robust brine they are canned in instead of a seafood stock in addition to their liquid (much of which is lost during shucking).
- Chicken/seafood stock
- Butter
- Olive oil
- White onion
- Red bell pepper
- Celery
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh Italian parsley
- Fresh sage
- Old Bay seasoning
- Ground white pepper
- Fresh lemon
- Hot sauce
- Egg
Make it A Meal
Roast turkey or chicken are both classic pairings, but you can also serve this oyster dressing as a side dish with other proteins! Try it with pork or beef, too.
You can also serve it with lots of other sides like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, or roasted vegetables. And it’s fantastic with a little turkey gravy or brown gravy drizzled over the top of it.
And don’t forget dessert! From Pumpkin Icebox Cake to Sweet Potato Pie, we’ve got you covered with Thanksgiving dessert ideas.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – Old Bay and oysters already have a high salt content, so make sure to taste your dressing before adding additional salt.
- Seasoning – If you don’t want the Maryland flare, swap out the Old Bay Seasoning for poultry seasoning, cajun or creole seasoning or just plain coarse sea salt.
- Sauces – You will more than likely be making this for Thanksgiving, so my favorite thing to top this oyster dressing with is homemade gravy.
- Swaps – You can use fresh oysters if you’d like. Simply shuck and roughly chop; strain and measure according to the recipe card. You can also swap the bread for any type you prefer, like pumpernickel of brioche.
- Senses – Buttery, crisp-edged cubes give way to a custardy center perfumed with sage and Old Bay, while briny oysters and a hint of lemon make each bite warm, savory, and sea-scented.
Test Kitchen Notes
I’ve tested this recipe several times to ensure it comes out perfectly when you make it. Here are some suggestions.
- Don’t overpack the casserole – Having air pockets makes for a more tender interior.
- Salt carefully: Old Bay and oysters are quite salty already; taste before adding more salt.
- Bread dryness: Day-old/dried bread absorbs better; if using fresh, toast cubes 10–12 min at 300°F.
- Make it coastal: Using seafood stock instead chicken stock makes for a deeper seafood flavor.
Oyster Dressing Recipe
Buttery oyster dressing with a white bread–cornbread blend, aromatics, Old Bay, lemon, and hot sauce. Tender inside, crisp top—perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Servings:
Ingredients
Oyster Dressing Ingredients:
- 16 cups bread , torn into 1-inch cubes, I like a blend of white bread and cornbread
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or seafood stock
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , seeded chopped
- 6 stalks celery , trimmed and sliced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic , minced
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley , leaves only, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage , minced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning*
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 fresh lemon
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 32 ounces canned or jarred whole oysters
- 1 egg , lightly beaten
Garnishes:
- Old Bay seasoning
- parsley , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a high-sided 9×13 baking dish or a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray or liberally wipe with vegetable oil. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the 2 cups low sodium chicken or seafood stock and 1 cup unsalted butter over medium heat until melted. While melting, place the 1-inch torn pieces of 16 cups bread into a large mixing bowl. Carefully pour the hot liquid over the torn bread and set aside.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped 1 white onion for 2 minutes. Stir in the seeded and chopped 1 red bell pepper and sliced 6 stalks celery, sauteing for other 3-4 minutes or until they start to soften, but still retain some shape and color. Finally, add the minced 4 cloves fresh garlic, stirring to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir the chopped ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley and 2 tablespoons fresh sage, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning* ½ teaspoon ground white pepper , zest and juice from the 1 fresh lemon 2 teaspoons hot sauce into the skillet. Set aside to cool.
- Strain the 32 ounces canned or jarred whole oysters, but reserve the liquid. Roughly chop the whole oysters, adding them to the bowl with the bread, along with the lightly beaten 1 egg, gently tossing.
- Spoon the vegetable mixture into the bread mixture and tossing again to mix everything evenly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading out evenly, but do not pack it down (it gets super dense).
- Bake, uncovered, for approximately 45 minutes or until the center registrars at 165°F. If the top starts to brown or burn, loosely over with a leaf of aluminum foil. Remove and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving with a spoon.
- If desired, garnish with an additional light dusting of Old Bay seasoning and/or chopped parsley.
- If you've tried this recipe, please come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings!
Notes
Storage
Once the oyster dressing has come to room temperature, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or transfer the dressing to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.Freezing
Keep the dressing in a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag for up to 1 month in the freezer.Nutrition
Calories: 291 kcal, Carbohydrates: 154 g, Protein: 36 g, Fat: 32 g, Saturated Fat: 12 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 57 mg, Sodium: 1553 mg, Potassium: 615 mg, Fiber: 14 g, Sugar: 20 g, Vitamin A: 1035 IU, Vitamin C: 22 mg, Calcium: 431 mg, Iron: 12 mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
More Holiday Side Dishes
Whether classic dishes or something a little unique, these are our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.
