Black Folks Chicken And Dressing

Black folks chicken and dressing – Yes, it’s Thanksgiving, one of the most beautiful times of the year!

On this one day of the year, we gorge ourselves silly on turkey and tons of delicious holiday dishes.

Southern soul food, made by our grandmamas, mamas, and favorite aunties. A meal we’ve waited all year to gather with friends and family to eat.

One Southern dish that you shouldn’t miss this Thanksgiving is Black folks chicken and dressing. 

African American cornbread dressing recipe with chicken

If you’re a Black person living in the South, then there’s a good chance you’ve had your fair share of chicken and dressing.

Because this homemade chicken dressing is not just for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s an all-year-round dish that we crave every single day!

What is chicken and dressing?

There’s nothing like the classic, savory flavor of Black folks chicken and dressing! 

It’s a dish that’s survived slavery, segregation, poverty, and everything else this country has thrown at the Black community.

Cornbread dressing with the addition of shredded baked chicken. The ingredients include cooked poultry (chicken or turkey, and you can use leftovers), flavorful Southern seasonings. Cornbread, celery, onion, thyme, chicken stock, and egg.

A simple, delicious, hearty meal. An African American staple that’s made its way into many homes and generations nationwide.

Old fashioned chicken dressing

This recipe is easy to make and has a wonderful flavor that your family will love! 

So, if you don’t want to spend hours cooking on Thanksgiving Day, or you don’t want the expensive pre-made dishes at the store, make this simple old-fashioned chicken dressing!

To achieve the soulful flavoring this dish is known for, you’ll need more than just a few ingredients. (It ain’t called “Black folks” chicken and dressing for nothing – ya’ll know we extra!)

You’ll need the right stuff to get the best results!

Let me guide you with the detailed steps to enjoy the best Thanksgiving dressing.

What’s the difference between Southern cornbread stuffing and dressing?

Stuffing and dressing are terms for a dish made with bread, usually cornbread in the Southern United States. 

Stuffing is baked inside the Thanksgiving turkey or bird during the cooking process.

Dressing is baked on its own and served as a side dish.

Homemade chicken dressing

Now, this recipe has a lot of steps to go with its plenty of ingredients!

But no worries – I’ve gotchu!

With my simple, step-by-step guided instructions for your ease in perfecting this iconic recipe – whether you’re a seasoned pro or a first-time beginner making this!

Kitchen equipment

• 8″ cast-iron skillet
• 8″ baking dish
• Instant Pot pressure cooker (optional)
• Instant Pot Omni Plus oven (optional)

Shop my kitchenware HERE!

Ingredients for the cornbread

• 8.5 oz. box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• ¼ cup of granulated sugar (*can be omitted if you don’t prefer cornbread sweet)
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 3 oz. whipped cream cheese
• 4 oz. heavy whipping cream

Wanna make your cornbread from scratch?

Check out the recipe card notes below for instructions!

Instructions for the cornbread recipe

1. Preheat the conventional oven or Instant Pot Omni Plus oven to bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (although you may not use all of this time for melting the butter). 
2. Place the 4 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch skillet and melt in the oven for approximately 5 minutes.
3. While the butter is melting, combine the Jiffy cornbread mix, sugar, cream cheese, and heavy cream in a medium-size mixing bowl.
4. Pour the melted butter from the skillet into the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients together. 
5. Pour the cornbread mixture into the skillet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F. In the conventional oven for 25-30 minutes. Instant Pot Omni Plus oven for 23-25 minutes.
7. When the baking time has finished, allow the cornbread to cool for approx 10 minutes.
8. Cut the bread lengthwise and then across into 1-inch bread cubes and set aside.

Ingredients for the cornbread dressing

• ¼ cup of unsalted butter 
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup of celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon of thyme, fresh or dried
• 1 tablespoon of rosemary, fresh or dried
• 1 teaspoon of sage, ground 
• ¼ cup of parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup of chicken stock (or chicken broth)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ a teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 8 oz. skinless cooked chicken thighs (or other poultry dark meat) shredded

Instructions for the baked chicken with dressing

1. Grease an 8″ or similar-sized baking dish, transfer the set-aside cornbread cubes to the pre-greased dish, and then set aside the cornbread cubes.
2. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté setting for 8 minutes.
3. With the lid off, melt ¼ cup of butter. 
4. Add the chopped onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, and sage. 
5. Stir to coat the vegetables in the herbs and melted butter and then sauté until they soften and slightly brown.
6. Add the shredded chicken, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to the inner pot’s simmer, and stir to combine.
7. Remove the chicken and herb mixture from heat and set aside. 
8. Allow the mixture to cool to the touch so that it can be mixed with the egg. (You don’t want the egg to cook from the residual heat and scramble!)
9. While the herbs are cooling off, beat the egg with the parsley in a medium-sized bowl.
10. Pour the egg and parsley mixture over the cubed cornbread in the set-aside baking dish, and gently fold in the mixture evenly with the bread cubes. 
11. Then, pour the cooled chicken and herb mixture into the cornbread and egg mixture, evenly distributing with your pour.
12. Cut the 1 tablespoon of butter into small pats and place them all around on top of the dressing.
13. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes in the conventional oven. Bake for 30 minutes if using the Omni Plus oven.
14. Uncover and bake until golden, 10-15 more minutes (conventional oven) or 10 minutes (Omni Plus oven).
15. Serve this baked chicken and dressing recipe warm, and enjoy! Optional – serve with gravy on top.

🎙 Listen to The Soul Food Pod episode: Black Folks Chicken And Dressing

Does your family have a chicken and dressing or stuffing recipe that passes down from one generational table to the next?

What do you serve with chicken and dressing?

Whether it’s Thanksgiving or not, chicken and dressing is usually served for Sunday dinner with mashed potatoes, cornbread, and collard greens.

Baked chicken and dressing pro tips:

Why is your cornbread dressing mushy?

• When you’re adding ingredients to the mix and stirring the batter, try not to overwork it, so you don’t break down the cornbread, which could cause the dressing to have a mushy texture.
• The dressing before it’s baked should be moist but not watery or gummy. If you find that your stuffing is too wet, you can add a few slices of cubed honey wheat bread to soak up the extra liquid.

How do you fix dry stuffing?

• You can fix dry stuffing with a few tablespoons of melted butter or chicken stock, or broth.
• Remember, try not to overwork the stuffing when adding ingredients and mixing. You don’t want to break down the cornbread, which will cause the dressing to then have a mushy texture.

What kind of chicken do you use for this recipe?

I prefer darker chicken meat for this recipe, like chicken thighs, because it absorbs flavors best.

However, you could also use white chicken meat, like chicken breast, whether baked chicken breast, fried chicken or air fryer fried chicken.

Can you use Jiffy cornbread?

Don’t know what ingredients to use to make cornbread homemade from scratch? 

Then, I highly recommend Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.

The end result? 

Quick, easy chicken dressing!

A delicious dish that everyone will love for sure! With no sacrifice to the authentic Southern soul food flavors this Black folks chicken and dressing recipe is known for.

Can you use white cornmeal instead of yellow?

Making the cornbread for this recipe from scratch?

You could interchange yellow cornmeal for white.

The taste is similar and good, but you should know that yellow cornmeal is sweeter than white. This is because one comes from the white kernels, while the other is from the sweeter yellow kernels of corn.

Instructions for Southern cornbread made from scratch

Follow the instructions below to make the Southern cornbread for this recipe from scratch:

• Ingredients: 1 cup of medium grind cornmeal, ⅔ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, ⅔ cup of whipped cream cheese

1. Preheat the conventional oven or Instant Pot Omni Plus oven to bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (although you may not use all of this time for melting the butter). 
2. Place the butter in an 8-inch baking pan or skillet and melt in the oven for approximately 5 minutes.
3. While the butter is melting, combine the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar) with the cream cheese and heavy cream in a medium-size mixing bowl.
4. Pour the melted butter from the baking pan into the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients together. 
5. Pour the cornbread batter into the baking pan or skillet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F. In the conventional oven, bake for 20-25 minutes. In the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven, bake for 18-20 minutes. 

Why do you put eggs in dressing?

The answer is simple: eggs are a great binder. Eggs hold together the cornbread, celery, onion, and other seasonings in cornbread dressing to create a flavorful dish that can be enjoyed at any time of year.

Should dressing be covered while cooking?

Use a conventional oven, cover with foil, and bake for about 35 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until golden brown, another 10-15 minutes.

If using the Instant Pot Omni Plus, cook, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Then uncover and continue baking for another 10 minutes until golden.

Is it possible to freeze the chicken and dressing?

Absolutely! Do you struggle with staying consistent at meal prepping?

Then freezing this meal is a great way to save time! To freeze it, place the prepared dish (baked or not) in an airtight container. You can keep frozen for up to 3 months/90 days.

Is it possible to make chicken Southern cornbread dressing ahead of time?

Can you make this ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator?

Assemble the whole dish one day before your event and then tightly cover it. Place in the refrigerator and do not bake it yet. 

Let it thaw when you’re ready to bake, and then bake as directed in the recipe instructions.

Why do you need stale cornbread?

Some people prefer their dressing drier and crunchy. In this case, cornbread that’s at least a day old, up to almost stale, is recommended.

Ensure the cornbread is completely dry before adding it to the casserole dish if you’re trying to achieve a crunchy dressing. 

To do this, place the crumbled bread cubes in a large plastic bag (seal open) or let it set uncovered overnight at room temperature. 

When the cubed cornbread is dry enough, it’s good to use for dressing or stuffing with more of a crunch. 

You can now add it into the casserole dish with the remaining ingredients and bake as usual.

Why should you soften onions and celery in cornbread dressing?

Do you have to soften the onion and celery?

It’s best to soften both ingredients because otherwise, they will release too much liquid when heated, which could make cornbread dressing watery or slimy. 

In this recipe, the onions and celery will soften as they’re sautéed.

You can even use caramelized onions as a substitute if you want an even sweeter taste in cornbread dressing.

How do you store the leftovers?

Refrigerate chicken and dressing leftovers in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to three days.

Southern chicken and dressing FAQs

Every kitchen is different, right?

And Black folks chicken and dressing is an African American recipe passed down from generation to generation and shared across countries and ethnicities. 

So here are some FAQs about this baked chicken and dressing recipe.

Would this work for this recipe?

Do you love boiled eggs in dressing? Do you put bell peppers in yours? 

You can always make this Southern cornbread dressing recipe your own! 

For example, some households add rotisserie chicken, chicken salad, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, ranch dressing mix, sweet pickle, diced bell pepper, and even chopped boiled egg to this recipe. 

Some people top this stuffing mix recipe with giblet gravy, shredded cheese, or sour cream.

What if you want to add oysters?

Do you want oysters instead of a chicken recipe?

Then it’s a good idea to first omit the chicken.

Instead, add the oysters during the step where you combine the cornbread and the herb mixture. Old fashioned oyster dressing is another favorite Southern recipe!

What size cast iron skillet is recommended for the cornbread?

To cook the cornbread, an 8″ medium-sized skillet works best.

Can this be made as individual muffins in a muffin pan?

Yes, it’s possible! 

The best part about making this dish in individual muffins instead of a large pan is that you can customize the toppings for each person!

If you use box cornbread, how much or how many boxes do you use?

One Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – 8.5 ounces, which is just a little more than 1 cup.

What do you think about this recipe?

Not sure what to cook tonight?

This Southern cornbread chicken and dressing recipe doesn’t have to wait until Thanksgiving!

With the addition of chicken to this cornbread dressing, it’s more like a casserole that can be served on its own for dinner tonight!

And if you like this recipe, you’ll love these best African American cornbread dressing recipes HERE and best soul food cornbread recipe roundup ideas HERE!

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More old-fashioned Black folks dressing recipes!

Check out these favorite African American Thanksgiving recipes to try.

Did you enjoy this ultimate Black filks chicken and dressing recipe?

Have you had it?

Would you make it? 

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