Black Folks Southern Oyster Dressing Recipe

What’s the best Thanksgiving stuffing?

The answer is one that’s unique, soul food delicious, and the perfect side dish to show up at your next holiday gathering. So look no further than this Black folks’ Southern oyster dressing recipe! 

What is a Black folks’ Southern oyster dressing recipe?

This classic deep South dressing is made with homemade cornbread, herbs, vegetables, and fresh or canned chopped oysters. It has everything a seafood lover looks for, plus the savory soul food seasoning you come to expect from a Black folks dressing recipe.

Dressing is a Southern soul food specialty! I don’t think I’ve ever hosted or been to a family Thanksgiving without dressing on the table. 

Where did oyster dressing originate?

Oyster dressing is a regional dish that was popularized in the 1800s. The origins of oyster dressing are unclear, but it is thought to have originated in New Orleans.

Oysters were abundant and inexpensive at the time, so they were often used as an ingredient for dishes like soups or stews.

Since there weren’t refrigerators back then, people would cook up large batches of food and save portions for later use. Today, oyster dressing is still a favorite at holiday gatherings. It can be found on menus across the country from New Orleans to Ohio!

Why do Black folks add oysters to dressing?

Oysters are plentiful and cheap in Southern states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. In addition, oysters are one of the few foods that could be grown or fished year-round because they thrive even during harsh times when other food sources are scarce. 

Sounds like a Black folks recipe to me – making something from nothing!

Today, oyster dressing is a sought-after culinary cuisine!

This holiday season, spice up your feast with a dish that’s been enjoyed for centuries. Oyster dressing is a flavorful side that will complement your traditional turkey and cranberry sauce. 

With its rich and savory flavor, this dish is sure to be a hit at your table.

What does oyster dressing taste like?

It’s unbelievably delicious—a bready dressing that’s spicy, crispy, and nicely briny. Plus, it’s the perfect dish to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!

Kitchen equipment 

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

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

*Want to make your cornbread from scratch? 

Check out this Black folks homemade cornbread recipe HERE!

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 Southern cornbread oyster dressing recipe

• 16 oz. oysters, chopped into large pieces (fresh oysters preferred, or canned)
• ¼ cup of unsalted butter 
• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup of celery, diced
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, 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

Instructions for Black folk’s Southern oyster dressing recipe

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. Drain the oyster juice, then add the oysters, chicken stock, salt, and pepper to the inner pot’s simmer, and stir to combine.
7. Remove the oysters and herb mixture from the 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 oyster 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 Black folks’ Southern oyster dressing recipe and dressing recipe warm, and enjoy! Optional – serve with gravy on top.

Does your family have a dressing or stuffing recipe that is passed down from one generational table to the next?

Check out the Southern dressing recipe variations below to create your next family recipe tradition!

What do you serve with oyster dressing?

This oyster dressing recipe has notes of the ocean thanks to its use of fresh oysters harvested from the salty sea. This dressing has a briny, mineral-like flavor coupled with a mouthful of savory herbs and seasonings. 

So oyster dressing is a recipe that can be paired with many other entrées and side dishes.

But if you enjoy very creamy dressings that have fewer ingredients, then you might like something lighter like these Black folks creamed corn pudding. It has less pronounced flavors, and heavy whipping cream is king!

What kind of oysters to use for oyster dressing?

While you can use canned oysters for this recipe, fresh shucked oysters are best! And don’t forget to drain the oyster liquid. 

Fat Baby or Wellfleet oysters are your best bet if you want the most intense and brinier oysters. 

If you’re not an oyster enthusiast, sea saltiness isn’t necessarily your jam, or you’re adding oysters to your dressing purely for the flavor variety. Order Blue Point oysters for this recipe instead.

How to store leftover oyster dressing?

Leftover oyster dressing is best suited for the fridge. It can last up to four days in there if you cover it and store it within hours after making it. And because of the fresh seafood, this dressing will, unfortunately, spoil quickly.

What did you think about this recipe?

How would you rate oyster stuffing?

Oyster dressing, Black folks chicken and dressing, or simple cornbread dressing…

Chicken and dressing is a soul food favorite, probably because it can be served as a casserole or a side dish. It’s almost akin to candied yams and  collard greens – the soul food eye candy of the South!

But don’t sleep on this Black folks oyster dressing recipe!

It’s one of the most delicious dressings that I’ve ever tasted! It has just the right amount of shellfish to deliver that famous soul food cornbread recipe with an extra kick without being too overpowering.

The flavor is also perfectly balanced with sweet and salty notes that complement each other well. Oyster stuffing is just what the soul food gods ordered – and one of my favorite seafood appetizers to eat.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these best Black folks cornbread dressing recipes HERE, best soul food cornbread recipe roundup ideas HERE, and ranch oyster crackers recipe HERE!

Have you had it?

Would you make it? 

Comment below and lemme know. 

Then subscribe HERE for all the soul food!

Like this post? Pin the below image to your Pinterest “Soul Food Recipes” board!