Southern Chicken And Dressing

Bring a bit of the old South flair to your dinner table this holiday season with this recipe for Southern chicken and dressing. 

There’s a reason why Southern chicken and dressing is a holiday tradition. It’s tender, moist, and packed full of flavor. 

There’s nothing quite like it. And while lots of homemade Southern dressing recipes have weighed in on this debate, we’re pretty sure ours trumps them all!

Southern cornbread dressing recipe

This cornbread chicken and dressing recipe is an old-fashioned comfort food generously flecked with herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, and sage. 

Then sautéed vegetables like onion, celery, and soul food seasoned chicken are smothered in the cornbread mixture for baking.

Southern chicken and dressing is an ideal holiday dressing. An elevated version of an old-fashioned Thanksgiving dressing recipe. 

Southern chicken and dressing is also best served for Sunday dinner and other special occasions like New Year’s, Easter, or Christmas. 

But why relegate this popular dish to a specific event?

Enjoy this recipe whenever you feel like a homemade dressing recipe is needed!

How do you make easy Southern chicken and dressing?

A complete meal in one dish, this dressing casserole starts with a base of buttery-rich homemade cornbread. 

Then onion and celery are sautéed in a homemade poultry seasoning made of savory seasoning and chicken broth and flanked with tender, delicious shredded chicken.

This Southern chicken and dressing casserole is then baked and served warm!

It can be easily reheated for servings of seconds and thirds!

What type of chicken should you use for chicken and dressing?

This Southern chicken and dressing recipe calls for dark chicken meat, like chicken thighs, because it absorbs flavor best. 

However, you can use white chicken meat, like seasoned homemade chicken breast. Whether that’s baked chicken breast or fried chicken.

Kitchen equipment for Southern chicken and dressing

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

Shop my kitchenware HERE!

Ingredients for the homemade cornbread

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

Can you use Jiffy cornbread mix instead of making homemade? 

Wondering if you can use the box cornbread? The answer is yes!

Check out the recipe notes below for cornbread mix instructions!

Making the cornbread for this recipe from scratch?

Here are the step-by-step instructions below.

Instructions for the homemade cornbread

1. Preheat the conventional or Instant Pot Omni Plus oven to bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (although you may not use all this time to melt 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 heavy cream in a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour the melted butter from the baking pan into the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients. 
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 Omni Plus oven, bake for 18-20 minutes.
7. When baking 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 (Shredded boneless, skinless, & cooked. Or other poultry, preferably dark meat.)

Instructions for Southern chicken and 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 the heat and set aside. 
8. Allow the mixture to cool to the touch so 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.

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

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

One package (8.5 oz.) is all you’ll need.

Ingredients for Jiffy box cornbread

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

Instructions for Jiffy box cornbread chicken dressing

1. Preheat the conventional or Instant Pot Omni Plus oven to bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (although you may not use all this time to melt 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, and heavy cream in a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour the melted butter from the skillet into the mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients. 
5. Pour the cornbread mixture into the skillet.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F. In the conventional oven for 25-30 minutes. Omni Plus oven for 23-25 minutes.
7. When baking has finished, allow the cornbread to cool for approx. 10 minutes.
8. Cut the bread lengthwise, then cut it across into 1-inch bread cubes and set aside.

What do you serve with Southern chicken and dressing?

Chicken and dressing is a versatile dressing that’s great served warm alongside turkey or on the side of warm, cooked ham.

It can also hold its own as a main course casserole with soul food sides or Thanksgiving side dishes like Southern green beans, Southern baked candied yams, or soul food collard greens.

Southern chicken and dressing FAQs

How is cornbread dressing different from stuffing?

Oh, that age-old question… What’s the difference between dressing and stuffing?

The traditional view is that stuffing is made using bread crumbs, herbs, spices, and chicken, while dressing is made using cornbread. 

How do you make easy Southern chicken and dressing casserole gluten-free?

This recipe is a cornmeal-based dressing, so it’s already gluten-free!

Do you want oysters instead of a chicken recipe?

If you like changing the protein in your cornbread dressing recipes, try Southern cornbread dressing with gizzards or this soul food oyster dressing recipe.

Can this be made vegetarian?

Yes, simply omit the chicken for a soul food cornbread dressing recipe.

How would this taste without the shredded chicken?

Without the shredded chicken, Southern chicken and dressing would be Southern cornbread dressing.

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. (You want chicken and dressing, not chicken soup!)

The onions and celery will soften as they’re sautéed.

Do you put eggs in Southern dressing?

Yes, adding eggs makes the dressing richer and more flavorful. 

Some Southern cooks even include additions like boiled eggs, white sandwich bread, or bell pepper. 

Would it be fine leaving the eggs out?

Beyond the savory flavor, the egg yolk is the necessary binding ingredient that holds the dish together when baking. It makes the dressing more solid and less runny.

Can you use white cornmeal instead of yellow?

You can use either yellow or white cornmeal for this Southern recipe. 

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

Can you use the cubed dry cornbread that comes in a bag like you use for stuffing a turkey?

A bagged stuffing could work if you’re in a time pinch and can’t make homemade cornbread. 

Replace the crumbled cornbread with the bagged stuffing mix, and start with this recipe’s ‘Instructions for Southern chicken and dressing.

Which size cast iron skillet or pan would you bake the cornbread in?

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

Or you can use an 8″ or similar size baking pan. 

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

Yes, it’s possible! 

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

Should dressing be covered while cooking?

The dressing will go through a two-step baking process. 

First, cover the baking dish with foil for this old-fashioned Thanksgiving recipe and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

Then uncover and bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes more.

Can you make cornbread dressing the day before?

This cornbread stuffing recipe is perfect for making ahead of time. You can make it up to 3 days in advance so that you have one less dish to worry about on Thanksgiving Day. 

Can the dressing be assembled the day before and cooked the next day?

Yes, pre-make the cornbread and cube it. Then combine the egg mixture with the pre-baked cornbread and bake as directed. 

How long will cornbread dressing keep in the refrigerator?

When stored correctly, cornbread dressing will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Cornbread Dressing stored in the fridge should be covered to prevent drying and to keep out unwanted refrigerator odors.

Can you freeze this Southern chicken and dressing recipe?

To freeze Southern chicken and dressing, place the prepared dish in the freezer wrapped in 2 layers, plastic wrap or parchment paper, then foil.

Keep in the freezer for up to two weeks.

What do you think of this Southern chicken and dressing recipe?

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!