When it comes to soul food and southern American cuisine in general, there’s always a lot of pomp & circumstance for dishes such as Collard Greens, Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potato Pie and even Potato Salad. That said, I would argue one of the more underrated dishes that completes this cuisine is the classic Southern Cornbread Dressing. Depending on your cultural background, you may know of dressing best by another name, that being stuffing (as in what’s stuffed inside the Turkey to keep it moist). There are many ways to make this dish sides (including the more “convenient” way, using Stove Top-brand stuffing mix). In this post, I’m going to share my recipe for making this dish entirely from scratch.
Troubleshooting Cornbread Dressing
My shredded chicken came out rubbery.
A mistake a lot of cooks (especially those who are beginners) will make with southern cornbread dressing is they’ll either boil the chicken on high heat for way too long or, even after the heat has beeen reduced, allow to chicken to simmer for too long. If you boil it on high heat for too long, the outside of the chicken will overcook before the inside is done, which is how you get the tough/rubbery texture. That’s why it’s important to immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer once it starts to boil and frequently check the chickens using two forks to ensure doneness and that it’s not overcooked (the pieces of meat should start to easily pull apart).
My vegetables ended up too crunchy
While some folks will simply put raw vegetable straight into their southern cornbread dressing, it is standard procedured to saute them prior to baking in the dressing in order to soften them. However, they should still have a slight crunch to them (fork tender) and not be too soggy. That said, the vegetables should not be crunchy that it feels and sounds like you’re eating pretzels. If that happens, it means you didn’t saute the vegetables long enough. To avoid this, it is important that you cook the vegetables until they’re both fragrant and translucent before adding them to the dressing. If in doubt, you can taste test the vegetables to confirm doneness before removing them from the heat.
My chicken broth turned out cloudy
Another thing manycooks struggle with is their homemade chicken broth for southern cornbread dressing coming out clear. The broth may not necessarily have the bright yellow color that you see with store-bought broths (because homemade broth won’t contains the same additives / presevatives). However, you should still be able to see at least partially through the broth. Common causes for this is boiling the broth too briskly or stirring way too much. To avoid this, it is important that you not only ensure you’re only simmering the broth until it’s done, but also that you avoid stirring it while it simmers. Doing either of these things will cause the impurities from the meat to become incorporated in the broth.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Do not overbake. This is perhaps the most important tip of them all. Unfortunately, southern cornbread dressing is one of those dishes that’s not very forgiving if you cook it for even slightly longer than directed in this recipe. This cornbread dressing recipe is similar to custard, in that the eggs will tend to tighten as they bake. When this happens, the over-coagulation of the eggs will squeeze out too much moisture from the filling. This can not only lead to cracks on the surface, which are not aesthetically pleasing, but it can potentially leave you with dressing that has an overly eggy taste. Sadly, when it’s happen, it’s difficult to fix and the dish will be ruined.
Prep and bake later. Southern cornbread dressing is one of those dishes where you can combine all of the ingredients ahead of time and then just sit it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it. I do this myself when I’m cooking my thanksgiving dinner, as I like to assemble many of the dishes the night before so that I can cook then immediately the day of Thanksgiving. It should be good in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, as long as it is sealed tightly with plastic wrap or is placed in an airtight container. The reason you want to do this is to prevent the dish from dying out as well as becoming contaminated.
Do not overmix the dressing. I advise against this because too much mixing or mixing that is vigorous can lead to gluten development in both the cornbread and the bread crumbs. When this happens, you could end up with southern cornbread dressing that is too mushy, too dense, flatten as it bakese, or even all of the above at the same time. To minimize the risk of overmixing the dressing, you want to avoid stirring vigorously and only gently fold the ingredients using a cooking spoon. There may still be some lumps in the dressing, but this is perfectly fine as the moisture in the dressing will eventually penetrate through those lumps and break them down while it bakes.
For the best results, use a glass baking dish. There are different kinds of baking dishes you can use for southern cornbread dressing. For this pie crust recipe, I recommend using a glass baking dish. The reason why is because you will have an easier time gauging the doneness of the dressing as a glass pie pan will allow you the ability to see the bottom and sides of the dressing as it bakes. The problem with metal pie pans is you can’t really see the inside to determine whether or not it’s done. Meanwhile, the problem with ceramic pie pans is that they tend to be poor conductors of heat, which can lead to a dressing that cooks unevenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the Unsweetened Cornbread mix for Homemade Cornbread?
Absolutely! For me, the decision to use one or the other is a philosophical one. I’m happy to make pie crust from scratch or even rolls from scratch, but I don’t see the purpose of exerting extra time/energy and wasting extra ingredients to make whole cornbread entirely from scratch just for it to become old & stale (homemade cornbread is much preferred though when you’re enjoying it fresh!), especially on top of having to prepare thanksgiving dishes. That said, if you prefer to make your cornbread from scratch for this recipe, be my guest! I think we can all agree though, one should *NEVER* use Jiffy or any other sweet cornbread mix (as no one enjoys sweet southern conrbread dressing!).
Can you suggest brands of Unsweetened Cornbread mix to use?
My go-to favorite for this southern cornbread recipe is Martha White’s Buttermilk Cornbread mix. The best part about it is all you have to do is add milk (or water) and then stir it before baking it. It’s that easy and is essentially foolproof. Martha White’s Cotton Country Cornbread mix is also a good alternative. That said, I can’t recommend any other brand(s) with confidence.
Can I substitute the homemade Shredded Chicken + Broth for store-bought Shredded Chicken + Broth?
You most certainly can for this southern cornbread dressing recipe! Just be aware, you may have to adjust the seasoning somewhat to account for this substitution, as the store-bought items may tend to be more salty.
Can I use toast for my breadcrumbs?
Yes you can for this southern cornbread dressing recipe! You would just need to toast enough bread to make up 2 cups, and then grind it up.
Can I substitute the rubbed sage for ground sage?
Definitely! You would just need to only use half of the rubbed sage measurement in the instructions for ground sage to achieve the equivalent flavor.
Can I substitute the Shredded Chicken for Shredded Turkey?
You absolutely can substitute the shredded chicken in this southern cornbread dressing recipe for shredded turkey! The only real issue with attempting to substitute chicken for turkey is seasonality. It is a lot harder to acquire fresh turkey for shredding outside of the thanksgiving and christmas holiday. Thus, you may have to resport to using frozen or processed turkey if you decide to go this route when making the dressing any other time of the year.
Can I substitute the Chicken Broth for Turkey Broth?
You absolutely can substitute the chicken broth in this southern cornbread dressing recipe for turkey broth! There are a couple of issues you might run into though, if you choose to go through with this substitution. For one, because turkey tends to be a much leaner mean than chicken, it can be a lot harder to get enough broth and fat dripping from the turkey as it cooks. Often times, a ot of cooks will find themselves having to supplement the turkey broth with chicken broth any way to make up for the shortfall. In addition, I find store-bought turkey broth is not as easy to find in supermarkets as chicken broth.
Can you freeze this Southern Cornbread Dressing? And if so, for how long?
You certainly can! Once the southern cornbread dressing is done cooking, you should first allow it to cool down to room temperature. This will help to prevent the formation of ice crystals as it freezes. You should them ensure that it’s stored in an airtight container or sealed tightly. Southern cornbread dressing should maintain its freshness in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then once you’re ready to eat it, slowly thaw it out in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before attempting to heat it up. Just add a little bit of broth as it may dry out some while frozen.
How long can you store this Southern Cornbread Dressing without freezing?
As long as the southern cornbread dressing is stored in an airtight container or bowl, it should be safe to eat for at least 3 days. After 3 days, it may begin to lose its flavor & texture. Once 5 days have passed, I would advise that you dispose of the southern cornbread dressing as it may no longer be edible.
Try These Other Sides
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Best Cornbread (Southern-Style)
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Best Baked Mac and Cheese
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Best Southern Potato Salad Recipe
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Best Candied Yams
Best Southern Cornbread Dressing
Equipment
- 1 5qt Pot w/ Top
- 1 Slotted Cooking Spoon
- 1 8qt Mixing Bowl
- 1 9x13 Baking Dish
- 1 Cooking Spoon
- 1 Tongs
- 1 3qt Mixing Bowl
- 2 Forks (optional for shredding chicken)
- Hand *OR* Stand Mixer (optional for shredding chicken)
- 1 Knife
- Butcher Block *OR* Cutting Mat
- 1 8-10" Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 Plastic Spatula
- 1 Large Strainer or Colander
- 1 Small Bowl
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken & Broth (skip if using store-bought chicken & broth)
- 1 LB Boneless Chicken Breast (roughly 2 Large Chicken Breast)
- 5-6 Cups Cold Water
- 1 TSP Iodized Salt
- 2 Garlic Cloves (peeled and slightly crushed)
- 1/2 Jumbo White Onion (peeled & cut in half)
- 1 Large Carrot (cut into 4ths)
- 1 Celery Stalk (cut into 4ths)
Cornbread (skip if using premade cornbread or cornbread from scratch)
- 1 Pkg Martha White's Buttermilk *OR* Cotton Country Cornbread (*NOT* Cornmeal or Cornmeal Mix; equivalent to 2 Cups of Cornbread)
- 2/3 Cup Milk *OR* Water
- 1-2 TBSP Butter or Oil (to grease skillet)
Dressing
- 2 Cups Cornbread (1 Day Stale / Old)
- 2 Cups Dried Plain Fine Bread Crumbs (store‑bought like Progresso OR homemade — avoid panko)
- 1/2 LB Shredded Chicken Breast (roughly 1 Large Chicken Breast)
- 4-6 Cups Salted Chicken Broth
- 2 Extra Large Eggs
- 6 TBSP Unsalted Butter (divided)
- 1/2 Jumbo White Onion (peeled & diced; 1/4" diameter pieces)
- 1/2 Large Green Pepper (diced; 1/4" diameter pieces)
- 2 Celery Stalks (diced; 1/4" diameter pieces)
- 1 1/3 TBSP Rubbed Sage (equivalent to 1 TBSP and 1 TSP)
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1 TSP Onion Powder
- 1 TSP Dried Rosemary
- 1 TSP Dried Thyme
- 1/2 TSP Iodized Salt
- 1/4 TSP Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Cornbread (skip if using premade cornbread or cornbread from scratch)
- Grease cast-iron skillet with melted butter or oil.
- Preheat oven to 400*F and place skillet in oven while it preheats.
- Add cornbread mix and milk/water to 3qt mixing bowl.
- Stir milk and cornbread mix together until combined.
- Once oven is done preheating, remove skillet and add cornbread mixture to hot skillet.
- Place skillet with cornbread mixture back in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove cornbread from oven and allow to cool for 2 hours at room temperature.
- Place cornbread back in cool oven and allow it to rest overnight, until it's stale/old.
Shredded Chicken & Broth (skip if using store-bought chicken & broth)
- Wash dirt off vegetables.
- Peel & dice white onion in half, then dice 1/2 onion into another half.
- Dice celery stalk and carrot into 4ths.
- Place chicken, water salt and cut vegetables into 5qt pot and warm on medium-high heat until boiling.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer (low to medium-low heat***) and allow chicken & vegetables to stew for additional 25-30 minutes, while occasionally skimming fat from water using slotted spoon.
- Using tongs or fork, remove chicken from broth then draining broth & vegetables through strainer or colander into 3qt bowl, reserving broth.
- Place half of chicken (1/2 LB or 1 Large Chicken Breast) into separate mixing bowl and shred chicken using a hand/stand mixer or two forks. If using hand mixer, shred chicken on low to medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
Dressing
- Transfer old/stale cornbread to 8qt mixing bowl and break up using hands until it has a crumbly but coarse texture
- Add breadcrumbs to bowl and mix together with cornbread until well blended.
- Chop celery stalks, bell pepper and onion into small (1/4" diameter) pieces.
- Heat large skillet (on medium to medium-high heat***) and add 4 TBSP of unsalted butter. Allow butter to melt & cook until it is foamy
- Add vegetables to skillet and saute until fragrant, soft and glossy with no visible raw onion (approx. 10-15 minute***)
- Remove vegetables from heat and transfer into bowl with cornbread and breadcrumbs, then fold together until well-combined.
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- Add shredded chicken to bowl and fold together with dressing mixture until well-combined.
- Slowly and gradually add chicken broth to dressing mixture, while pausing to fold together in intervals until well-combined and moist. Mixture should look like thick, scoopable cornbread batter (not dry and not soupy).
- Add salt + spices/herbs to dressing mixture and fold together until well-combined.
- In small bowl, lightly beat eggs for about 15 seconds, then add eggs to dressing mixtures & fold together until well-combined. Mixture should look uniformly golden with no streaks of egg.
- Partially melt reamining 2 TBSP of butter and generously grease 9x13 baking dish.
- Transfer dressing mixture to baking dish and spread around until it forms one even layer.
- Place baking dish with dressing mixture in oven and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes (or until top is lightly browned and center feels set when pressed)
- Remove baking dish from oven and serve dressing immediately.