Cornbread Dressing (Cornbread Stuffing)

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This cornbread dressing recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. This buttery, savory, herb-infused cornbread stuffing is a delicious holiday side dish.

Cornbread Dressing  on a plate with fresh herbs


Every holiday needs a delicious stuffing/dressing side dish, and this cornbread dressing recipe is sure to impress (also this sausage stuffing, and corn pudding – yum).

It’s easy to make with either a package of cornbread, or homemade cornbread, and can even be prepared a day in advance!

Cornbread Dressing  in a baking dish topped with fresh herbs

Cornbread Stuffing: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead view of the ingredients in this Cornbread Dressing recipe
  • Yellow onion. Choose your favorite onion variety (red, yellow, white, green, etc).
  • Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced garlic both work well in this recipe. You can replace the tablespoon of minced garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter or ghee work well.
  • Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley). I included our favorite herb blend, choose your favorite. I do recommend fresh, although dried herbs work in a pinch.
  • Cornbread stuffing package. You can use a package of cornbread stuffing, or dried out, small cubes of your own homemade cornbread (the best) to make this cornbread stuffing.
  • Chicken broth. vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth.
up close photo of a spoon taking a scoop of Cornbread stuffing out of a baking dish

How to Make Cornbread Dressing

Let’s walk through how to make cornbread dressing step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by combining the stuffing mixture or cubed homemade cornbread and chicken broth in a large bowl, gently stirring every 2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed by the stuffing. Set aside. 

Note: If using homemade cornbread, I suggest cutting it into small cubes and baking at 325 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until it’s slightly crispy.

packaged cornbread being hydrated with chicken broth in this cornbread dressing recipe

While the stuffing is absorbing the liquid, cook the butter onion, garlic, celery, rosemary, sage leaves, and parsley in a large pot over medium-high heat until the veggies are soft 

two photos showing vegetables and herbs cooking to make cornbread stuffing

Then, add the vegetable mixture to the bowl with the stuffing and mix until evenly combined. Taste the stuffing and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.

two photos showing How to Make Cornbread Dressing - combining stuffing mixture with vegetables and herbs

Bake

At this point, you can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey or bake as described below:

  1. Stuff it in a turkey. If you are making this cornbread stuffing recipe to go inside a turkey, stuff it according to the recipe you’re using to cook your bird!
  2. Bake uncovered. If you like a crunchy top, then bake the stuffing uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.
  3. Bake covered. If you like a softer stuffing, then bake it in a casserole dish with a lid or cover the baking dish with foil! 
two photos showing How to Make Cornbread Dressing - before and after baking

Serve

Serve warm with your favorite Thanksgiving recipes or for a yummy holiday side dish.

cornbread stuffing in a baking dish with a spoon

Store/Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Prepare in Advance

I almost always make this cornbread dressing recipe the day before Thanksgiving. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Follow the recipe completely, including baking. 
2. Let stuffing cool to room temperature. 
3. Cover with foil or a lid (if your baking dish has one). 
4. Store in the refrigerator overnight. 
To reheat: Cover stuffing and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. Remove cover in the last 5-10 minutes of baking to restore the crunchy top! You may need to add a splash of extra broth if it dried out at all overnight.

up close view of a spoon taking a scoop of Cornbread Dressing out of a baking dish

Cornbread Dressing Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between stuffing and cornbread dressing?

The only difference, technically, is that stuffing is usually referred to when the mixture is stuffed inside of a turkey (or another bird), while dressing is baked on its own. Now a days they are basically synonymous.

Should you dry out cornbread for stuffing?

Yes, I suggest cutting the cornbread into small cubes and baking it at 325 degrees F until it’s slightly hardened (about 15-25 minutes). Then let it cool completely before using in this recipe.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it?

Yes, you can do this. Although I prefer to bake it all the way ahead of time and then simply reheat it on the holiday.

a plate of Cornbread Dressing with fresh herbs

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Cornbread Dressing Recipe (Cornbread Stuffing)

Laura
This cornbread dressing recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. This buttery, savory, herb-infused cornbread stuffing is a delicious holiday side dish.
5 from 1 vote
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Calories 231
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup yellow onion diced
  • 1 cup celery diced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 12 ounce package cornbread stuffing (8 cups cubed cornbread)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (1 quart)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13” pan, set aside.
  • Combine stuffing mixture or cubed homemade cornbread and chicken broth in a large bowl, gently stirring every 2 minutes until the liquid is absorbed by the stuffing. Set aside.
  • Cook butter onion, garlic, celery, rosemary, sage leaves, and parsley and cook until veggies are soft
  • Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  • Add mixture to the bowl with the stuffing and mix until evenly combined. Taste the stuffing and adjust the salt and pepper as desired.
  • At this point, you can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey or bake as described in the next steps:
  • Add stuffing to the prepared baking dish.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven until the top is set and slightly browned/firm. I personally love a crunchy top, but if you like it soft you can bake it covered with foil.
  • Serve warm!

Video

Notes

 If using homemade cornbread, I suggest cutting it into small cubes and baking at 325 degrees F for 15-25 minutes or until it’s slightly crispy.
Ingredient Substitutions
  • Yellow onion. Choose your favorite onion variety (red, yellow, white, green, etc).
  • Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced garlic both work well in this recipe. You can replace the tablespoon of minced garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter or ghee work well.
  • Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley). I included our favorite herb blend, choose your favorite. I do recommend fresh, although dried herbs work in a pinch.
  • Cornbread stuffing package. You can use a package of cornbread stuffing, or dried out, small cubes of your own homemade cornbread (the best) to make this cornbread stuffing.
  • Chicken broth. vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth.
  • Yellow onion. Choose your favorite onion variety (red, yellow, white, green, etc).
  • Minced garlic. jarred or freshly minced garlic both work well in this recipe. You can replace the tablespoon of minced garlic with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter or ghee work well.
  • Fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, parsley). I included our favorite herb blend, choose your favorite. I do recommend fresh, although dried herbs work in a pinch.
  • Cornbread stuffing package. You can use a package of cornbread stuffing, or dried out, small cubes of your own homemade cornbread (the best) to make this cornbread stuffing.
  • Chicken broth. vegetable broth is a great substitute for chicken broth.
Baking Options (stuffing in a bird, crunchy top, soft top)
  • Stuff it in a turkey. If you are making this cornbread stuffing recipe to go inside a turkey, stuff it according to the recipe you’re using to cook your bird!
  • Bake uncovered. If you like a crunchy top, then bake the stuffing uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.
  • Bake covered. If you like a softer stuffing, then bake it in a casserole dish with a lid or cover the baking dish with foil! 
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Prepare in Advance
  1. Follow the recipe completely, including baking.
  2. Let stuffing cool to room temperature.
  3.  Cover with foil or a lid (if your baking dish has one).
  4. Store in the refrigerator overnight. 
To reheat: Cover stuffing and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through. Remove cover in the last 5-10 minutes of baking to restore the crunchy top! You may need to add a splash of extra broth if it dried out at all overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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1 Comment

  1. 5 stars
    I made this as part of our Thanksgiving meal, and am looking forward to leftovers! It is flavorful and easy to assemble. I made homemade cornbread a few days ahead, cubed and left it out to get a little stale. It worked perfectly in this recipe.