This traditional southern chicken cornbread dressing recipe combines cornbread, vegetables, seasoning, and of course, shredded chicken for that grandmother used to make, perfect side dish.
This chicken cornbread dressing is one of my favorite side dishes during the holidays. Although it doesn't have to be just during the holidays, I could eat a bowl of it right now.
If you are northern then I know what you are probably thinking. What the heck is dressing?
It is what we southerners call stuffing. It is a lot like stuffing but well not stuffing. It is cooked on the outside of the bird, in a dish. Just like I prefer it. haha!
This is my mom's recipe, passed down from her mom.
During the holidays it is a lot to cook for a household of just 3 but it has become a tradition and a recipe that I remember having every Thanksgiving and one that I want to pass down to my own daughter as well.
Chicken Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Before you get started even making the recipe you will want to cook your cornbread.
If you already have a recipe for regular skillet cornbread then you can definitely use that but if you don't then here is how I cook my cast iron skillet cornbread.
Now on to the actual recipe for Chicken Cornbread Dressing.
Ingredients you will need:
- Pk of Chicken Legs (Approx 6)
- Broth From the Chicken Legs
- Cornbread 1 Skillet (here is the recipe again)
- 1 Egg
- ½ Onion
- Celery 2-3 Stalks
- Sage
- Poultry Seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions for Chicken Cornbread Dressing
The very first step is to make your cornbread, use your own recipe or you can follow the directions in the post I listed above.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
While you are waiting for your oven to preheat, boil your chicken legs in a large pot with plenty of water. You will need the broth as part of your ingredients so do NOT discard it.
Once your chicken legs are cooked separate the meat from the bones.
Pour your chicken broth into a 9x13 inch dish. Depending on how much water you used to boil your chicken you may not need all of your broth. You will want to fill your dish about half full of broth.
Now you can add the rest of your ingredients, continuing to stir to get everything spread around. Add the chicken, 1 egg, and cornbread. You should only need 1 skillet or 9x9 pan of cornbread for a 9x13 dish of dressing.
Stir in the onion and celery. I chop these into little pieces using my food processor.
Now you can add in the seasonings. Add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning to taste. Make sure you go light on the sage and poultry seasoning at first and then you can add more if it needs it. I don't have exact measurements on how much I add but I would probably say somewhere around ½ tablespoon.
Bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 1 hour. Stir the dressing every 20-30 minutes.
It is important to note that you don't want to go too heavy on the sage or poultry seasoning.
You can always add more but you can't take away if you add too much.
If you don't like this herb then you can leave it out all together but I feel like it adds to the taste.
Once you get everything into your 9x13 casserole dish the final mixture will be wet. It is supposed to be like this.
You don't want it too wet so if that is the case then you need to add more cornbread.
You can also switch it around and crumble up the dry ingredients in the pan and then add the liquid to it. This will allow you to get just the right amount of wet to dry ratio.
Just be sure that you don't add too much cornbread otherwise you will be eating dry dressing.
If that does happen (no worries it has happened to me too and I have cooked this so many times) you can make you up a little bit of thickening with flour and water and then add some of the leftover broth to the mixture.
Allow it to warm on the stove and it will make a great gravy.
Tips for prepping days before!
- You can make your cornbread dressing up to two days beforehand, wrap it tightly, refrigerate, and bake as directed.
- If you would like to prepare weeks in advance you can also freeze this dish. You can prep up to two weeks in advance and freeze (unbaked), thaw and bake as directed.
Want to print this recipe?
Southern Chicken Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- Pk of Chicken Legs Approx 6
- Broth From the Chicken Legs
- Cornbread 1 Skillet
- 1 Egg
- ½ Onion
- Celery 2-3 Stalks
- Sage
- Poultry Seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- The very first step is to make your cornbread.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil your chicken legs in a large pot with plenty of water. You will need the broth as part of your ingredients.
- Once your chicken legs are cooked separate the meat from the bones.
- Pour your chicken broth into a 9x13 inch dish. Depending on how much water you used to boil your chicken you may not need all of your broth. You will want to fill your dish about half full of broth.
- Now you can add the rest of your ingredients, continuing to stir to get everything spread around. Add the chicken, 1 egg and cornbread. You should only need 1 skillet or 9x9 pan of cornbread for a 9x13 dish of dressing.
- Stir in the onion and celery. I chop these into little pieces using my food processor.
- Now you can add in the seasonings. Add salt, pepper, sage and poultry seasoning to taste. Make sure you go light on the sage and poultry seasoning at first and then you can add more if it needs it. I don't have exact measurements on how much I add but I would probably say somewhere around ½ tablespoon.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 1 hour. Stir the dressing every 20-30 minutes.
That is just about all there is to it. Let me know if you cook a dish of this dressing or if you are like myself and had this (or something similar) as a child.
Questions you may have:
Can you make cornbread dressing the day before?
You can absolutely make this dressing the day before. It makes a great leftover dish as well. See my tips above for prepping in advance.
How long will Cornbread Dressing keep in the refrigerator?
As long as it is put into the fridge right away chicken cornbread dressing will keep between 3 to 4 days.
Even more Thanksgiving Side Dishes you don't want to miss!
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