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This Chicken and Dressing recipe has all the flavors of traditional Southern cornbread dressing with a Cajun twist that makes a mouthwatering and hearty dish.
More yummy sides packed with flavor: Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Southern Green Beans, Garlic Mash Potatoes, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Collard Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, and 5-minute Turkey Gravy.
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Growing up, cornbread dressing was always king. My family's cornbread dressing always had to include cornbread, onions, celery, bell peppers, and chicken, but the chicken was gizzards. This was my first year making chicken and dressing.
Now, the great thing I learned about this dressing is that it's less involved compared to my traditional cornbread dressing. I used the same recipe I would for my Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe, but with a few tweaks, and I was really impressed by how delicious this easy cornbread dressing was.
Now let me show you how to make a chicken and dressing recipe that will impress even the pickiest eater in your family on Thanksgiving day.
What is Chicken and Dressing?
Chicken and dressing is a dish made of cornbread, chicken, various herbs, and poultry seasoning. It is usually served as a side dish but can also be used as stuffing. I like to call it the first cousin of Southern cornbread dressing.
Key Ingredients
Before making your southern dressing, look at this list of ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
Chicken
There are a lot of options for what type of chicken you can use. Any kind of baked chicken will work. For this recipe, I used some leftover rotisserie chicken.
Cornbread
You can use Jiffy cornbread mix if you like, but nothing is better than a homemade cornbread recipe.
Sage
I use fresh sage in my cornbread dressing recipe, but I use ground sage for this recipe.
Vegetables
I always use the holy trinity in my cornbread dressing, onion, celery, and bell peppers, but I omitted the bell pepper for this recipe.
Chicken Broth
Chicken broth is going to make our dressing moist and add a little flavor. I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth because the sodium in regular chicken broth is through the roof.
How to make a chicken dressing recipe?
The key to cooking is proper technique, patience, and confidence. That's how I'm going to teach you to make a chicken and dressing recipe.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add oil; once hot, add chicken and Cajun seasoning, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the onion and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, and Worcestershire, and cook for 15 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning.
In a large bowl, break up cornbread, add chicken mixture and add ½ cup of chicken broth; stir to combine. The cornbread mixture should be moist with no extra liquid at the bottom of the bowl. You have the right amount of liquid when your dressing holds when pressed together.
Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish, pour in the chicken dressing and bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and crusty. Cool for 15 minutes before serving hot. Here's a link for my moist southern cornbread recipe.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes I had from making this incredibly delicious chicken and dressing recipe.
- You can use chicken stock instead of chicken broth.
- If you use Jiffy cornbread mix but do not use pork, I recommend you buy the vegetarian version, pick another brand, or make homemade cornbread.
- Feel free to use baked chicken, chicken thighs, chicken breast, shredded chicken you cooked in the instant pot, leftover chicken you cooked in the air fryer, or a reliable rotisserie chicken.
- I find that chopped chicken incorporates better than shredded chicken.
- If you do use a rotisserie chicken, get unseasoned or regular seasoned. Other flavors will clash with the other herbs and spices.
- Feel free to use poultry seasoning in your recipe.
- You can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning in place of Savory Cajun seasoning. If you do, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Feel free to use a casserole dish or cast iron skillet to bake your dressing in.
- Ground sage and rubbed sage or the same.
- You do not need eggs to bind the dressing together.
- This dish can be made a day ahead and baked. Wrap the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate after you've added the dressing to the 9 x 13 pan. Continue following the recipe for 15 minutes before removing it from the oven, then finish as directed.
- Sandwich bread or any white bread never goes in cornbread dressing.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about chicken and dressing.
You can put eggs in your chicken and dressing recipe, but I see no reason to do it. The chicken, vegetables, cornbread, and chicken stock adds moisture and will bind perfectly when baked.
People put eggs in cornbread dressing to add moisture and help it bind. I find it to be an unnecessary ingredient.
There are several things to serve with dressing, but the best dressings are served with giblet gravy.
Chicken and dressing will last for 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
For this recipe, you will need a 9 x 13 baking dish, but you can use a casserole dish or a large 12-inch cast iron skillet.
Poultry seasoning is an excellent seasoning for chickens and turkeys; it's also great for vegetables. The ingredients for poultry seasoning include sage, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme.
Chicken and dressing is best 3 days after baking but will be fresh for 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can freeze chicken dressing by placing it in a freezer-safe container for 3 months.
Reheat dressing in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until hot.
More Southern Recipes
If you love cornbread dressing and plenty of the Southern holiday sides, you'll love these recipes.
- Collard Green Egg Rolls with Cornbread Dressing
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
- New Orleans Baked Mac n Cheese
- Corn Pudding
- Vanilla Wafer Banana Pudding
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F before pulling the ingredients out. Get all ingredients for the chicken and dressing on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything into individual bowls.
Step 3: Follow the recipe to make the best chicken and dressing you've ever tasted.
So, if you’re in the mood for a delicious and hearty chicken dish with all the flavors of traditional cornbread dressing, be sure to try this recipe. And when you do, don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from my readers and getting your feedback!
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📖 Recipe
Chicken And Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken chopped
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon Savory Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 medium onion chopped medium
- 2 celery stalks chopped medium
- 2 garlic cloves chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb. cornbread
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil; once hot, add chicken and Cajun seasoning, cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the onion and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, and Worcestershire, and cook for 15 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- In a bowl, break up cornbread, add the chicken, add ½ cup of chicken stock, and stir to combine. Cornbread should be moist with no extra liquid at the bottom of the bowl. If that happens, pour off access stock.
- Butter a 9 x 13 pan, add chicken dressing, and bake for 20 minutes until the top is brown and crusty. Cool for 15 minutes before serving hot.
Notes
- You can use chicken stock instead of chicken broth.
- If you use Jiffy cornbread mix but do not use pork, I recommend you buy the vegetarian version, pick another brand, or make homemade cornbread.
- Feel free to use baked chicken, chicken thighs, chicken breast, shredded chicken you cooked in the instant pot, leftover chicken you cooked in the air fryer, or a reliable rotisserie chicken.
- I find that chopped chicken incorporates better than shredded chicken.
- If you do use a rotisserie chicken, get unseasoned or regular seasoned. Other flavors will clash with the other herbs and spices.
- Feel free to use poultry seasoning in your recipe.
- You can use your favorite all-purpose seasoning in place of Savory Cajun seasoning. If you do, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Feel free to use a casserole dish or cast iron skillet to bake your dressing in.
- Ground sage and rubbed sage or the same thing.
- You do not need eggs to bind the dressing together.
- This dish can be made a day ahead and baked. Wrap the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate after you've added the dressing to the 9 x 13 pan. Continue following the recipe for 15 minutes before removing it from the oven, then finish as directed.
- Sandwich bread or any white bread never goes in cornbread dressing.
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