Chicken and Dressing
Chicken and Dressing is the southern classic to serve for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday dinners. A tried and true family recipe that is moist and delicious and full of flavor.
Chicken and dressing is usually the most favorite side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. My mother in law usually makes it for all of our holiday dinners and I have finally mastered this classic holiday dish.
Just take me to the recipe! Scroll to the very bottom of the post for the printable recipe card with ingredients and full instructions. Read on for the step by step photos of the process.
Ingredients Needed for Chicken Dressing Recipe
- chicken thighs
- kosher salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- water
- celery
- garlic cloves
for dressing - cornbread
- herb seasoned classic stuffing: I like Pepperidge Farm but any brand will work.
- butter
- celery
- onion
- heavy cream
- chicken broth
- eggs
- ground sage
- granulated garlic
- rosemary
- pepper
- kosher salt
- non stick cooking spray
How to Make Chicken and Dressing
- Brown four seasoned chicken thighs in olive oil.
- Cover with water and add celery and garlic cloves.
- Bring to a boil and then lower to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken from broth, cool slightly and dice chicken. Set broth aside.
- Bake cornbread and cool.
- Crumble cornbread into a large bowl and add seasoned stuffing mix.
- Cook onions and celery in butter until softened. Stir in cream and mix well.
- Pour over cornbread and bread crumbs and add chicken.
- Mix 2 cups of reserved broth with 2 beaten eggs and pour over cornbread mixture.
- Stir to combine. Add more broth 1/2 cup at a time until well moistened but not runny.
- Add garlic, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix well.
- Next, pour mixture into a well greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes or until top and edges are browned.
Recipe Notes and Variations
- Rotisserie Chicken: If you need a shortcut, use a rotisserie chicken, shredded or chopped, or cooked chicken breast or thighs will work. Substitute low-sodium chicken broth if needed.
- Cream Soups: If you have cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup, it can be used in place of the heavy cream.
- Stuffing: If you don’t have the herb seasoned stuffing, use day old bread cubes.
- Mushrooms: Fresh mushrooms can be sliced and sautéed with the vegetables if desired.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Leftover chicken dressing can be cooked in a 325° oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through or place in a skillet and cook over medium heat, turning to warm from both sides until heated through.
Tips for Making Chicken and Dressing
- Cook the chicken a few days in advance, if desired. Cool chicken and broth and then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Use a rotisserie chicken if you need a shortcut, any cooked chicken will work.
- Cornbread can be made a few days in advance. You made need additional broth if your cornbread is a day or two old.
- Make your chicken and dressing early Thanksgiving morning and allow it to cool. Cover and refrigerate and then reheat before your dinner. This will free up your oven for cooking the rest of your meal if need be.
Can You Freeze Chicken and Dressing?
Wrap baked chicken and dressing in 2 layers of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil or in a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 3 months. To reheat dressing, thaw in refrigerator and then remove from plastic wrap. Place in an oven safe dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
What is the Difference in Stuffing and Dressing?
Essentially, stuffing and dressing are pretty much the same. Depending on the region you live in, the classic Thanksgiving side dish can be called dressing or a stuffing casserole that is often stuffed inside the turkey before baking.
More Holiday Recipes to Try
- We also love serving my Aunt Zoe’s Cranberry Salad, Easy Smoked Turkey, Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, homemade gravy, and Green Bean Casserole and Hawaiian Rolls for Thanksgiving Dinner.
- Southern Cornbread Dressing is delicious, it’s similar to this recipe without chicken. We also love this Sausage and Cornbread Dressing, it’s a really flavorful addition to your holiday dinners.
- Smoked Chicken and Dressing made on the grill or smoker is out of this world delicious. We recently tried it and I’m pretty sure we will be making it like this from now on.
Add this cornbread dressing with chicken to your next holiday dinner menu for a southern favorite that taste’s just like grandma’s.
Have you tried this recipe? We would love for you to leave a comment and rating below.
Chicken and Dressing
Chicken and Dressing is the southern classic to serve for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday dinners. A tried and true family recipe that is simple to make.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 268kcal
Ingredients
for the chicken
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups water
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 garlic cloves
for dressing
- 1 pan skillet cornbread
- 12 ounce package herb seasoned classic stuffing
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3-4 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground sage
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- non stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to a deep skillet or heavy pan with olive oil. Cook on both sides until browned, about 8- 10 minutes.
- Add water, celery and garlic cloves and bring to a boil.
- Lower to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Remove skin and bones and shred or roughly chop chicken. Set broth aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Crumble baked cornbread into a large bowl, add seasoned stuffing crumbs.
- Add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat. Add onions and celery, cook until softened. Stir in cream and mix well.
- Pour onion mixture over cornbread mixture and add chicken.
- Mix 2 cups of reserved broth with 2 beaten eggs, pour over dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add more broth 1/2 cup at a time until well moistened but not runny.
- Add garlic, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour mixture into a well greased 9 x 13 baking dish, spreading evenly.
- Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes or until top and edges are browned.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Leftover chicken dressing can be cooked in a 325° oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through or place in a skillet and cook over medium heat, turning to warm from both sides until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1216mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g
Hi! I was in search of a dressing recipe that included chicken. I usually don’t make it with chicken through the holidays, and decided since we are in quarantine I would try it out as several of my friends had posted on social media making it! This is almost my exact dressing recipe, except I’ve never added cream. I’ll be adding it this time! I’m from Oklahoma too, hope you are staying safe!
Hi Brandy,
We are hanging in there and I hope y’all are too. I’m always thrilled to hear from folks in Oklahoma! I’ve been meaning to make chicken and dressing too, maybe for Easter. I hope y’all enjoy it.
~ Milisa
My mom a use to make this every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas but she died before she could teach me how to make it and I just feel i in my heart we will enjoy this thank you..
Can I use whole milk or evaporated milk instead of heavy cream?
Hi Debbie,
You can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup melted butter or canned milk. Either will be fine. I hope you enjoy the dressing.
~ Milisa
Thank you very much.
dthornley7151@troycable.net
Can I use whole milk or evaporated milk instead of heavy cream?
If not, can I just eliminate that?
This recipe is almost identical to the one my family makes. I love the taste of Mrs. Cubbison’s products. But I honestly want to know why you use eggs? I’ve never heard of eggs in cornbread stuffing/dressing before.
Thanks so much for sharing and hope you’re safe and well.
Hi Kila,
Thanks so much for stopping by. I think the eggs help bind the dressing together and also keeps it moist. I think my mom actually uses more eggs in her dressing than I do. You’ll have to give it a try and see if you can tell a difference!
~ Milisa
Hi! I want to try this and decide if it will work for a company event! I have a severe egg allergy so do you have any ideas about substitutions? In baking, I generally use unsweetened applesauce but I’m not sure here? Thanks! Gwynn
Hi Gwyneth,
I had to google this one. I read that 1 teaspoon of white vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda will work as a substitute for 1 egg in savory dishes. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
~ Milisa
Hi, I am new to making dressing/stuffing. I was wondering if I could make this recipe with just dried bread rather than with bread and cornbread? And possibly use dried bread cubes with poultry seasoning instead of the 12oz seasoned bread? I’m working with limited ingredients at the moment, and this recipe is similar to the one my significant other’s grandmother makes.
Thank You, B.
My family recipe does not use seasoned bread crumbs. We use a few slices of stale white bread crumbled. Make the cornbread the day before. Never use fresh. I’ve never heard of adding cream before. Also, it is called chicken dressing, without the ‘and.’
Did you read the recipe at all? Imagine gatekeeping a RECIPE and then being wrong about it. Wow.
Hi Brittani,
Yes you can make it with bread instead of the seasoned crumbs. I have used leftover biscuits or sandwich bread. Southern dressing typically includes cornbread and it will have a different texture and flavor if you only use bread. Good luck!
~ Milisa
Did I read something wrong? Made this and the seasoning is way too much. Too salty, too much pepper. Too much sage, rosemary was heavy but not too much I put one TBS and 2 TSP of pepper and Sage. Had to throw it away.
Hi David,
I am sorry that you didn’t like our seasonings, we do enjoy very flavorful food and this is the recipe that we have been using for years.
~ Milisa
I had huge expectations to meet last Thanksgiving with my spouses side of the family being extremely picky dressing eaters and my mother in law has made it for years and years. She passed, and I had big shoes to fill and had never even made dressing myself before… all I can say is wow! I followed everything to a T except added an additional cup of broth and let it refrigerate overnight and it was amazing. I got so many compliments. I am making it again today!! You knocked it out of the park with this recipe! I cannot give you kudos enough. So tasty! This recipe is a 10! Thank you for sharing!
This recipe is the exact recipe I received from my Grandma and her sister who are from Oklahoma also. Except I use the dripping from the turkey and make my broth from the turkey. An depending on how I feel and how rich I might want it to be, I might omit the eggs. I might try the adding the heavy cream this year for sure. I always tell everybody who ask me for this recipe to use the blue bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix for making dressing and they always say, “what’s that’. Glad to see you passing on this wonderful recipe.
Hi Robin,
It’s our favorite and I make it very similar to my mother in law. Glad y’all enjoy it too! Hope your holidays are wonderful and thanks for stopping by.
~ Milisa
This will be my second time trying to make a dressing, it’s a family favorite that I was never able to actually learn the recipe. I was very close last year but a bit dry, need to try with the heavy cream!! Unfortunately no stores in my area have it at the moment do you think a can of cream of chicken soup would make a good substitute?
Yes, you can use any cream soup and it will be delicious. Good luck!
~ Milisa
This recipe was my first attempt at chicken and dressing. (Tbh, I’m not much of a chef, but I’m a pro at following directions, so as long as I have a good recipe, I usually do ok feeding my family lol) Like one of the other commenters, this recipe had *way* too much rosemary and sage for my taste. The seasonings were actually kind of overwhelming, which was a disappointment bc I was craving this dish. I didn’t find it to be inedible, but it turned into not exactly what I was craving. My husband (who IS somewhat of a chef) also commented that I could probably put less egg in it next time. I’ll probably make this again in the future but with a few adjustments that suit our personal tastes better. Overall, not a bad start, and I thank you for the recipe!
Hi Shay,
I am glad that you tried the recipe and appreciate your feedback. Dressing is one of those things that is varies from family to family. I hope the recipe helps you get to the version that y’all will enjoy again and again.
~ Milisa