Seafood Dressing
If you’re a seafood lover looking for a delicious alternative to classic cornbread dressing this Thanksgiving, my seafood dressing recipe is what my family asks me to make EVERY year. Loaded with tender shrimp and crab, buttery cornbread, and fragrant herbs, this dressing offers an incredible depth of flavor and an unforgettable coastal twist on a holiday staple. It’s perfect for adding a unique Southern touch to your holiday table. However, you can enjoy this recipe anytime of the year!
If you need more delicious side for the holidays, try my Broccoli Rice Casserole and Southern Collard Greens next!
What is Seafood Dressing?
Moreover, seafood dressing combines the classic cornbread-based Southern dressing with fresh seafood ingredients like shrimp and crab. This dish takes inspiration from traditional Southern recipes, adding seafood and flavorful spices like Old Bay for an extra burst of flavor. It’s a wonderful way to infuse your dressing with a taste of the coast while still keeping the dish cozy and satisfying.
Why You’ll Love This Seafood Cornbread Dressing:
Furthermore, not only is this seafood dressing rich and full of Southern flavors, it also brings a satisfying balance between savory, herbaceous, and slightly spicy elements. Perfectly moist and golden on top, each bite bursts with seafood goodness and comforting aromatics. Plus, it’s easy to make and can be prepared ahead to simplify your Thanksgiving prep.
Ingredients for this Seafood Dressing
- Cornbread: Acts as the hearty base of the dressing, providing that classic Southern flavor and crumbly texture that holds everything together.
- Onion, Celery, and Bell Pepper: (The Trinity) These vegetables add an aromatic, savory base to the dish, balancing the richness of the seafood and cream.
- Garlic: Enhances the overall flavor with a warm, earthy taste.
- Shrimp & Crabmeat: The stars of the dish, these add a tender, juicy texture and mild seafood flavor that makes the dressing unique.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Adds creaminess to bind the ingredients together, adding moisture and a savory richness.
- Seafood Stock: Deepens the seafood flavor and brings a nice complexity to the dressing.
- Egg: Acts as a binder to hold the dressing together, keeping it moist and cohesive.
- Unsalted Butter: Used for sautéing the vegetables and shrimp to enhance their flavor.
- Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Old Bay, and Paprika: These spices add depth and warmth, creating that traditional Southern dressing flavor with a touch of spice.
- Parsley: A fresh garnish to finish, brightening up each serving.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Season and enhance the natural flavors in the chicken and vegetables.Bayou City Seasonings: Gives a smoky, earthy depth that’s perfect for Southern-style roasted dishes.
How to Make Seafood Dressing – Quick & Easy Steps
Here’s how to make this easy seafood dressing recipe:
- Crumble the dried cornbread and add into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepperoni cook until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cream of chicken soup to the skillet. Pour chicken stock into the cream of chicken can and then add to the skillet as well with seasonings, stirring to combine.
- Add the sautéed veggies and cream of chicken mixture into the mixing bowl with the crumbled cornbread. Stir together to combine.
- Add in the broth a little at a time. (Add in just enough to make everything thick & a little soupy.) You may not need all of it, so do one cup at a time
- Carefully fold in shrimp and crab so that the crab doest break up too much.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared 9×13 baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Top with paprika and bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden and slightly crisp.
- Remove the dressing from the oven and let it cool slightly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.
How to Make Seasoned Cornbread
To make the best seafood dressing, you need a good, crumbly cornbread. Here’s how to make it:
- In a bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a greased skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Let it cool completely before crumbling.
Let the cornbread sit out overnight (or at least for several hours) so it dries out slightly. This makes it more absorbent, allowing it to soak up the seafood stock and other flavors better, creating a more cohesive and flavorful dressing.
Tips for this Seafood Dressing Recipe
Additionally, by following these tips you’ll be able to make the best seafood dressing .
- Dry Out the Cornbread: Dry cornbread absorbs flavors better, giving the dressing a perfect texture.
- Seafood Stock Substitute: If you can’t find seafood stock, chicken or vegetable stock works, though seafood stock enhances the flavor.
- Use Fresh Crab: Fresh crabmeat gives the best flavor, but canned crab will work in a pinch.
- Make Ahead: You can make this dressing a day in advance. Just cover and refrigerate it, then bake when ready.
FAQ
Q: Can I make seafood dressing ahead of time?
A: Yes! You can assemble the dressing and refrigerate it for up to a day before baking. Simply cover and store in the fridge, then bake when ready.
Q: What can I substitute for cream of chicken soup?
A: You can use a homemade creamy chicken or vegetable sauce instead. Mix a little flour, milk, and butter to create a roux and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Q: Can I use other types of seafood?
A: Absolutely. Crawfish and scallops make delicious additions or alternatives to the shrimp and crab.
Q: Can I freeze seafood dressing?
A: Yes, seafood dressing can be frozen. Assemble, place in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
More Holiday recipes:
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Seafood Dressing
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Large skillet
- Mixing bowl
- whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Seasoned Cornbread
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs Bayou City All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
Dressing
- 1 cornbread recipe above
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 10.5oz can cream of chicken
- 3-4 cups seafood stock
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deviened
- 8 oz lumo crab meat or shucked oysters
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp Bayou City All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Bayou City Garlic Pepper
- 1 tsp fresh oregano stemmed and diced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme stemmed and diced
- 1 tsp fresh sage stemmed and diced
- 2 tsp old bay seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- paprika for topping
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350 F
Cornbread
- In a bowl add all the dry ingredients (Flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Bayou City Seasonings) and whisk until combined.
- Slowly stir in the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth with no lumps.
- Pour corn bread mix into a cast iron or baking pan and place in the oven for 35 minutes, or until you can stick a toothpick in the center, and it comes out clean. Let cool and sit for one day for best results. (see notes if you don't have time to let sit)
- (Note: You can also use store bought or boxed cornbread just make sure its enough to fill a 9×9 pan when you make it.)
Seafood Dressing
- Crumble the dried cornbread and add into a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cream of chicken soup to the skillet. Pour chicken stock into the cream of chicken can and then add to the skillet as well, stirring to combine.
- Season with bayou city seasonings, sage, oregano, thyme, old bay, and salt and pepper. cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sautéed veggies and cream of chicken mixture into the mixing bowl with the crumbled cornbread. Stir together to combine.
- Add in the broth a little at a time. (Add in just enough to make everything thick & a little soupy.) You may not need all of it, so do one cup at a time
- Give it a taste and add more seasonings if desired… It should taste exactly the way you want your dressing to taste like. When you are content with the taste, go ahead and stir in the eggs
- Carefully fold in shrimp and crab so that the crab doest break up too much.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared 9×13 baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Top with paprika and bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden and slightly crisp.
- Remove the dressing from the oven and let it cool slightly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare the cornbread a day or two in advance for quicker assembly on cooking day. The vegetables and seafood can also be sautéed ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
- Day old Cornbread: Make the cornbread ahead of time to save time and cornbread will absorb better in the dressing if it sits overnight. If you don’t have time let the cornbread cool then crumble the cornbread up onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes to dry it out a bit.
- Cornbread: Homemade cornbread lets you have more control over the taste of your dressing, but feel free to used boxed or store bought. Should be enough to bake in a 9×9 pan.
- Seafood Stock Shortcut: For homemade seafood stock, save shrimp shells and any seafood scraps. Sauté the shells and scraps with onion, celery, garlic, and a few sprigs of thyme, then add water and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain and use this flavorful stock in the dressing for an extra boost of seafood flavor.
- Seafood Variations: Swap out the shrimp or crab with crawfish for a Creole twist, or add a mix of seafood if desired.
- Stock Substitutions: If seafood stock isn’t available, you can substitute with chicken or vegetable stock, though seafood stock will enhance the coastal flavors.
