This Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing is more than just a recipe; it's a family heirloom. It was my mom's, and I still remember standing by her side at Thanksgiving, crumbling the cornbread and helping her stir everything together.
Decades later, it's the same dressing I serve at my own holiday table, and if you're searching for the old-fashioned dressing you remember from childhood, this is it.
This traditional dressing is made with homemade cornbread, eggs, sautéed vegetables, and a savory broth infused with a full cup of butter. I always start with my Southern Cornbread Recipe, which you can make ahead and freeze.
In the South, cornbread dressing recipes have been passed down through generations, and there are almost as many variations as there are Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes.
Quick Look: Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Ready in: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Difficulty: Easy - no fuss favorite.
- Best for: holiday spreads, Sunday dinners, or just when you want something that screams comfort food.
- Make-ahead friendly: Yes, it's perfect for busy holiday cooking.
- Taste and texture: Savory, buttery, and herb-filled, with a moist, tender center and a lightly crisp, golden-brown top.
- Why this recipe? This old-fashioned family recipe has been on my Thanksgiving table for decades, and like my Cornbread Dressing with Sausage, you can assemble it ahead and refrigerate or freeze it until you're ready to bake.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Why you will love this recipe
- Ingredient notes
- How to make Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Sharon’s tips
- Serving suggestions
- Make-ahead and freezer tips
- Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe FAQs
- More classic Southern Thanksgiving side dishes
- Plan your holiday menu with these Thanksgiving recipe collections
- Recipe:
- Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
Why you will love this recipe
- It's tried and true. This is the old-fashioned Southern cornbread dressing my mom made for Thanksgiving, and it's still the recipe I make for my family today.
- The texture is just right. It has a lightly crisp, golden top with a moist, savory, tender center.
- It's perfect for making ahead. I assemble the dressing weeks ahead and freeze it unbaked-in fact, mine is usually in the freezer well before Thanksgiving. I thaw it in the refrigerator and bake it fresh on Thanksgiving Day.
Ingredient notes
Let's talk ingredients: what you need, what you can swap, and how to make it work with what's in your pantry. These are the main ingredients; the full list is waiting down in the recipe card.
- Cornbread: my Southern Cornbread with Buttermilk recipe works perfectly with this recipe, or, if you need a gluten-free option, try my Old Fashioned Cornbread, which contains no flour.
- Butter: unsalted; if you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt you add.
- Onion: I like Vidalias, but any sweet onion works.
- Green bell pepper: adds color and a touch of sweetness.
- Celery: it wouldn’t be dressing without celery.
- Hard-boiled and raw eggs: Two raw eggs bind the dressing and help give it its tender texture, while four chopped hard-boiled eggs add flavor and are part of what makes this old-fashioned dressing so special.
- Poultry seasoning: This classic blend contains sage and thyme. You can substitute one teaspoon of sage and one-half teaspoon of thyme or marjoram. If using fresh herbs, double the amounts.
- Chicken stock: You can use purchased or homemade chicken stock. If you wait to make the dressing on the big day, add your turkey drippings to the stock.
How to make Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Add the butter to a large skillet over low heat. Stir in the onions, celery, and green bell pepper.
- Cook the vegetables for ten minutes or until they are soft. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
- While the vegetables are cooking, crumble the cornbread in a large bowl and add the hard-boiled eggs, two cups of chicken broth, and the poultry seasoning.
- Add the cooked vegetables and butter to the crumbled cornbread and gently mix everything together. You can use a spoon, but your hands work best for this task.
- Add the kosher salt and ground black pepper. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
- Add the beaten raw eggs and mix well.
- Don't be alarmed if the mixture looks very wet. If it doesn't, add up to one more cup of chicken broth, a little at a time, until it has the consistency of thick cornbread batter.
- Pour the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish or a two-quart baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes or until the dressing is set and the top is golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.
Sharon’s tips
- Shortcut cornbread: If you run short on time, use bakery or store-bought cornbread or corn muffins. Just choose unsweetened for the best flavor.
- Go-to recipe: I always use my traditional Southern cornbread for this dressing. For a gluten-free option, try my old-fashioned gluten-free cornbread.
- Dry it out: Make or buy your cornbread about two days ahead so it has time to dry slightly. Drier cornbread absorbs the broth and seasonings beautifully without turning mushy.
- Season smart: Always taste the mixture before adding raw eggs. Adjust with poultry seasoning, salt, or pepper if needed.
- Check for moisture: About halfway through baking, peek at the dish. If it looks dry, drizzle a few tablespoons of chicken stock over the top.
- Egg trick: Trouble peeling hard-boiled eggs? Try my method for easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs, or buy pre-cooked eggs to save time.
Serving suggestions
This traditional Southern cornbread dressing is the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving table, and it pairs beautifully with other classic holiday dishes. Serve it alongside my Perfect Roast Turkey or Green Egg Smoked Turkey with plenty of rich, Make-Ahead Turkey Neck Gravy.
For a true Southern feast, round out your holiday spread with my Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole or Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes plus my Cranberry Sauce with Pecans for brightness and balance.
Make-ahead and freezer tips
Making this dressing ahead is actually one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving prep. I can make it in stages without feeling rushed, and on the day I put it together, my whole house smells like Thanksgiving. Then I tuck it into the freezer, knowing one of the biggest holiday side dishes is already done.
- To refrigerate: Assemble the dressing, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to three days before baking.
- To freeze: Assemble the dressing but don't bake it. Cover it tightly and freeze for up to two months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed.
Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing recipe FAQs
In the South, "dressing" is baked in a casserole dish, while "stuffing" is cooked inside the turkey. The flavors are similar, but the texture of cornbread dressing is more custardy and rich.
Yes. Assemble the cornbread dressing as directed, but don't bake it. Cover tightly and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
If you need to make a gluten-free dressing, I recommend that you either purchase gluten-free cornbread or use my easy gluten-free Old-Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Cornbread recipe to make your cornbread.
This recipe uses six eggs total: two raw eggs and four hard-boiled eggs. The two raw eggs bind the dressing and help give it a tender texture, while the chopped hard-boiled eggs add flavor and texture.
Hard-boiled eggs add flavor and texture rather than acting as a binder. They're traditional in my family's old-fashioned Southern dressing, and I've never made it without them.
Most recipes, including mine, use two large eggs. This is enough to bind the dressing without making it rubbery. As mentioned earlier, I also add four hard-boiled chopped eggs for flavor.
More classic Southern Thanksgiving side dishes
Every Thanksgiving table needs more than just dressing. These tried-and-true Southern sides are the perfect partners for turkey and all the holiday trimmings.
Plan your holiday menu with these Thanksgiving recipe collections
Still planning your holiday spread? These Thanksgiving recipe collections pull together all the classics (and a few new favorites) to make menu planning simple and stress-free.
And if you are looking for a special dessert, check out my two Thanksgiving recipe collections: Best Desserts for Thanksgiving and Best Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Desserts.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If this old-fashioned cornbread dressing makes it to your Thanksgiving table, I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment and star rating below, and let me know how your family enjoyed it. And if you make it ahead, as I do, I hope you enjoy having your house smell like Thanksgiving a little early, too! 🦃
Recipe:
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Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch round of cornbread, homemade or purchased (about 4 cups crumbled)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 sweet onion, medium, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, medium, seeded and chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 cups chicken broth divided
- 2 raw eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Add the butter to a large skillet over low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until softened.
- While the vegetables are cooking, crumble cornbread in a large bowl. Add hard-boiled eggs, two cups of chicken broth, and poultry seasoning.
- Add the cooked vegetables and butter to the crumbled cornbread and gently combine the ingredients. You can use a spoon, but your hands work best. Taste and add kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Don't be alarmed if the mixture looks very wet. If it doesn't, add up to one more cup of chicken broth, a little at a time, until it has the consistency of thick cornbread batter.
- Pour the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish or large baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes or until the dressing is set and golden brown and crisp on top.
Video
Notes
- Shortcut cornbread: If you run short on time, use bakery or store-bought cornbread or corn muffins. Just choose unsweetened for the best flavor.
- My easy Traditional Southern-Style Cornbread recipe is the cornbread recipe I use when I make this dressing.
- To make this dressing gluten-free, use my gluten-free Old-Fashioned Southern Buttermilk Cornbread recipe. It contains no flour and is made with just cornmeal.
- If making ahead, cover and refrigerate the unbaked cornbread dressing for up to three days or freeze for up to two months. Let it thaw overnight before baking.
- Make or buy your cornbread about two days ahead so it has time to dry slightly. Drier cornbread absorbs the broth and seasonings without turning mushy.
- Be sure to taste the dressing before adding the raw eggs to see if you need to add more poultry seasoning, salt, or pepper.
- Check your dressing about halfway through the cooking time. If it starts looking dry, sprinkle a few more tablespoons of chicken stock evenly over the top.
- If you have trouble peeling hard-boiled eggs, check out my post, Perfect Easy to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs. Or, it’s perfectly fine to purchase your eggs already cooked and peeled.
Royce Faina
where are the measurements?
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Royce, if you scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card, all of the exact measurements are listed there. There is also a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post, and if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe card with the list of ingredients and measurements.
Quanna Brown
Did I overlook the sage?
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Quanna, this recipe calls for poultry seasoning, which contains sage. I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon
GmaPat
yum just like grandma made it!!