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
Chicken and dressing is usually the most favorite 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.
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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.
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 ½ 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.
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.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
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.
More Dressing Recipes to Try:
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.
We also love serving my Aunt Zoe's Cranberry Salad, Easy Smoked Turkey, Easy Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Easy Green Bean Casserole and Angel Rolls for Thanksgiving Dinner.
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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.
Ingredients
for the chicken
- 4 chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ 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
- ½ 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 ½ 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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1216mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 14g
Brandy
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!
Milisa
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
Rhonda D Millsap
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..
Debbie
Can I use whole milk or evaporated milk instead of heavy cream?
Milisa
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
Debbie
Thank you very much.
Debbie L Thornley
dthornley7151@troycable.net
Debbie
Can I use whole milk or evaporated milk instead of heavy cream?
If not, can I just eliminate that?
Kila
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.
Milisa
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
Gwyneth Gower
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
Milisa
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
Brittani Weber
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.
MrM
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.'
Salazar
Did you read the recipe at all? Imagine gatekeeping a RECIPE and then being wrong about it. Wow.
Milisa
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
David Price-Williams
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.
Milisa
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
Robyn
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!
ROBIN L HUGHEY
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.
Milisa
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