Cornbread dressing is the ultimate Southern side dish. This recipe comes together with homemade cornbread, buttery sautéed vegetables, rubbed sage, and cream of chicken soup for extra richness. It's the kind of recipe that feels like home and makes the dinner table complete.
Updated March 2026: This post has been refreshed with step-by-step tips, FAQs, and clarified storage instructions to make cooking even easier. It was originally posted on November 13, 2018.
Watch this quick video tutorial!
Here's what readers have to say about this recipe:
Reader LaKrystal, commented: "I love this recipe. Just like my granny made it. Huge hit at Thanksgiving today! ★★★★★"
Another reader Dee, commented: "My Mama used day-old biscuits instead of toast and just chicken broth with no cream of chicken soup... so good! And as you, I took awhile to tackle it on my own. Lol ★★★★★"
Jump to:
- Watch this quick video tutorial!
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Before You Cook, Read This!
- Ingredients You'll Need
- 📖 Recipe
- LaKita's Tips for the Best Cornbread Dressing
- Make-Ahead & Freezer Instructions
- What to Serve with Cornbread Dressing
- Substitutions & Variations
- Storage Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Did You Make This Recipe?
If there is one recipe on my table that disappears faster than anything else, it is this Southern cornbread dressing. I learned how to make it watching my mama move around the kitchen like she had been doing it her whole life, because she had. Once I tried it myself, I realized just how simple it really is, especially when you make the cornbread a day ahead.
This recipe comes together with homemade cornbread, buttery sautéed vegetables, rubbed sage, and cream of chicken soup for extra richness and moisture. It is the kind of dish that tastes like home no matter what time of year you make it. Let's get started!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Classic Southern flavor - Sage, butter, celery, and onion give the traditional taste you grew up loving.
- Moist every time - Cream of chicken soup is the secret that keeps it from ever drying out.
- Make-ahead friendly - Assemble the night before and bake fresh on the day you need it.
- Works year-round - Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving, Easter, or any day you want comfort food.
Before You Cook, Read This!
Here are a few helpful notes to set you up for success:
- Make the cornbread a day ahead - Slightly stale cornbread absorbs liquid better.
- Use day-old bread or biscuits - Toasted white bread, sourdough, or leftover biscuits all work.
- Don't skip the butter - It adds flavor you won't get from oil or margarine.
- Texture matters - Keep the cornbread coarse and chunky, not too fine.
- Bakeware - Use a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish.
🎯 Making This Ahead? Check out my complete Cornbread Dressing Make-Ahead & Freezer Guide for step-by-step instructions on prepping, freezing, and reheating so it tastes freshly made.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Cornbread - One full batch of homemade Southern cornbread, crumbled (slightly stale works best).
- Bread - 3 slices of toasted white bread, crumbled (sourdough or leftover biscuits also work great).
- Butter - For sautéing the vegetables until soft and fragrant.
- Onion & Celery - The classic Southern aromatics that build the flavor base.
- Chicken Broth - Use homemade for the best flavor, or a good-quality store-bought.
- Rubbed Sage - Traditional, earthy, and essential. Do not substitute ground sage here.
- Eggs - Bind everything together so it slices cleanly.
- Cream of Chicken Soup - Adds creaminess and moisture, this is the secret ingredient,
- Salt & Pepper - Season to your taste.
See the full recipe card below with exact measurements and instructions.
📖 Recipe
Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Rectangle 9x13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 prepared cornbread recipe, crumbled
- 3 slices toasted bread, crumbled
- ⅓ cup butter
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of chicken soup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the base - Crumble the prepared cornbread. Toast and crumble the 3 slices of bread. Chop ½ cup onion and 1 cup celery.
- Cook the vegetables - In a skillet, melt ⅓ cup butter and sauté onion and celery for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Mix - In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, toasted bread, and vegetable mixture. Stir in 3 cups chicken broth, 1 tablespoon sage, 2 eggs, 1 can cream of chicken soup, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Transfer - Spread the mixture evenly into a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Bake - Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown. Serve warm with gravy.
Notes
LaKita's Tips for the Best Cornbread Dressing
These are the small details that make a big difference:
- Don't crumble the cornbread too fine. Leave chunky pieces for better texture. A mix of large and small crumbles is the sweet spot.
- Taste before you bake. The mixture should be well-seasoned before it goes into the oven. Sage especially blooms during baking, so season a little lighter than you think you need to.
- Use homemade broth if you can. The depth of flavor from a good homemade chicken broth is noticeable. If using store-bought, choose a low-sodium version so you can control the salt level.
- Don't skip the cream of chicken soup. This is what sets a Southern dressing apart from a dry stuffing. It adds creaminess that broth alone cannot replicate.
- Check your oven temperature. Ovens can run hot or cool. Start checking at 40 minutes. The center should not jiggle and the top should be a deep golden brown.
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Make-Ahead & Freezer Instructions
Make-Ahead (up to 2 days):
Assemble the full dressing in the baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Do not refrigerate an unbaked egg-based dressing for more than 48 hours. Bake from the refrigerator, adding 10-15 minutes to the cook time.
Freeze Unbaked (up to 30 days):
Assemble in the dish, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
Freeze Baked (up to 2 months):
Cool completely, cut into portions, wrap individually, and freeze. Reheat at 300°F, covered with foil, until warmed through. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to re-crisp the top.
For a complete step-by-step make-ahead guide with safe temperatures and timing, see my Cornbread Dressing Make-Ahead & Freezer Guide.
What to Serve with Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread dressing is a natural partner for all kinds of Southern mains and sides. Here are some of my favorites:
- Smoked or roasted turkey - The classic pairing for Thanksgiving.
- Baked ham - Perfect for Easter Sunday or Christmas.
- Southern Collard Greens with Ham Hocks - The ultimate Southern plate.
- Candied yams or sweet potato casserole - Sweet against savory is everything.
- Hibachi Soup or any light broth-based soup - Great for a cozy weeknight meal.
Substitutions & Variations
- Make it gluten-free: Use a certified gluten-free cornbread and omit the white bread, adding a touch more cornbread to compensate.
- Make it richer: Swap cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom for a deeper, earthier flavor.
- Add protein: Some Southern cooks add shredded rotisserie chicken right into the dressing mixture. It turns this into a hearty one-dish meal, try it with about 2 cups of shredded chicken.
- Use biscuits instead of bread: My reader Dee swears by day-old biscuits instead of toast and chicken broth only with no cream soup. A beautiful variation worth trying!
- Vegetarian version: Use vegetable broth and cream of celery soup. It will lose a bit of the richness, but still delivers great flavor.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat covered at 300°F or in the microwave.
- Freezer (baked): Cool completely, portion, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the South, it is called dressing when it is baked in a separate dish, and stuffing when cooked inside the turkey. The terms are used interchangeably in many households, but around here it will always be dressing.
The most common causes are too little liquid in the mixture before baking, or overbaking. The raw mixture should feel quite moist, almost wet, before it goes into the oven. It firms up as it bakes. Also make sure you are not skipping the cream of chicken soup, which adds a lot of moisture insurance.
You can, but I recommend homemade Southern cornbread for the best flavor and texture. Jiffy is sweeter, which changes the flavor profile of the dressing.
The top should be deep golden brown and the center should not jiggle. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and the internal temperature should reach 165°F.
Yes! Double all ingredients and use two 9x13-inch dishes or one large roasting pan. The bake time may increase by 10-15 minutes.
Yes, replace it with an additional ½ cup of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of butter. The texture will be slightly less creamy but still delicious.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Once you make this Southern cornbread dressing from scratch, the kind from a box will never quite measure up again. It is the kind of recipe that gets requested by name and starts showing up on every holiday table. I would love to see how yours turns out, leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @simplylakita. Let's get started!
LaKrystal Warren Gordon says
I love this recipe. Just like my granny made it. Huge hit at Thanksgiving today!
LaKita says
That make me so happy to hear, thank you LaKrystal!!
Karen says
I wish you had included the oven temperature
LaKita says
It's 350 degrees F.
Dani says
At what temperature should the oven be set?
LaKita says
Please bake it at 350 degrees F.
Dee says
My Mama used day-old biscuits instead of toast and just chicken broth with no cream of chicken soup... so good! And as you, I took awhile to tackle it on my own. Lol
LaKita says
My mom uses old biscuits as well! I use toast because I usually don't have leftover biscuits 😀