My Cornbread Stuffing Recipe starts with homemade cornbread and combined with fresh veggies and simple spices for a delicious holiday side dish recipe.
Stuffing is a classic side dish that we serve during the holidays. But this southern cornbread dressing is one of our favorites because of the light and crumble texture.
Why This Recipe Works
Cornbread Stuffing taste amazing and I love that everything is made from scratch. You can easily change the ingredients and add in berries, sausage, chopped apples and more.
This is a great recipe to make for the holidays or throughout the year. It is simple but still is packed with savory flavors.
Ingredients
- Cornmeal – We used yellow cornmeal
- Butter — sautés the onion and celery and adds richness to the stuffing base.
- Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary — the classic herb blend that gives stuffing its signature savory flavor. Dried works well, but fresh can be substituted at 3 times the amount.
- Fresh Parsley — adds a fresh, herby finish stirred in at the end.
- Large Egg – Keeps the homemade cornbread moist
- Large Onion and Celery Stalks – Dice into small pieces
- Cloves Garlic, minced – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
- Eggs and Chicken Broth — bind the stuffing together and keep it moist without becoming soggy.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
How to Make Cornbread Stuffing
Follow my simple instructions to learn how to make cornbread stuffing in your home kitchen.
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3 – In another bowl, combine milk, oil, and egg.
Step 4 – Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
Step 5 – Bake cornbread for 20-25 minutes. Dice the cool cornbread into bite size cubes. Spread cornbread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside.
Step 6 – In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery, cooking until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 7 – Add garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 8 – In a large bowl, combine toasted cornbread small pieces, vegetable mixture, and fresh parsley.
Step 9 – Pour beaten eggs and 1 ½ cups of broth over the mixture. Gently toss to combine. Add more broth if needed, the mixture should be moist but not soggy.
Step 10 – Transfer to a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
Step 11 – Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy.
Expert Tips
- Stuffing Texture – For a softer stuffing, use more broth. For a crispier top, leave uncovered for longer during baking.
- Cornbread Recipe – Make sure to let the cornbread cool all the way before cutting it into cubes, this helps prevent it from crumbling. Toasting the cubes helps them absorb the broth and egg mixture without falling apart or turning soggy, giving the stuffing structure instead of a mushy texture.
- Adding Chicken Broth – The amount of low-sodium chicken broth you use can vary depending on the texture you prefer. Start with 1 ½ cups and add more if needed. The goal is to keep the mixture moist but not overly soggy, as this can affect the final texture after baking.
Variations and Substitutions
- Sausage – For a heartier stuffing, brown 1 pound of mild Italian or breakfast sausage in the skillet before adding the onion and celery, or cook it separately and stir it in with the cornbread.
- Pecans and Cranberries – Stir in ½ cup chopped pecans and ½ cup dried cranberries along with the cornbread for extra texture and a touch of sweetness.
Serving Suggestions
This cornbread stuffing makes the perfect side dish to serve this holiday season. Try it with these main dish recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference is that cornbread stuffing and cornbread dressing is the way it is baked. The stuffing is cooked in the turkey and the dressing is baked in cooking dish.
The best way to save time when preparing this stuffing is to bake the cornbread up to 2 days in advance. Store the cornbread at room temperature covered in the container it was baked in. You can also prepare the veggies ahead of time In fact, learn How to Freeze Onions.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The leftovers will last up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze cornbread stuffing by placing in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw the cornbread stuffing in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
More Easy Stuffing Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make this recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
For the Cornbread:
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg beaten
For the Stuffing:
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
For the Cornbread:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and egg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cornbread cool completely before making the stuffing.
For the Stuffing:
- Cut the cooled cornbread into bite-size cubes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the cornbread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme, salt, rosemary, and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the toasted cornbread cubes, cooked vegetables, and parsley to a large bowl.
- Pour the beaten eggs and 1½ cups chicken broth over the mixture. Gently toss until evenly combined. Add a little more broth if needed; the mixture should be moist but not soggy.
- Transfer the stuffing to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and lightly crisp.
We randomly will serve a thanksgiving dinner throughout the year. We will serve this and it is always a hit!
Simple to make and was great
Love how simple this recipe was to make! It made the perfect side dish for the holidays.
Delicious!!
Amazing flavor! I loved how easy it was to make!