Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (2024)

This Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe is an easy and delicious take on classic oyster dressing, using fresh baby bella mushrooms and canned smoked oysters! With lots of smoky and umami flavor- this is a great twist on classic holiday stuffing! This fun twist is a great side dish made with simple ingredients, perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner.

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Easy and delicious Smoked Oyster Dressing (aka, stuffing)

A fun take on classic oyster stuffing, this Smoked Oyster and Mushroom Stuffing is a delicious twist on regular stuffing, withmoist, crispy, and loaded with smoky umami flavor. This side dish has got plenty of sliced mushrooms and canned smoked oysters all mixed in with crisp potato bread cubes. Serve this at any holiday table for an easy Thanksgiving stuffingrecipe sure to impress!

Using canned smoked oysters not only adds a delicious, smoky flavor to this easy oyster stuffing, and it's also cheaper and more convenient than using fresh oysters!

Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (1)

What goes into the Smoked Oyster Dressing recipe?

To make this tasty, smokey stuffing, you will need:

  • Potato breadstuffing cubes,or your favorite white bread, cubed. You'll need 12 ounces of uniform pieces. I find potato bread or sourdough to be the best bread for this recipe. You can often find cubed white bread or potato bread at your local grocery store.
  • A stick of butter. ¼ cup butter for the dressing mixture, and ¼ cup for the top when baking.
  • celery with leaves. The leaves are packed with flavor!
  • A medium shallot.
  • Baby Bella mushrooms.
  • Fresh garlic.
  • Chicken broth or turkey stock.
  • Chicken livers.
  • An egg.
  • A can of smoked oysters, finely chopped, oil discarded.
  • Poultry seasoning.
  • Fresh chopped parsley.
Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (2)

Can you use canned oysters in dressing?

Using smoked, tinned oysters rather than fresh shucked makes this recipe is a quick and easy take on a classic oyster dressing, with a smoky twist.

Using the tinned/canned oysters is not only easier, it's also cheaper than using raw oysters. And the oysters carry with them a smoky flavor profile that plays well with the other flavors in the stuffing.

Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (3)

Preparing the Oyster dressing for the oven

To make the stuffing, you'll start by toasting your bread cubes for about 5-6 minutes in the oven until dry and crisp.

Next up, you'll cook some aromatics and mushrooms with whole chicken livers in an immodest amount of melted butter in a large saute pan. This is where we build the flavor of the stuffing- so don't skimp on the fat.

About the Chicken livers

If you are squeamish about the chicken livers as an ingredients- don't be! They are first cooked then minced into an indistinguishably small size, so you'll never even know they're there. It is important to cook them whole, and THEN cut them, though. Chicken livers are nearly impossible to cut raw.

Just toss them in with the aromatics, let them cook through in a large skillet, and cut them up when they are cool enough to handle. If you are preparing a turkey and liver is included with the giblets, feel free to sub those in.

Step by step: Making the Smoked Oyster Stuffing

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees f. Place bread cubes evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet or 2 and toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes, until crispy and dry. Once toasted, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread butter or cooking spray in the bottom of the pan or baking dish you plan to bake the stuffing in.

3. While bread cubes toast, melt butter (only 4 tbsp- reserve remaining butter for later) over medium heat in a large skillet, or deep saute pan. Once butter is melted, add celery, shallot, mushrooms, and whole chicken livers.

5. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes, until shallots are translucent, mushrooms are reduced in size, and chicken livers are cooked through. Add garlic and chopped oysters and cook 1 minute more.

7. Remove all but chicken livers to a large mixing bowl. Transfer livers to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle.

9. Finely mince the cooked liver, and add to the bowl with the cooked vegetables.

10. Add the 2 cups stock, beaten egg, poultry seasoning, and parsley to the bowl and stir to combine. Gently fold the toasted bread cubes into the mixture until well coated.

12. Transfer the bread mixture to a greased baking dish or casserole dishand cover with reserved 4 tablespoon butter, cut into thin slices. Cover baking dish with a sheet of foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove aluminum foil and bake 25-30 minutes more, until a good amount of thestuffing is well browned and slightly crisp in areas. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Tips for baking the Smoked Oyster stuffing

You're looking for a well browned stuffing that has retained some of it's moisture, and is crisp in places. For maximum crisp edges- make sure your stuffing is slightly uneven, with deep wells and higher areas for maximum crunchiness/browned bits.

Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (5)

Made this Smoked Oyster Dressing recipe for your Thanksgiving table? Leave a review and rating below!

If you make my Smoked Oyster dressing recipe, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me onInstagram! I love to see your photos!

Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (6)

Looking for more great holiday side dishes?

  • '
  • Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Honey-Thyme Butter
  • Creamy Mushroom Orzo
  • Brown Butter Boursin Mashed Potatoes
  • Crockpot Classic Stuffing
  • Air Fryer Rosemary Potatoes
  • Bacon Brussels Sprout Skillet
  • Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole
Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (7)

Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe

This Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe is an easy and delicious take on classic oyster dressing, using fresh baby bella mushrooms and canned smoked oysters! With lots of smoky and umami flavor- this is a great twist on classic holiday stuffing!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: mushrooms, smoked oysters, stuffing, thanksgiving

Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 12 oz potato bread cubes, toasted*
  • 8 tablespoon butter, divided
  • 1 rib celery with leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 8 oz package baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • ½ tablespoon minced Garlic
  • 2 cups chicken broth or turkey stock
  • 2 chicken livers
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 3.75 oz package smoked oysters, finely chopped, oil discarded
  • 2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

    2.Spread the bread cubes evenly onto 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 5-6 minutes, until crispy and dry. Once toasted, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

    3.While bread cubes toast, melt butter (only 4 tbsp- reserve remaining butter for later) over medium heat in a large skillet, or deep saute pan.

    4.Once butter is melted, add celery, shallot, mushrooms, and whole chicken livers.

    5.Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes, until shallots are translucent, mushrooms are reduced in size, and chicken livers are cooked through.

    6.Add garlic and chopped oysters and cook 1 minute more.

    7.Remove all but chicken livers to a large mixing bowl.

    8.Transfer livers to a cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle.

    9.Finely mince the cooked liver, and add to the bowl with the cooked vegetables.

    10.Add the stock, beaten egg, poultry seasoning, and parsley to the bowl and stir to combine.

    11.Gently fold the toasted bread cubes into the mixture until well coated.

    12.Transfer mixture to a greased baking dish and cover with reserved 4 tablespoon butter, cut into thin slices.

    13.Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

    14.After 20 minutes, uncover the dish and bake 25-30 minutes more, until stuffing is well browned and slightly crisp in areas. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot.

    Notes:

    You can use white bread stuffing cubes in place of potato bread cubes, if you prefer.

© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.

Easy Smoked Oyster Dressing (Stuffing) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why put oysters in stuffing? ›

Why It Works. Oysters add a savory, briny flavor to the stuffing without making it overly seafood-y. Drying the bread allows it to absorb more flavorful moisture, like chicken stock and oyster liquor. Fennel and tarragon blend beautifully with the oysters.

How do you use smoked canned oysters? ›

Great on a cracker with hot sauce, smoked oysters' rich, distinctive flavor also adds a punch to dips and sauces. You probably associate them with appetizers and snacks, but smoked oysters make a delicious addition to salads, pasta, dressing, vegetable dishes, and more.

Are canned smoked oysters good for you? ›

What about smoked oysters? Well, smoked oysters are good for you in moderation as well. However, they may be higher in sodium since most smoked oysters need to be preserved and canned. Ultimately, the best oysters for your health are raw or steamed.

How do you know when stuffing is cooked? ›

Also, you'll need a food thermometer for determining when stuffing is safely cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F.

What does adding oyster sauce do? ›

Along with a jolt of flavor, oyster sauce adds a dark caramel color to any dish, which, according to assistant food editor Jessie YuChen, is referred to as “the sauce color” in Mandarin. It's a shade you'll notice in many Chinese dishes like stir-fried broccoli, Cantonese beef chow fun, and lo mein.

What gives oysters their flavor? ›

Just like wine, oysters can vary greatly in flavor, as influenced by the waters they live in. For example, White Stone Oysters tend to have vegetal, sweet, and mushroom notes because of the relatively low salinity of the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, oysters grown in New England tend to be very salty.

Are canned smoked oysters fully cooked? ›

Smoked Oysters are perfect for appetizers, sandwiches, pizza or straight out of the can. Sustainably grown and harvested in the open ocean, our Whole Oysters are fully cooked and ready to use in your favorite stew, chowder or stuffing recipe.

Do canned smoked oysters need to be cooked? ›

The difference between smoking these shellfish at home and buying canned smoked oysters is immense. The flavors are soft and subtle, not fishy like the canned variety, and if you're squeamish about eating them raw, don't worry; these mollusks are fully cooked.

Should you rinse canned oysters? ›

Preparing the Oysters

The first step in cooking canned oysters is to drain and rinse them thoroughly. This helps remove any excess brine or liquor from the can.

How often should you eat canned smoked oysters? ›

Smoked and canned oysters make a great (occasional) afternoon snack, once every week or two. While oysters are extremely nutritious, eating a can every day would likely be too much of a good thing.

Are canned smoked oysters from China safe to eat? ›

All Crown Prince products from China are produced only in factories that have USFDA factory and product registrations, and are HACCP certified. These products are low acid canned foods and therefore subject to sterilization procedures. These sterilization procedures render any bacteria that may be present, harmless.

Why are my canned smoked oysters green? ›

Why are my oysters green? The green color in oysters is actually not an abnormal color. During the harvesting season, the oysters are still growing and ingest a large amount of plankton while they are still lean. This makes the "green feeds" visible through their outer skin.

Is stuffing better with or without eggs? ›

It's all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. I don't use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.

What is the best bread to use for stuffing? ›

Breads such as sour dough, French bread or Italian loaves are for the best bread for stuffing. Their soft-but-sturdy interiors are the perfect texture for stuffing. The pieces retain their shape without crumbling.

What is the history of oyster stuffing? ›

The history of Oyster Dressing dates back over 300 years ago. This savory side dish was brought to America by the British colonists. At the time, oysters were quite plentiful and could be easily gathered along the shoreline. This Thanksgiving side is still quite popular.

Why were oysters used to stuff turkeys? ›

The British brought the tradition of oyster stuffing to the colonies. In 1685, a British cookbook mentioned stuffing poultry or fish with oysters. Since oysters were plentiful (and extremely cheap) in the New World, they were used by the poor or laborers to stretch their meager meat rations.

Why do people eat oysters at Christmas? ›

This was due to food being able to travel further without spoiling. As a result, the myth of the “r” month oyster was born. As well, oysters started to become associated with Christmas, because they were most readily available to be consumed during December.

Can oysters fill you up? ›

Oysters can help you lose weight! They are low in calories, low in fat, and a good source of protein which makes you feel fuller after eating.

References

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