My Seafood Dressing is gonna ruin traditional dressing for ya.. you’ve been warned! I mix it up like traditional cornbread dressing by baking homemade cornbread then tossing in fresh spices and herbs. Then I remix the vibes by adding fresh shrimp, lump crab and homemade seafood stock. You’re going to love it, boo!
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Seafood Dressing ingredients
- Vegetable or Canola Oil: Any neutral oil will work here.
- Cornmeal: Go with fine so the texture isn’t gritty.
- Salted Butter: Unsalted works but add in salt.
- Onion & Celery: To be minced, building flavors from the ground up.
- Fresh Green Onion, Tarragon, and Parsley: Will also mince.
- Raw Shrimp: Medium-sized, peeled, and deveined. You want that fresh shrimp flavor in every bite, boo!
- Crab Meat: We’re using Dungeness crab. If you can’t find it, lump crab meat or even canned crab will do. Swap in some crawfish, lumb crab meat, canned crab or even diced scallops for that seafood flavor.
- Seafood Stock: Save the crab and shrimp shells for the seafood stock. If you can find store-bought, even better! But if not, substitute with vegetable or chicken stock.
How to make Seafood Dressing
Make the Cornbread
Step 1: Combine cornmeal, flour, and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add beaten egg to dry ingredients. Add milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Step 2: Coat the baking dish with oil and place in the oven while it preheats. Once it comes to temp, take the dish out of the oven and add butter, allowing it to bubble and melt.
Step 3: Temp the batter by adding small amounts of melted butter until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
Step 4: Pour batter into the baking dish. Bake until cornbread is cooked through to the center.
Mix the Dressing
Step 5: Sauté garlic, onion and celery in butter in a sauté pan on medium/high heat. Season with salt and pepper and add fresh herbs. Sauté for an additional minute, then set aside and let cool.
Step 6: Break the cornbread apart into smaller pieces into a large mixing bowl. Then, add in vegetables, herbs and dried stuffing mix, and lightly stir.
Step 7: Add in mayo, cream of mushroom and celery and seasonings. Stir until combined. Slowly pour in the seafood stock, stirring until batter becomes slightly mushy. Taste batter for flavor and adjust seasonings to your liking.
Step 8: Fold in crab and shrimp carefully.
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Bake
Step 9: Place the mixture in the baking dish, spreading out evenly. Sprinkle with paprika on top.
Step 10: Bake uncovered. Remove from the oven and let stuffing rest before serving.
Seafood Dressing
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Ingredients
For the Cornbread
- 1 tsp vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup self rising flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup salted butter room temperature
For the Dressing
- 1 cup onion will mince later
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped green onion
- 1 cup celery will mince later
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon will mince later
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley will mince later
- 1 lb medium sized raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 6-8 oz crab meat Dungeness used in this recipe
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt I used Season All
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup herbed seasoned stuffing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup cream of mushroom
- 1/4 cup cream of celery
- 1 tsp Old Bay
- 1 cup seafood stock find recipe below if using homemade or you can substitute with veggie or chicken broth
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
For the Cornbread
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Coat the baking dish with 1 tsp of oil and place in the oven while it preheats.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, and sugar. Add beaten egg to dry ingredients.
- Add milk and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Once the oven comes to temp, remove the baking dish, add the butter allowing it to bubble and melt.
- Once the butter is melted, slowly pour in the wet batter 1 tbsp at a time (simultaneously whisking and pouring). Continue to temp the batter by adding small amounts of butter until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Reserve one tablespoon of butter in the baking dish.
- Pour batter into the baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until cornbread is cooked through to the center.
- Allow cornbread to cool while preparing the stuffing mixture.
For the Dressing Ingredients
- Mince onion, celery, tarragon and parsley. Set aside.
- Peel shrimp and deshell crab (or drain juice if using canned). Set aside.
- In a medium sauté pan on medium/high heat, sauté garlic, onion and celery in 1 tsp butter for 3-5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and add fresh herbs sautéing an additional minute. Set aside and let cool.
- Once cornbread has cooled, begin breaking it apart into smaller pieces into a large mixing bowl. This will make about four cups of cornbread.
- Add in vegetables, herbs and one cup of dried stuffing mix and lightly stir.
- Add in mayo, cream of mushroom and celery and seasonings. Stir until combined.
- Slowly pour in the seafood stock 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until batter becomes slightly mushy. (Batter should need the entire cup of stock)
- Taste batter for flavor and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Fold in crab and shrimp carefully and place in the baking dish, spreading out evenly.
- Sprinkle with paprika on top and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven and let stuffing rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cornbread Prep: Cornbread dressing, seafood stock, and dressing are the three separate parts to this recipe. Prepare the cornbread ahead of time, for best results a day ahead or completely cooled, left out on the counter.
- Fish Quality: Use fresh crab! Splurge, and by the good stuff, the holidays are here!
- Don’t Rush the Shrimp: Be careful not to overcook your shrimp when baking the dressing. The heat from the oven will finish cooking them through, so don’t sauté them first.
- Baking and Taste Testing: Oven time and temp will vary; gauge your dish as it bakes. Oh, and please taste test each step of the recipe! That’s how you’ll make sure your seafood dressing it’s just right for you.
How to store & reheat Seafood Dressing
Storing it is super easy, boo! First, let your seafood dressing cool down to room temperature. Then, scoop it into an airtight container and pop it in the fridge. Reheat using either an oven or microwave. In the oven, cover with foil to prevent drying out and reheat at 350 F until warmed through. Heat in 30-second intervals, sitting in between for heating in the microwave.How long will Seafood Dressing last in the fridge?
When stored properly in an airtight container, seafood dressing will last 3-4 days in the fridge.Can I freeze crabmeat stuffing?
Yes! After your dressing has cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then again in foil, for further protection, place it in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze in portions for easier thawing and serving. Freeze for 2-3 months.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Cornbread Prep: Bake the cornbread ahead of time, ideally the day before so it dries a little and can absorb the liquids.
- Fish Quality: Use fresh crab! Splurge and buy the good stuff.
- Baking and Taste Testing: Oven time and temp will vary; gauge your dish as it bakes. And do a final taste of the dressing flavors before you add the seafood to see if anything needs to be switched up.
Recipe Help
Yes! You can use store-bought cornbread for convenience. However, homemade cornbread does offer better moisture and flavor control.
Frozen seafood is a great alternative. Just make sure to thaw it properly and thoroughly drain any excess water before using.
Ensure you add enough liquid or seafood stock to the mixture. The dressing should be moist before baking. If it seems dry, and a bit more stock.
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Mrs. Jocelyn, for the seafood dressing can the shrimp be cut versus left whole?
Absolutely they can be cut.
Everyone loved this Dressing ! Will use Again!!
Thank you so much!
Can you add the recipe for the seafood stock? This sounds devine
I gave this recipe a try in 2020 and it has become one of my favorite recipes that I cook every holiday.
That’s so fantastic!!
How do I make the seafood stock
You can grab some store-bought to keep this no-fuss.
My grandson makes the dressing for Thanksgiving. He’s 15; he was 3 when he became the dressing master. He loves seafood and found this recipe. But he doesn’t like corn bread. He wants to make it with just cubes of dressing bread (no preservatives bread). How to make it work? Or should he be looking for another recipe?
I would look for another recipe instead of adapting this.
I have made this twice!! Bay-bee let me say it is a favorite. This is now one of my “signature” dishes. It is so worth the time and effort. Thanks baby-cakes.
If anyone sees this question post before Christmas morning…please tell what do you think would be a great side for this. I thought about greens, or maybe fresh snap beans with potatoes. Suggestions, please! Thanks and Happy Holidays!!!
Greens would be amazing! I love the idea of the beans and potatoes too!