If you love seafood, this Seafood Dressing is gonna ruin traditional dressing for ya.. you’ve been warned! The tastin’ cornbread mixes with fresh shrimp, lump crab, fresh herbs, spices, and a homemade seafood stock that’ll make ya weak in the knees. You’re going to love it, boo!
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Every year during the holiday season, stuffing and dressing has a designated place at the dinner table. It’s like peanut butter and jelly; you just can’t have a fried turkey without stuffing or dressing! My Auntie Rose started my love for dressing with her famous cornbread dressing, and over the years, I’ve made my own spins, like oyster dressing. But this seafood dressing recipe right here? It’s one of my faves! Y’all HAVE to try it!
The Lowdown on This Seafood Dressing
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Coastal
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Pescatarian
Key Flavor: Bold and briny with a rich buttery undertone
Skill Level: Intermediate
Customizable Seafood Selection
Whether you’re a fan of shrimp, crab, scallops, or oysters, this recipe allows for customization based on your seafood preferences or whatever’s fresh at the market.
Comfort Food with a Twist
This dressing keeps all the heartwarming comfort of the classic, but that seafood twist? It takes things up a notch. Trust me, folks are gonna be coming back for seconds… And probably thirds!
Versatile Pairing
Seafood dressing goes beyond the Thanksgiving table, boos! It’s a versatile side that pairs beautifully with a variety of main dishes, especially during the festive season.
Ingredients you’ll need to make Seafood Dressing
For the Cornbread
- Vegetable or Canola Oil: The slick start to a fabulous cornbread base. It’s all about that golden crust, baby!
- Cornmeal: The heart and soul of cornbread.
- Self-Rising Flour: This ain’t just fluff, it’s the oomph that gives your cornbread some lift.
- Granulated Sugar: Just a touch of sweetness keeps everything neat and treats the taste buds right.
- Egg: The binder that keeps the party together. Room temp, because it’s chill like that.
- Milk: Works in the background to make everything moist.
- Salted Butter: Rich, creamy, and just salty enough to make all the other ingredients swoon.
You can also use my auntie Rose’s cornbread recipe. It’s famous for a reason!
For the Dressing
- 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 in this seafood dressing recipe for that sweet, delicate flavor. If you can’t find it, lump crab meat or even canned crab will do.
- Garlic Paste & Butter: These two are givin’ all the flavor to your sautéed veggies.
- Seasoning Salt, Black Pepper, & Old Bay: The holy trinity of taste!
- Herbed Seasoned Stuffing: Not just a filler, it’s a thrill-ya, ready to absorb all the saucy goodness.
- Mayonnaise, Cream of Mushroom, & Cream of Celery: The creamy dream team, giving the dressing its luxurious body and soul.
- Seafood Stock: Can sub with veggie or chicken stock, but why would ya? This is where the dressing soaks up the sea’s secrets.
- Smoked Paprika: Don’t skip this one! It gives a subtle smokiness that really sets the dressing apart.
How to make Seafood Dressing
What to serve with seafood stuffing
- Main Event: You gotta have a classic Thanksgiving main to go with this dish. Fry up a juicy turkey or go with a honey-glazed ham. And don’t sleep on a Coca-Cola glazed cornish hen, it’s simple but packs a punch!
- Southern Side Staples: Keep that Southern Thanksgiving vibe strong with some mustard greens, sour cream mashed potatoes, or cauliflower mac and cheese that’s all kinds of cheesy and delicious.
- Dessert Done Right: A classic brown sugar pound cake is always a win, but a slice of pumpkin pie or coconut custard pie will hit the spot just right.
- Gravy: No crabmeat stuffing is complete without a little drizzle of gravy! Whip up some homemade turkey gravy or giblet gravy.
Recipe Substitutions
- Shrimp: Swap in some crawfish or even diced scallops for that seafood flavor. Canned shrimp could work too.
- Crab Meat: Lump crab meat, canned crab, or even imitation crab will still give you that sweetness. Just don’t tell anybody you went with the fake stuff boo!
- Cornbread: If you don’t have time to make cornbread from scratch, grab a box of Jiffy mix. Your seafood dressing will still end up tasting like a million bucks, trust me.
- Seafood Stock: Save the crab and shrimp shells for the seafood stock. If you can find store-bought, even better! The seafood stock gives a rich flavor if you can spare five minutes of prep. But if not, substitute with vegetable or chicken stock.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Add Some Sausage: For a little extra heartiness, toss in some crumbled sausage (andouille or Italian sausage would be amazing).
- Kick Up the Heat: Add some diced jalapeños or a dash of cayenne pepper to the mix.
- Cheesy Twist: Mix in some shredded cheddar or Parmesan into the dressing before baking. My hubby goes crazy for cheesy seafood stuffing!
- Make It Gluten-Free: Swap the self-rising flour in the cornbread for a gluten-free flour blend and use gluten-free stuffing mix.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best seafood dressing recipe
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
This Seafood Dressing is gonna have folks lined up for seconds, so you might wanna make a double batch! And remember, calories don’t count on holidays, especially when there’s shrimp and crab involved. So go on and enjoy every bite boos!
More Favorite Holiday Recipes
- Southern Cornbread Recipe
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Baked Candied Yams
- Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe with Mango!
- Sweet Potato Chess Pie Recipe
- Oyster Dressing
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.
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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!!
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!