Whether you call it Dressing or Stuffing, it's the traditional mainstay of every holiday meal, outshining all the other side dishes. This traditional South Louisiana Dressing is an oyster dressing with pork sausage and giblets. Add the distinct flavor of Sage and you have Sweet Daddy D’s New Orleans Oyster Dressing.
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Holiday Tradition in South Louisiana
This New Orleans Oyster Dressing is more of a Creole-style recipe as opposed to Cajun, but the line between the two can be thin. Oyster Dressing is a holiday staple in South Louisiana, and like most recipes, the roots of this recipe are in the family kitchen of my youth. My father would make his dressing the night before Thanksgiving every year. I can still see him chopping the onions and still smell that comfortable aroma of onions, oysters, and sage cooking in butter. Although I never saw a written recipe (I doubt he had one), I pattern my recipe from what I saw him do year after year. The tradition continues...I even use the same frying pan that he did!
Tips for a Great Tasting Oyster Dressing
This recipe takes some time and there are lots of steps and ingredients, but it is pretty simple. The most likely ways to mess up:
- Adding too much salt in the beginning. Wait until you have added the oysters and their juice to determine the salt you need.
- Adding too much liquid will make the dressing way too moist.
- Add the stock and oyster juice in small batches.
- You likely will not use all the stock or oyster juice, but it's there if you need it.
- Add the liquids a little at a time. If you add too much, throw in some more bread to help absorb it.
Here’s What You Need
A complete list of ingredients with quantities can be found on the printable recipe card at the end of this article.
Ingredient Notes
- Giblets: These are usually found in a pouch in the turkey’s neck cavity and contain livers, gizzards, and a heart from the turkey. If no giblet pack is available, buy a turkey neck, turkey (or chicken) liver, and gizzards. A bone-in skin-on turkey or chicken thigh can be used in place of the neck.
- Stock: While you prepare the giblets, you might as well make the stock. You can substitute commercial turkey or chicken stock. Read the Prepare the Giblets section below for some ideas.
- Pork sausage: I use Jimmy Dean Pure Pork Sausage, but you can use your favorite if you have one. I avoid flavored (maple, sage, whatever) because I like to control the amount of spice and seasoning.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe, but you can substitute unsalted butter.
- Bread for Stuffing: I try to use stale New Orleans po'boy bread. You can make your own out of stale French bread but make sure to cut it up into small cubes. Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing works fine. If you can find it unseasoned that’s even better. Insider tip-2 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing Mix provide the 4 cups of stuffing bread this recipe calls for and it comes in pork, chicken, or turkey flavors. I’ve used it many times.
- Oysters: The number of oysters in a pint will vary depending upon the size of the oysters, ranging from as few as 15 to 20 to as many as 50, but 2 pints will be 4 full cups of oysters and their delicious, briny juice. Freshly shucked oysters are the best!
- Fresh Sage: This distinctive herb plays a major role in the flavor profile of this oyster dressing. Have more sage available than the recipe calls for as you may decide to increase the amount after tasting.
- Herbs and Spices: Use fresh herbs while making the giblets/stock and dry herbs (except the sage) when making the dressing.
Cookware
This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.
You're going to dirty some dishes making this recipe, but you don't need anything special. I bake the dressing in a couple of 9” X 13” baking dishes or other similar baking dishes. Besides the baking dishes and your usual prep equipment, I use a Stock Pot, Dutch Oven, Frying Pan, Small Food Processor, Large Food Processors, Kitchen Strainer, and Garni Bags
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
The butter, stock, and oysters are sources of salt, so I am always careful when adding more. Oysters grow in saltwater and have a wonderful briny, salty flavor which varies depending upon where the oysters were harvested. I don't add salt when making stock but commercial stock usually contains salt. For this Dressing, I do not add much salt until after I add the stock and the oysters. Taste the dressing for seasonings AFTER you add the oysters and then add the amount of salt you want.
The only differences I know of between the two are how it is cooked and the region of the country in which it's made. If you stuff this inside the turkey cavities and then roast it, it's Stuffing. Bake it in a baking dish and serve it alongside the turkey, then it is Dressing. I realize wars have been fought over less, but it’s pretty simple. If Uncle Stinky wants to call it Stuffing and your Couyon cousins want to call it Dressing, walk away before it gets serious and they start arguing over what goes in a Gumbo. If you decide to stuff this into the bird before roasting, make sure the Stuffing reaches 165 degrees by the time the bird is done. Here is a list of things to know before stuffing your bird.
You can make this recipe in advance, up to the point of baking. However, the USDA recommends never to refrigerate uncooked dressing due to the risk of bacterial growth. Instead, you can freeze uncooked Dressing. Make sure you have an airtight seal.
Here’s what the USDA says about freezing uncooked dressing:
It is safe to freeze uncooked stuffing; however, the ingredients must be combined, put into a shallow container, and frozen immediately. To use it, do not thaw before cooking. Cook from the frozen state until the stuffing reaches 165°F.
From the USDA’s article, “You’ve Got the Right Stuff(ing)! Tips to Handle Stuffing With Care”.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. One of the great things about traditions like this is that family and friends participate in the preparation of the meal. Besides needing more beer, you can enlist people to help chop and measure. Mise en place starts with a beer. While you drink it, read the recipe from top to bottom and make sure you have all the ingredients and you know what to do with them.
Mise en place
The process of preparing all of the ingredients before you start cooking is very important in this recipe. With proper preparation, the assembly of the recipe will be seamless.
Lagniappe Tip: The giblets can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge.
For the Giblets: Prepare the ingredients for the giblets and stock: turkey neck, liver, gizzard (rinse well and remove any yellow fat/skin attached), heart, chicken thigh (optional), celery, yellow onion (quartered), garlic (sliced in half), and green onions. Make a garni bag with peppercorns and broken bay leaves and a Bouquet garni with fresh parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, and basil in twine.
Divide the butter, garlic, and parsley as they will be added while cooking the dressing as well as when preparing the oysters.
For the Dressing: Chop and measure all the ingredients: place the yellow onions, green onions, and celery in the same bowl. Put the garlic, sage, parsley, and the Herb and Spice Blend, in separate bowls.
For the Oysters: Strain the oysters; set the oysters and their juice in the fridge until you need them. Finely chop about ⅓ of the oysters just before you add them.
Measure and set aside the pork sausage, stock, butter, and bread stuffing.
Lagniappe Tip: Keep the sage separate from the other herbs and spices so that you can add as much or as little as you want, and you won't know that until you taste the dressing.
Don't get hung up on exact quantities. Here is a summary of the vegetables you need:
- You need about 10 cups of onions and celery in all.
- Dice about 5 or 6 yellow onions and about 6 or 7 bunches of green onions-use both the green and white parts.
- Use at least 6 cloves of garlic, chopped fine;
- Use about 5 stalks of celery, chopped (but too much makes things a little bitter),
- Prepare about half a cup of parsley.
- Set some of the butter, garlic, and parsley aside to use with the oysters, according to the recipe.
Make the Giblets and Stock
What happens in this step? This step prepares the giblets and a delicious stock to be used in the recipe, providing an earthy, natural element to the flavor profile.
Steps to Prepare the Giblets and Stock
- Place the onions and garlic cut side down in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Sear for about 5 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. Cover with 8 cups of cold water.
- Simmer over very low heat, uncovered, until the liquid reduces by about half (about an hour to an hour and a half). Skim any impurities accumulating on top.
- After an hour, remove the liver, gizzard, and heart and set aside to cool. After an hour and a half, remove the neck, and any other poultry meat you have used.
- Strain the stock into a measuring cup and discard the cooked veggies.
- Once cooled, strip the meat from the turkey neck; remove the skin and debone the chicken thigh.
- Place the turkey meat, liver, kidney, and heart in a small food processor, add a little stock (maybe ⅛ of a cup), and process until a paste forms. Set this aside in a small bowl. It should be about 1 cup.
Preparation of the giblets and stock can be done the day before and kept in the fridge.
Lagniappe Tip: A simple substitute for making the stock is adding about 6 to 8 cups of commercial stock to the giblets and simmering for an hour. Remove the giblets and strain the stock for use in this recipe.
Start with the Sausage
What happens in this step? The first layer of flavor starts by browning the fresh sausage leaving some rendered fat and fond in the pan to lend flavor to the subsequent layers.
- Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use your spoon to break up the sausage.
- Stir constantly while the sausage browns, breaking it up as you go. This will take about 5 minutes. Once browned, remove the sausage from the pan, leaving the rendered fat and fond.
Sauté the vegetables
What happens in this step? The onions and celery will fry in the sausage fat and fond built in the first step, solidifying the flavor base we want.
- To the rendered fat, add 1½ sticks (¾ cup) of butter. Set the heat to medium-high and scrape any sausage bits off the bottom.
- When the butter foams, add the yellow and green onions and celery. Mix well and cook until the onions are clear and starting to brown; about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often so it doesn’t stick and burn.
Add Seasonings and Aromatics
What happens in this step? Now that we have a foundation built with strong flavors, the sausage and aromatics are added to start building the unique flavors of this recipe.
- At this point, add the garlic and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend. Keep cooking and stirring until the garlic is aromatic-which will only take about 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage back to the pan (plus any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl) along with the bay leaves and about ⅔ of the sage. Mix well and let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. If the sausage mixture is sticking to the pan, reduce the heat and cover the pan.
Add the Giblets and Stock
What happens in this step? We need to tie all the flavors together and day-old French bread is that vehicle.
- Next, stir in the giblets, parsley, the rest of the sage, and more of the Herb and Spice Blend. Mix well to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook another 10 minutes while the flavors meld. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick.
- Add about 2 ½ cups of the stock (reserve the rest); increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a heavy simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and mix in the bread completely. Stir for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let it sit while you prepare the oysters. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Prepare and add the oysters (or "Ersters" as Aunt Dorothy used to say)
What happens in this step? Oysters have a briny flavor that is very distinct. It won't be an Oyster dressing if we don't capture that flavor.
- Finely chop about ⅓ of the oysters. Melt ½ stick of butter in a large saute pan over high heat. When it starts to foam, add the garlic. Shake the pan back and forth until the garlic is aromatic, 2 minutes.
- Add the oysters (chopped and whole). Sauté until the oysters are curling up then toss in the parsley. This will take only about 5 minutes total and may need to be done in batches depending on the size of your pan. This will make a lot of nice buttery oyster liquid.
Lagniappe Tip: Use a slotted spoon to add the oysters so you don’t add a lot of extra juice yet. This delicious liquid will be added later, so don't throw it out!
- Using a slotted spoon, add the oysters to the dressing and stir each spoonful thoroughly to combine all the ingredients.
- When all the oysters are mixed in, add about ½ cup of the oyster juice. Mix well and add more oyster juice until the dressing is moist with a dense, homogenous consistency. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, sage, Herb and Spice Blend, or oyster juice if needed.
Time to Bake
What happens in this step? All the various flavors have been added and have started to meld. A trip to the oven will complete the process of achieving a total (flavor) greater than the sum of all the parts (ingredients).
- Prepare the baking dishes by spreading softened butter on the insides. Spoon the Dressing into the baking dish and smooth the top. [See Hints and Tips about making the Dressing ahead].
- Place the baking dishes in the preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until it is bubbly on the edges. If it starts to brown too quickly, lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the baking dishes in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Once the Oyster Dressing comes out of the oven, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before serving. This will give time for the dressing to solidify slightly and evenly distribute the moisture.
Serve this as a side dish for your holiday feast. This recipe is good enough to be everyone's favorite dish.
Check out these other Holiday Dressings from Sweet Daddy D:
Here are some other Holiday recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
Leftover Tips
Leftover Oyster Dressing can be kept (airtight) for 3 or 4 days in the fridge or frozen for about 30 days.
Allow the dressing to cool to room temperature. It should be refrigerated within 2 hours of baking. Place leftover dressing in an airtight container, or wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap covered with aluminum foil.
Don’t refreeze leftovers after they have been frozen once. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. It’s easy to reheat small portions in the microwave or larger amounts in a 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of about 165 degrees. It's best to reheat only the amount you will consume as opposed to reheating the entire amount numerous times.
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Yeah You Right!
Publisher Note: This recipe and article were originally published in November 2019. I am republishing it now with improved step-by-step instructions and pictures and more tips for making the recipe easier.
Recipe
New Orleans Oyster Dressing
Here's What You Need
For the giblets/stock
- 1 pack Turkey Giblets and neck
- 1 chicken thigh bone in-skin on
- 1 large yellow onion quartered
- 3 stalks celery cut in 3 " pieces
- 1 head garlic sliced in half
- 4 green onions folded and tied with butcher string
- 4 sprigs fresh sage
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 sprigs fresh basil
- 3 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 peppercorns
For the dressing
- 2 pounds Pork Sausage
- 2 sticks butter Divided, plus about 2 tablespoons for the baking dishes
- 6 medium Yellow onions
- 7 bunches Green onions
- 5 stalks Celery
- 6-7 cloves garlic Divided
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley Chopped, Divided
- 3 cups turkey stock See Notes
- 4 cups bread for stuffing See Notes
- 1 pints fresh oysters Use up to a Quart
Herbs and Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoon dry thyme
- 1 ½ tablespoons dry Oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoons dry basil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh sage chopped
- 4 Bay Leaves
Here's What You Do
Prepare the giblets and stock
- Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of vegetables. When hot, place the yellow onions and garlic head cut side down in the stockpot and brown for approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the celery, giblets, neck, chicken thigh, bouquet garni, and Garni bag into the stockpot. Add about 8 cups of cold water.
- Bring the stockpot to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a low simmer. After 15 minutes, skim off the impurities that bubble to the top. Maintain a low simmer for approximately 1 ½ hours.
- Remove giblets, neck, and chicken thigh from the stockpot and place them in a bowl to cool. Strain the liquid and reserve. If this does not yield 4 cups of stock, add some commercial chicken or turkey stock. Discard the cooked vegetables.
- To prepare the giblets, remove the chicken thigh meat and discard the bones and skin. Pull the meat off the turkey neck. Place the poultry meat and giblets in a small food grinder or processor. Add about 2 tablespoons of stock and grind until smooth. Set aside. This should yield about 1 cup.
For the dressing
- Chop all the onions, celery, parsley and sage. Measure all other ingredients.
- Reserve about 1 tablespoon each of the chopped garlic and parsley for the oysters.
- Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the pork sausage (about 5 minutes). Remove the sausage from pan; leave at least 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan.
- Continuing over medium-high heat, melt about 1 ½ sticks of butter in the same pan, scraping the sausage bits off the bottom.
- When the butter starts to foam, add the onions and celery and mix well. Fry until the onions are clear and starting to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often so it doesn’t stick and burn.
- When the onions and celery have cooked down, mix in the garlic and about half of the Herb and Spice Blend. Stir until the garlic is aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Add back the sausage with the bay leaves and at least ½ to ⅔ of the chopped sage. Mix to combine and allow this to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Next, mix in the giblets, parsley, remaining sage and most of the remaining Herb and Spice Blend. Combine completely and cook another 10 minutes, stirring often while the flavors meld together.
- At this point, add about 2 ½ cups of the stock (reserving the rest); bring this to a heavy simmer for about 5 minutes before adding the bread; mix well; leave on the heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Cover, remove from the heat and let this sit while you prepare the oysters.
Now for the ersters:
- Strain the oysters into a bowl; reserve the oyster juice.
- Chop about ⅓ of the oysters.
- In a large saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter until foamy; throw in the garlic until its aromatic then add the oysters (chopped and whole). See Notes
- Add the parsley and sauté until the oysters are curling up, this will take about 5 minutes and generate a lot of nice buttery oyster liquid.
- Add the oysters to the dressing using a slotted spoon letting the liquid drain through the spoon. Mix well to combine the ingredients. Add about ½ cup of the oyster/butter juice but be careful not to add too much juice-See Recipe Notes. The dressing should be supple and cohesive at this point, but not too wet. If more liquid is needed, add more oyster/butter juice and/or some of the reserved stock.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust according to your taste.
- Prepare two 9" X 13" baking dishes (or similar) by spreading softened butter inside. Spoon the dressing into the pans and smooth the top.
- Place the baking dishes in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes until it is bubbly on the edges.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
read the "It's Me" page to find out more about me and this website…
LRG
delicious recipe. It was exactly what I was looking for! Reminds me of home!
Sweet Daddy D
Fantastic, LRG. I'm thankful we have recipes that connect and remind us of home and growing up. Thank you!
Evelyn J Burks
Sweet Daddy D
This is my first attempt at oyster dressing, I am a Colorado girl, but I married a man from New Orleans, and he raves about his mom's oyster dressing. I am not afraid of a recipe with a number of ingredients, so here I go. It is only the 2 of us having dinner so I will be cutting the recipe into smaller amount I will most likely do1/4th of the recipe what do you think??
Sweet Daddy D
Hi Evelyn, Good to hear you're going to be a little adventurous! I think cutting it in 4ths will work fine. I recommend not bothering with the stock, just use some store bought chicken stock, but do try to make the giblets. If your roasting a turkey you should have a pack in the cavity, if not, try to buy some livers and gizzards and necks at the grocery. Let me know how it turns out. Happy Thanksgiving.
Billy
Hi Dave,
First, I just want to say, I have only just gotten into cooking in the last few years (I'm in my early 40s), and you have quickly become my go to guy--I LOVE your recipes!!!
I want to try Erster dressing this year--will canned oysters work instead of fresh? If so, how will it affect flavor profile?
Thanks for all the great meals!!
Sweet Daddy D
Hi Billy, glad to have you and glad you're getting into cooking...it's never too late and you are young! I have never used or had canned oysters in my dressing recipes. Fresh oysters can get expensive, but being raised in South Louisiana, they have always been plentiful. The briny, salty flavor of a fresh oyster and all that oyster juice is very distinctive. It’s hard to beat freshly shucked oysters. That being said, I wouldn't shy away from trying canned oysters in this recipe if I can’t get fresh. The texture will be very different between canned and fresh. Keep in mind that canned oysters are already cooked, or at least partially cooked. My recommendation is to get them packed in brine or water and not oil. Many brands sell smoked oysters and oysters packed in oil seasoned with all sorts of things. For this recipe, I'd stay away from the smoked, oil, and added seasonings. Try adding them just as you would add the fresh oysters in the recipe: flavor them with garlic and butter just before adding. Keep everything else the same, except you will not have the fabulous oyster juice that comes with fresh oysters. That may be the biggest thing that's lacking, but you could add more stock if you need more liquid. I'm not sure how you would make up for losing the flavor of the oyster juice, but maybe add some stock to the pan you quickly saute the canned oysters in butter and garlic to flavor the stock a little. Bottom line, don't hesitate to try new stuff. Without having tried canned oysters here, I’d say the texture, fresh, briny taste, and the absence of fresh oyster juice will change the flavor profile, but I’m not sure how much. If fresh oysters are available, use those, if not, try canned. Let me know what you do and how it turns out. Thanks for the question.
Sandra Marks
Hi, I’ve eaten and cooked oyster dressing my whole long life. I don’t recall back than the oyster muscle turns rubbery, chewy. What’s up with that? I don’t think I’m over cooking it. This ruins my oyster dressing for me. Any suggestions. Ps I’m a purist. I only put oysters and the trinity in my dressing. Sandra
Sweet Daddy D
Hi Sandra, the only thing I know of that will turn the oysters rubbery is over cooking them. There is a lot of moisture in my recipe and I believe that helps the oyster keep a nice texture. Unless you’re adding some acid, like lemon juice or vinegar, you may want to look at your cooking time and temperature .
Wali
Yaa-u-rite!
Thank you! That was very well presented and I'm certain it'd be spot on following your directions. I really came to this as a refresher and being as hard headed as my gramma said, I rifted a little. Then found my variance in your notes! (pepperidge farms) Went waaay left field on the stock (don't ask) and added a good bit of heat like Aunt Alva's. I love your herb blend with the heavy sage and I'll see how it comes out in a little less than an hour (it certainly looks correct cooking) .......yep!
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah you right, Wali! Thanks for taking the time to reach out. I hope it turned out the way you wanted.
d
Love this recipe! It reminds me so much of my grandfather's recipe. He was from New Orleans but I don't have a copy of the recipe. This really feels close, just added eggplant. Thank you for sharing!
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, d. Recipes with a family connection...that's what it's all about. Enjoy!
Frank
You are so right about family connections! I’m 70+ & have had oyster dressing since I was a child. I’m from MD, so it’s no surprise. This recipe is how I’ve made it for over 50 years! I, my children & grandchildren love it for Thanksgiving & Christmas and beyond. Thanks.
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah you right, Frank! Thanks for reaching out. Keep cooking.
Charlie Boy
My late grandma's Erster dressing was the best ever! Unfortunately I didn't get the recipe before her passing. Your recipe will attempt to fill that void this Christmas 🎄. I will revisit after 2021 Christmas and let you know how I did.
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Charlie Boy. Recipes that connect with family memories are the best. Thanks for giving it a try, looking forward to hearing back from you. Merry Christmas!
Linda H Snyder
Is it okay to partially cook oyster dressing with eggs and turkey stock and leave it in warm oven overnight?
Sweet Daddy D
Hi, Linda. I’m actually not sure, I’ve never done it that way. You have to be careful to keep it out of the danger temperature zone of about 40 to 135 degrees F. Make sure it does not stay in that range for more than 2 hours. I often make it to the point of adding the oysters, then cool it down and refrigerate, then finish it the next day. If you keep it in the oven overnight, make sure to cover it in foil. I’d be concerned about it drying out. Sorry, I’m not sure this is a very helpful answer. Are you adding eggs?
Ryan
Outstanding! Best part of our 2020 Thanksgiving meal.
Sweet Daddy D
Yeah you right! Thanks, I appreciate you giving it a shot!