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!
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Easy and delicious Smoked Oyster Dressing (aka, stuffing)
A fun take on classic oyster dressing, this Smoked Oyster and Mushroom Stuffing is moist, crispy, and loaded with smoky umami flavor. It's 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 stuffing recipe 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!
What goes into the Smoked Oyster Dressing recipe?
To make this tasty, smokey stuffing, you will need:
- Potato bread stuffing cubes, or your favorite bread, cubed. You'll need 12 ounces of uniform pieces. I like potato bread or sourdough for this recipe.
- A stick of butter.
- 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.
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. And the oysters carry with them a smoky flavor profile that plays well with the other flavors in the stuffing.
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 sauté some aromatics and mushrooms with whole chicken livers in an immodest amount of butter. 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. 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. Spread butter or cooking spray in the bottom of the pan or baing 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 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 and cover with reserved 4 tablespoon butter, cut into thin slices. Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 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.
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.
Made this Smoked Oyster Dressing recipe? 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 on Instagram! I love to see your photos!
Looking for more great holiday side dishes?
- Stuffed Pattypan Squash with Rainbow Chard, Walnuts & Goat Cheese '
- 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
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.
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Catherine says
This was an amazing recipe, thank you! I will definitely make this again. Made it for Christmas, for my husband and I, as we could not have family over due to covid quarantine. So without all the picky eaters, I was able to try something different! I'm so glad I did. I substituted the type of mushrooms for a mixture of wild mushrooms, but apart from that, stayed true to the recipe.
Sharon Farnell says
Thank you so much Catherine, I'm so glad you both enjoyed it! The substitute of wild mushrooms sounds so delicious!