Go Back
–+ servings
Overhead view of oyster dressing in a white baking dish beside a blue and white striped kitchen towel.
Print

Oyster Dressing

This delicious oyster dressing features plump and juicy oysters, crusty French bread, savory bacon, and fresh herbs.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 small loaves French bread 14 to 16 ounces TOTAL - cut into ½-inch to ¾-inch cubes
  • 1 pound thick cut bacon
  • 2 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
  • 2 ½ cups sliced celery
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley tightly packed
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 ½ pints oysters shucked, very well drained, and roughly chopped (about 1 ½ cups chopped)
  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth low sodium

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Evenly arrange bread cubes on 2 large rimmed baking sheets.  Bake in upper and lower thirds of your oven for 30 minutes (or until lightly browned and crispy), switching pans after 15 minutes.  Place baking sheets on a wire rack to cool.
  • While bread cubes are baking, cook bacon (in 2 batches) in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat until browned and crisp, turning as needed. *Reserve bacon fat between batches. Transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off bacon fat EXCEPT ¼ cup. Once the bacon has cooled, cut into about ½-inch pieces.
  • Add onions, celery, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the bacon fat. Cook over medium high heat until soft, stirring frequently (about 7 minutes).
  • Place cooled bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl.  Add onion and celery mixture, bacon pieces, parsley, melted butter, and chopped oysters.  Gently stir or toss to combine.
  • Drizzle with ½ of the chicken broth and toss or gently stir to combine. Drizzle with the remaining ½ of chicken broth and toss again to combine.
  • Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake on the center oven rack for 30 minutes at 325 degrees F.
  • Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Notes

  • Storage:
    • Refrigerator: Let the leftover dressing cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
    • Freezer: Freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.