Spicy Cajun Cornbread Dressing

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Spicy andouille sausage, juicy shrimp, chewy bread cubes and sweet cornbread make this spicy Cajun Cornbread Dressing recipe a total hit for the holidays!

Perfectly moist bread mixed with spicy Cajun seasoning and baked to a buttery "crisped" edge perfection, this is one of the stuffing recipes you definitely want on your Thanksgiving (or Christmas, or Easter, or Tuesday night) menu.

It can go right along with this Mexican Cornbread Stuffing, this Cajun Style Oyster Dressing or this Bacon Stuffing with butternut squash.

Or just this plain old super buttery and extra delicious Traditional Stuffing + all the stuffing tips you could ever need to make it perfect!

The boyfriend says this is his favorite stuffing yet. It's got that comforting feel to it, but with that extra added kick of spice from the andouille sausage and Cajun spice. It's good guys. Seriously amazingly delicious.

It's the perfect way to spice up that Thanksgiving dinner. The combo of cornbread and regular white bread adds the perfect amount of sweet from the cornbread with the heartier texture of the white bread. The best part about stuffing? It's pretty darn easy to make.

**If you love spice and richness of Cajun flavors, you'll love this New Orleans Gumbo or this decadent Crawfish Pie**

The Ingredients

I use a cornbread/white bread combo. For the white bread, I recommend French bread cut in 1 inch cubes. The larger pieces of bread add great texture to the stuffing, so it doesn't become a pile of mush.

You can buy cornbread, or make this super simple air fryer cornbread or Instant Pot cornbread to use.

Plenty of butter is key to getting that buttery dressing with the crisp yummy edges. I almost always use unsalted butter when cooking so I can control the salt content of the dish. 

Andouille sausage is a smoky, spicy pork sausage made with Cajun spices. It's one of my all time favorite sausage. Buy Andouille sausage online.

I like to use homemade Chicken Bone Broth for this recipe, but regular good quality chicken stock will work also. Buy chicken stock online. 

Step By Step Instructions

Cut the French bread into 1" cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Toast in a 300F degree oven for 20 minutes, until browned and crisp around the edges.

While the bread is crisping, crumble the cornbread into 1 inch chunks in a large bowl.

Turn the oven up to 350F degrees. Add the toasted bread cubes and crumbled cornbread to a large bowl and mix to combine.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and brown the andouille sausage. Remove and set the sausage aside.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the onions, garlic and red pepper and cook until they are softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the andouille sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink.

Remove from heat and toss with the bread mixture. Be careful not to over-mix or your stuffing might be mushy.

Slowly add chicken broth until the stuffing is dampened, but not too wet. You may or may not need all the broth.

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove the cover and bake an additional 15 minutes, until browned on top. Then eat it. 

Expert Tips

1. It is important to toast the bread cubes instead of using stale bread cubes. Stale bread cubes will soak up too much liquid and you'll end up with soggy stuffing. 
2. Any kind of cornbread is fine to use. You can even make your own cornbread and use it.
3. You can substitute any smoked sausage for the Andouille sausage.
4. When mixing the sausage mixture in with the bread cubes, be careful to toss gently. Over-mixing will break down the bread cubes and you'll end up with mushy stuffing. 
5. We initially bake it covered to prevent the stuffing from drying out. Removing the cover for the last 15-20 minutes allows the bread cubes to toast slightly for a chewy browned texture on top (which is amazing by the way).

Make Stuffing Ahead of Time

You have a few options to make the stuffing in advance. You can prepare the sausage and shrimp mixture the day before (or a few days before), and mix it with the bread when you are ready to cook it.

You can prepare the stuffing in the baking dish and refrigerate overnight. Bake it the next day according to these instructions.

Lastly, you can make your stuffing ahead of time, either baking it then freezing it, or freezing it before baking it. In either case, let the stuffing thaw before putting it back in the oven.

How to Freeze Stuffing

Be sure to use an airtight container, or wrap in freezer safe plastic wrap, then again in foil. If it's frozen before baking, let it thaw out in the fridge, then bake according to the instructions above.

If it is already baked, thaw it in the fridge and bake in a 350F degree oven until it is warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.

Did you make this Cajun cornbread dressing? Rate the recipe, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out!

This recipe was originally published in November 2018. It has been updated for improved content and photos.