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This oyster stuffing is my grandfather’s recipe, with layers of buttery Ritz crackers, fresh oysters, herbs and milk baked until golden. His handwritten recipe card didn’t have a single measurement on it, so I tested it until I got it just right! I’m not even a huge oyster fan, but I love this stuffing, and it’s on our Thanksgiving table every year.
Prefer a classic bread stuffing? Try my easy stuffing recipe, and find the rest of your menu in my Thanksgiving recipes!
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- What Makes This Oyster Stuffing So Easy
- Oyster Stuffing Ingredients
- How to Make Oyster Stuffing
- Fresh, Jarred or Canned Oysters for Oyster Stuffing
- Eden’s Tips for Oyster Stuffing
- What to Serve with Oyster Stuffing
- Make-Ahead and Storage Tips for Oyster Stuffing
- Oyster Stuffing FAQs
- More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Oyster Stuffing Recipe
What Makes This Oyster Stuffing So Easy
- There’s no bread to dry out and no celery or onions to chop.
- It’s made with just a few ingredients: Ritz crackers, oysters, butter, milk, and fresh herbs.
- You simply layer it in a 9×13 baking dish and bake.
- It’s buttery and savory with a light, briny oyster flavor, not fishy.
- It’s a real family recipe that’s been passed down for generations.
“This is the closest recipe to my grandmother’s I could find, thank you!” Sugar and Charm reader
Oyster Stuffing Ingredients
Oysters: Use fresh shucked oysters or a pint jar of shucked oysters from the seafood counter. Save a little of the oyster liquid, because it adds so much flavor. More on choosing oysters below.
Ritz Crackers: Don’t swap these out! The buttery Ritz crackers are what make this recipe taste like my grandfather’s.
Butter: Use good unsalted butter, cut into small cubes.
Milk: Whole milk or 2% both work.
Fresh Herbs: I use fresh rosemary. Thyme or sage would work too.
Salt and Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper and a little salt are all you need.
How to Make Oyster Stuffing
- Prep. Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13 baking dish. Cube the butter, chop the rosemary and break the crackers in half.
- Layer. Add a layer of crackers, then half the oysters, then dot with butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Repeat. Add another layer of crackers, the rest of the oysters, butter and seasonings, then finish with a final layer of crackers, butter and seasonings.
- Add the milk. Stir the oyster liquid into the milk and pour it evenly over the top.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 25 more minutes, until the top is golden brown.
You’ll find all of the ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Fresh, Jarred or Canned Oysters for Oyster Stuffing
For this recipe, I use fresh shucked oysters or a jar of shucked oysters. Jarred oysters are raw, just like fresh ones, so they cook right in the stuffing. Canned oysters are already cooked and have a much softer texture, so I don’t recommend them here.
Shucking just means opening the shell and taking out the oyster. If you’re buying them already shucked, the seafood counter has done that part for you! I buy my oysters the day I make this or the day before and keep them in the coldest part of the fridge until I’m ready to use them.
Eden’s Tips for Oyster Stuffing
After more than 16 years of developing recipes and hosting Thanksgiving (and a degree in Home Economics!), these are my best tips for this oyster stuffing.
Stick with Ritz crackers. They give the stuffing its buttery flavor and golden top, and other crackers just don’t taste the same.
Don’t skip the oyster liquid. Just a little stirred into the milk gives the whole dish that rich, savory flavor.
Bake it covered first. The foil keeps everything moist while the oysters cook, then taking it off at the end gets the top crisp and golden.
Use plenty of fresh herbs. They balance the briny oysters so beautifully.
Set out hot sauce. My family loves a few dashes on top!
Prep what you can the day before. Break the crackers, cube the butter and chop the herbs ahead, then assemble it right before it goes in the oven. More of my favorite tips are in my guide to preparing Thanksgiving dinner.
What to Serve with Oyster Stuffing
This oyster stuffing goes perfectly with a roast turkey, roast chicken or ham. For the rest of the table, I love my sweet potato casserole, cheesy scalloped potatoes, sauteed Brussels sprouts, cranberry orange relish and pumpkin dinner rolls.
For drinks, a Wild Turkey Thanksgiving cocktail or an apple cider Moscow mule is always a hit, and my Thanksgiving mocktail is perfect for everyone. Seafood lovers will also love my mini lobster rolls as an appetizer. And save room for a slice of homemade pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie!
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips for Oyster Stuffing
Make ahead: For the best (and safest) oyster stuffing, assemble it right before it goes in the oven. You can break the crackers, cube the butter and chop the herbs the day before, but keep the oysters in the coldest part of your fridge and don’t layer everything together until you’re ready to bake. It’s one of my favorite tips for preparing Thanksgiving dinner without the stress.
Leftovers: Once it’s baked, the oysters are fully cooked, so leftovers are fine to keep. Cover and refrigerate them within 2 hours of baking, and enjoy them within 2 days.
Reheat: Warm leftovers in the oven with a splash of milk or a little butter on top until they’re hot all the way through (165°F). The crackers will be softer the next day, but it still tastes so good.
Oyster Stuffing FAQs
Not really! It has a light, briny flavor, a little like clams, and the butter, crackers and herbs balance it out. Fresh oysters make the biggest difference.
The top should be golden brown and the oysters should look plump with curled edges. To be safe, check the center with an instant-read thermometer. Stuffing and casseroles should reach 165°F.
I always bake mine in a baking dish. It gets that crispy, golden top, and it’s the safer way to go. The USDA recommends cooking stuffing separately from the turkey, and it frees up the bird to roast on its own. Here’s how I cook a turkey in the oven.
They’re very close cousins! Oyster dressing is usually made with cornbread or French bread and is popular in the South. Scalloped oysters are layered with crackers and cream and served as a casserole, a lot like my grandfather’s recipe. If you want a classic bread stuffing, my easy stuffing recipe is the one I make every year.
Oyster stuffing is an old New England tradition from the 1800s, when oysters were plentiful and inexpensive. My grandfather’s version has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.
You can find all of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes here!
More Thanksgiving Recipes
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Thanksgiving Cheese Board
Recipes
Cranberry Cornbread
Thanksgiving
How to Cook a Turkey in The Oven
If you make my grandfather’s oyster stuffing, please leave a 5-star rating and a comment below. I love hearing about your family traditions, and it helps other people find the recipe!
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Oyster Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh shucked oysters, liquid reserved (not canned)
- 13 ounces Ritz Crackers, about 5 sleeves of crackers. This doesn't need to be exact.
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus more for the dish
- 1 1/2 cups milk, 2% or whole
- 2 tbsp reserved oyster liq
- 3 tsp fresh rosemary , finely chopped
- 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Cube the butter into small pieces and chop the fresh rosemary. Set them aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the crackers into a large bowl and roughly break them in half. This doesn't need to be perfect!
- Butter a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Layer 1/3 of the crackers in the dish. You'll make 3 layers, so save enough crackers for the other two.
- Add 1/2 of the oysters over the crackers.
- Place 9 small pieces of butter randomly over the top.
- Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp rosemary.
- Add another 1/3 of the crackers, the rest of the oysters, 9 more pieces of butter, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp rosemary.
- Top with the last of the crackers, the remaining butter, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp rosemary.
- Stir up to 2 tbsp of the reserved oyster liquid into 1 1/2 cups milk, then pour it evenly over the crackers.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes more (about 55 minutes total), until the crackers are golden brown on top and the center reaches 165°F.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello from Missouri! Do you have a sense as to whether this could be made ahead earlier in the day, refrigerated, and baked later the same day? Looking to add this to our Thanksgiving table in 2022.
This is the closest recipe to my grandmother’s I could find – thank you!
H! I would make this one the same day for freshness.
Great recipe easy to to use very flavorful!
I love that this recipe is handed down through the generations. It’s such a classic. And anything with Ritz crackers is my fav! Such a tasty recipe.
What an incredible flavor this adds!! I am excited to try it with other recipes. The holidays will be here faster than we know it!