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This buttery oyster stuffing recipe is one of my favorite family traditions. Made with layers of oysters, Ritz crackers, and fresh herbs, it’s rich, savory, and has just the right touch of the sea. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas, especially if you love seafood or want a unique holiday side. It’s truly the best oyster stuffing recipe for holiday meals!
More thanksgiving sides? Try my Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe and my favorite Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes!
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Pin ItWhy You’ll Love This Oyster Stuffing Recipe
A classic family recipe that brings rich, savory flavor to any holiday table.
- This oyster stuffing recipe has been in my family for generations.
- It’s made with just a few simple ingredients: butter, milk, saltines, and fresh oysters.
- No bread cubes, sautéing, or complicated prep required—just layer and bake.
- Originally passed down handwritten with zero measurements! I’ve tweaked it over the years to make it perfect!
Oyster Stuffing Ingredients
Ritz Crackers (salted) – These are a must for making this recipe. The Ritz crackers hold their crunch and flavor when cooked. I wouldn’t recommend any other cracker when making this stuffing.
Oysters – You can use fresh or fresh canned oysters. If you are using fresh oysters, try to get small oysters. Sometimes, that’s not an option; the ones we used in this recipe were bigger, and they still worked. When you buy the oysters, ask them to chuck the shuck them for you. This will save you a lot of time!
Unsalted Butter – A key ingredient in any stuffing recipe is butter! It adds so much creamy flavor and just makes everything taste better!
Milk – Adds creaminess and richness to the stuffing. It also helps to moisten the bread crumbs or other dry ingredients. You can use 2% or whole milk.
Fresh Rosemary or Thyme or Fresh Sage – The only chopping you need to do in this recipe! I love the flavor of fresh chopped herbs, like rosemary for this recipe.
Salt & Pepper – The oysters and crackers are salty so you don’t need to add a lot of salt. There’s also a lot of freshly ground pepper in this recipe!
How to Make Oyster Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Prep ingredients: Cube the butter, chop the rosemary, and set aside.
- Break the crackers: Pour Ritz crackers into a large bowl and break them in half.
- Layer the stuffing:
- Add 1/3 of the crackers to the dish.
- Top with 1/2 of the oysters.
- Dot with 9 cubes of butter.
- Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Repeat the layers, finishing with crackers on top.
- Mix and pour: Stir together milk and 1/8 cup of oyster liquid. Pour evenly over the top.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 25 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Oyster Stuffing Tips
Use Fresh Oysters – For the best flavor, ask your seafood counter to shuck oysters for you. The fresher, the better.
Don’t Skip the Ritz Crackers – Their buttery flavor and flaky texture are key to this recipe. No substitutions needed!
Save the Oyster Liquid – Mix a bit of the oyster juice with milk before pouring it over the stuffing. It adds a rich, briny depth.
Add Fresh Herbs – A sprinkle of fresh rosemary elevates the flavor and adds a beautiful aroma.
Be Mindful of Oyster Freshness – Shucked oysters can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days, but I recommend using them right away. Store them in the coldest part of your refrigerator and handle with care.
Difference Between Canned Oysters and Jar Oysters
Canned oysters are cooked before being canned. They have a softer texture and are already cooked so they just need to be reheated.
Jar oysters are fresh and have not been cooked. You will need to cook them before eating. I recommend using jar oysters for this recipe.
Both types of oysters can be found in the canned seafood aisle of most grocery stores.
What to Pair with Oyster Stuffing
This oyster stuffing complements a variety of dishes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Oyster stuffing has a slight briny flavor but is balanced by the buttery crackers and fresh herbs. Even if you’re not a big fan of oysters, you may still love this dish!
Shucking means opening the oyster shell to remove the meat. To protect your hand, use a shucking knife and a glove. Check out this video tutorial for easy tips.
Yes, reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave. Add a little milk or butter to restore moisture.
Oysters are packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. They’re low in calories and a great addition to a balanced diet.
Yes, you can freeze oyster stuffing. Just place it in a freezer-safe dish and it will keep for up to three months. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it in the oven or microwave.
Oyster stuffing is a traditional holiday side dish, especially popular in New England. Made with layers of oysters, buttery Ritz crackers, and fresh herbs, it delivers a rich, savory flavor with a subtle taste of the sea.
Unlike typical bread-based stuffing recipes, this one relies on crackers for texture and oysters for a briny, ocean-inspired twist.
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This classic oyster stuffing recipe uses buttery Ritz crackers, fresh oysters, milk, and herbs. It’s baked until golden and crisp on top, creamy in the center, and always a holiday favorite. Easy, savory, and full of flavor!
Let me know if you make it! Happy Thanksgiving!
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Oyster Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pint oysters, fresh and shucked
- 13 ounces Ritz Crackers, about 5 sleeves of crackers. This doesn't need to be exact.
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups milk, 2% or whole
- 3 tsp fresh rosemary , finely chopped
- 3 tsp fresh pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to oven to 350 degrees.
- Start by cubing the butter into small pieces and chopping the fresh rosemary. Set it aside to soften while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the crackers into the large mixing bowl and roughly break them in half. This doesn’t need to be perfect by any means! Just quickly break them in half in the bowl.
- Butter the 9×13 casserole dish (or something similar)
- Layer in 1/3 of the crackers in the prepared baking dish. Keep in mind, that you will add 3 layers of the crackers total so save enough for the extra layers.
- Add 1/2 of the oysters over the top.
- Randomly place 9 small pieces of cubed butter over the top.
- Sprinkle about 1/4 tsp of salt and 1 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp fresh rosemary over the top.
- Add another layer of crackers, the rest of the oysters, butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- The last layer will be the top, so it will just be crackers, the remaining butter, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Add the oyster liquid in with the milk and then pour the milk evenly over the top of the crackers.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes covered and 25 minutes not covered. This dish will bake for about 55 minutes.
- The crackers will be golden brown on the top.
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!