Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe (Air Fryer or Oven)

The Best Bacon Cornbread Dressing for Your Holiday Table

Transform your holiday table with this irresistible bacon cornbread stuffing that combines the smoky crunch of crispy bacon with the cozy comfort of homemade cornbread. It’s a show-stopping Thanksgiving side dish (or anytime fall favorite) that your family and guests will happily reach for seconds—and probably thirds.

You can toast the bread in the oven or air fryer, and then finish the bacon cornbread stuffing in either the oven or the air fryer too. The result is a perfectly balanced stuffing (technically a dressing!) that’s crispy on top, tender in the middle, and packed with savory flavor from bacon, sage, and aromatic veggies.

Why You’ll Love This Bacon Cornbread Stuffing

• Homemade cornbread is key: While you can use store-bought cornbread, making your own gives this bacon cornbread stuffing the best texture and flavor. Don’t worry; the cornbread recipe below is simple and designed to pair perfectly with the stuffing.
• Not too sweet: This recipe works best with a more savory-style cornbread. Very sweet cornbread can taste a little out of place with the bacon, herbs, and savory broth.
• Crispy bacon = big flavor: Cooking the veggies in rendered bacon fat builds a deep, rich flavor base. Then you add plenty of crispy bacon back into the stuffing for crunch and smoky goodness.
• No soggy stuffing: Toasting the cornbread and white sandwich bread before adding the liquid keeps the bread chewy and sturdy, so your stuffing is moist—but never mushy.

There will be no soggy bread here! Toasting the cornbread and white bread before adding the liquid mixture helps the cubes keep their structure and chewy texture. Cooking veggies in bacon grease adds an appetizing flavor, and the crispy bacon on top brings the perfect crunch to every bite of this bacon cornbread stuffing.

Ingredients and Supplies for Bacon Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

For the Cornbread

• Milk
• Vegetable oil
• Eggs
• Cornmeal
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt

For the Cornbread Stuffing

• Cornbread (see recipe above), cut into ½-inch cubes
• White sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
• Bacon, chopped
• Celery stalks, finely diced
• Small yellow onion, finely diced
• Garlic cloves, minced
• Fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (or dried sage)
• Eggs, lightly beaten
• Reduced sodium chicken broth
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt
• Black pepper

Supplies

• 8×8-inch pan for cornbread
• Large skillet
• Air fryer (optional, for toasting bread and baking stuffing)
• 9×13-inch baking dish (for oven method)

How to Make Cornbread in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Preheat the Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C).

Step 2: Mix the Cornbread Batter

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking until smooth and no dry pockets remain.

Step 3: Cook the Cornbread

Pour the batter into a greased silicone pan or another air fryer-safe baking dish. Cook for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cornbread cool in the pan before cutting it into cubes for your bacon cornbread stuffing.

How to Make Bacon Cornbread Stuffing in the Air Fryer or Oven

Step 1: Dry the Bread

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the cubed cornbread and white bread onto two baking sheets. Bake until dry and lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

For the air fryer: Toast the cubed bread in 2 batches at 400°F (200°C) for about 5 minutes, shaking halfway through, until the bread is lightly toasted and dry.

Step 2: Cook the Bacon and Veggies

In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.

Add the celery, onion, and garlic to the skillet and sauté in the bacon grease until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the sage and cook for another 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant. Transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl and add the cooked bacon.

Step 3: Combine the Stuffing Ingredients

Add the dried bread cubes to the large bowl with the bacon and vegetables. Pour in the beaten eggs, chicken broth, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to coat the bread. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, then toss again to make sure everything is evenly moistened.

The mixture for your bacon cornbread stuffing should be moist but not soggy—if you press it together, it should hold lightly without liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

Step 4: Baking Instructions

• Oven Method: Transfer the stuffing mixture into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and slightly crispy.
• Air Fryer Method (in Batches): Divide the stuffing mixture into two batches. Place half the mixture into an air fryer-safe dish and cook at 350°F (175°C) for 15–20 minutes, or until heated through and crispy on top. Repeat with the second batch.

If you prefer to cook part of the stuffing inside your turkey, keep food safety in mind and always make sure the stuffing reaches a safe internal temperature. You can read more about safe turkey and stuffing cooking temperatures from the USDA’s food safety guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cornbread dressing the same as stuffing?

Stuffing is traditionally cooked inside the bird, while dressing is baked separately in a dish. This bacon cornbread stuffing recipe is technically a dressing, since it’s baked outside the turkey.

If you’d like to make actual stuffing, you can use about 4 1/2 cups of this stuffing mixture to bake inside the bird. Then place the remaining bacon cornbread stuffing into a 9×9 baking dish and bake that in the oven or air fryer.

How wet should stuffing be before baking?

The mixture should be moist but not soggy. It should stick together slightly when pressed, but you shouldn’t see excess liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl. If you notice extra liquid, allow the mixture to soak longer before baking.

Why is my cornbread dressing mushy?

Cornbread dressing can turn mushy if there are too many wet ingredients or if the bread cubes are not dried enough. Make sure your cornbread and sandwich bread are well toasted and dry, and adjust the amount of broth as needed so your bacon cornbread stuffing holds together without becoming soggy.

How do you keep stuffing moist when cooking?

Cover the stuffing with foil for the first part of baking to trap moisture and keep the center tender. Then uncover it toward the end to let the top crisp up. If it seems too dry, you can drizzle a bit more warm broth over the top and return it to the oven for a few minutes.

Final Thoughts

This Bacon Cornbread Stuffing is the perfect combination of savory, crispy, and moist. The homemade cornbread, smoky bacon, and fresh herbs make every bite feel special and comforting. Whether you bake it in the oven or crisp it up in the air fryer, this stuffing is a fantastic way to celebrate your holiday meal and a delicious twist on classic Thanksgiving stuffing.

Serve it alongside turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and your favorite green veggie sides. It also reheats beautifully, so you can enjoy leftovers the next day with eggs or a simple salad for a cozy lunch.

More Thanksgiving Dishes

• Slow Cooker Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Recipe
• Easy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
• Homemade Cream Corn Recipe (Easy & Delicious!)
• Moist Fall-off-the-Bone Thanksgiving Turkey
• Creamy Baked Green Beans

Find all our side dish recipes here!

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Amazing Bacon Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

This bacon cornbread stuffing recipe is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving dinner.

4.73 / 5 ( 33 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 12

Adjust Servings: 12

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• 8x8 inch pan
• Large skillet
• 9x13-inch pan

Ingredients

Cornbread Recipe

• 1 ⅓ cups milk
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Cornbread Dressing/Stuffing

• 8x8 pan cornbread from above, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 slices white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 slices bacon chopped
• 2 stalks celery finely diced
• 1 small yellow onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 ¾ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Cornbread

• Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
• In a bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour into a greased 8x8-inch pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool before cutting into cubes.

Stuffing

• Dry the Bread Cubes: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the cornbread and sandwich bread cubes on baking sheets and bake until dry and lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
• Cook Bacon and Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet. Add the celery, onion, and garlic to the skillet, cooking until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chopped sage.
• Mix Stuffing Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, cooked bacon, and sautéed vegetables. Add the beaten eggs, chicken broth, parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine, ensuring the mixture is evenly moist. Let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• Bake the Stuffing: Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown and slightly crispy.
• Air Fryer Option: If using an air fryer, divide the mixture into two batches. Place the mixture in an air fryer-safe dish and cook at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes per batch or until heated through and golden on top.
• For stuffing: Reserve 4 1/2 cups for turkey, then spoon remaining stuffing into a 9x9 baking dish. Bake until top is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

The baked cornbread can be left in its pan at room temperature overnight or up to 2 days before making the stuffing, instead of oven drying (in step 3). You can skip the white bread and do all cornbread if you want, just double the cornbread recipe and bake it in a 9x13 for the same amount of time.

Nutrition

Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 665mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

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