• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

SmartyPantsKitchen logo

  • About
  • Foodie Tips
  • Kitchen 101
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Foodie Tips
  • Kitchen 101
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Quick and Easy

Wild Rice and Oyster Dressing

Published: Sep 17, 2020 · Last Modified: May 27, 2023 by Anecia

  • share
  • share
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Wild Rice and Oyster Dressing is a popular dish from Louisiana. It consists of herb-infused, savory wild rice with oysters and chicken broth.

This pairs beautifully with turkey, beef or pork anytime of the year and it's ready in less than 40-minutes from start to finish! I usually make this at Thanksgiving and Christmas as a savory side dish!

This recipe comes to me from my great-great Grandmother on my Grandad's Cajun side of the family. 

Wild Rice and Oyster Dressing in a yellow serving dish.

 

Traditional "oyster dressing recipes" use French bread in them, but this recipe came from my Cajun Grandad's side of the family. I suspect my grandmother made it once with wild rice because she didn't have any French bread.

Anyway, it turned out delicious and has been a Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish in our family for many, many years! It pairs beautifully with turkey, ham or beef tenderloin!

Jump to:
  • You'll love this recipe!
  • Here's what you'll need
  • Here's how to make it
  • Make ahead
  • Expert tips
  • Related recipes
  • 📋 Recipe

You'll love this recipe!

If your family is like mine, they'll turn their noses up when they learn it has oysters and chicken livers in it...so just don't tell 'em (unless there's an allergy issue)--trust me...they'll love it!

  • Savory and flavorful - not too strong on the oysters or chicken livers...just a mild flavor
  • I use Uncle Ben's™ Long Grain and Wild Rice mix because of the savory herbs
  • Gluten-free and pairs beautifully with beef, turkey or chicken - we serve it at Christmas with Beef Tenderloin!
  • Quick and easy - use a few simple ingredients and this dish is ready in under 40-minutes from start to finish!
  • Make ahead - you can make and bake it beforehand, or just prep everything in advance; when you're ready to serve it, just combine it all in a pan and bake it for 15-20 minutes!

Here's what you'll need

This Cajun wild rice "dressing" isn't really a so-called "dressing" because it doesn't contain any bread or cornbread, like most Southern dressings do...so it's inherently gluten-free and a delicious side dish to turkey, beef, chicken or pork!

Ingredients labeled on counter.

Some folks call this "Cajun Oyster Dressing" or "Cajun Rice Dressing" - it's actually a delicious combination of the two! It's basically a savory, herb-infused, baked rice dressing with celery, onion, chicken livers and fresh oysters. 

Here's how to make it

While the wild rice is cooking, boil the chicken livers in water with a little salt and pepper; this takes about 15-minutes.

Steps showing how to make it.
Boil the chicken livers and cook the rice first. Then, saute onion and garlic and finely chop the oysters and chicken livers. Throw it all in a baking dish; combine and bake

Here's what Wild Rice and Oyster dressing looks like before it's baked. At this point, lightly season with garlic powder and cayenne (optional.)

What it looks like before it's baked.
Bake Wild Rice and Oyster dressing uncovered at 325ºF for 15-20 minutes

Make ahead

If you want to make this Southern oyster dressing ahead of time, assemble everything BUT the oysters and refrigerate. Add the oysters right before you bake it.

Why? If you put the oysters and juice in and then refrigerate it, it gets soggy and the oyster flavor is too strong...it intensifies...add 'em last!

Expert tips

Don't announce what's in it to your guests...many of them will turn up their noses...just serve it and watch them devour it!

This recipe yields a total of 8 cups. If you're serving this as a side with other items, allow ½ cup to ¾ cups per person. If this is your only side, allow 1 cup per person.

If you're serving a big group, double the recipe

Use fresh oysters in a plastic tub (these are usually in the seafood/meat market); check the date and get the freshest ones; keep the juice, you're gonna use it in the recipe

Reserve the oyster liquor (the juice that the oysters are in), as well as any juice from dicing the oysters

Chicken livers usually come in a one-pound tub; you're only gonna use ½ of these (about ½ a cup)

Use a super sharp knife for dicing the livers and oysters; you want tiny, tiny pieces of each-nobody wants to get a big bite of oyster or chicken liver...tiny tiny tiny pieces

When you dice the livers, if you come across a part that sinewy or won't slice easily, throw it away (give the remaining pieces to your dog as a special treat or fry 'em!)

I don't cover wild rice and oyster dressing with foil because I like a little crunch on top; if you prefer no crunch, put foil over the top

Don't over bake it! Everything's basically already cooked, all we're doing is baking the oysters a little in the oven

Wild Rice dressing on a white plate.

Wild rice and oyster dressing is a savory side dish that pairs beautifully with turkey, beef tenderloin or roasted chicken! 

Related recipes

  • Candied Sweet Potatoes
  • Spiced Cranberry Sauce
  • Southern Cornbread Dressing
  • Turnip Green and Cornbread Dressing
  • How to Season and Cook Southern Greens
  • How to Season and Cook Purple Hull and Black Eyed Peas
  • Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
  • New Orleans Cajun Chicken Gumbo
  • Creole Shrimp Pasta
  • Shrimp Etouffee
  • Seafood Manicotti Alfredo
  • Authentic Natchitoches Meat Pie
  • Southern Pecan Pie
  • Classic Buttermilk Pie
  • Southern Fried Oysters

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and comment below! I love to hear from you! Thank you!

📋 Recipe

Wild Rice and Oyster Dressing in a yellow serving dish

Wild Rice and Oyster Dressing

Savory Southern Oyster and Wild Rice
5 from 5 votes
Print Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Cajun, French, Louisiana
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Yield: 8 cups
Author: Anecia Hero
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

  • 2 boxes wild rice with seasoning (I use Uncle Ben's Original Recipe)
  • ¾ cup celery ,chopped
  • ¾ cup onion ,chopped
  • ½ pound chicken livers ,cooked, chopped very fine; See Recipe Notes
  • 8 ounces fresh oysters ,with liquor (juice), chopped very fine
  • 4 cups chicken broth , unsalted
  • ¾ stick butter , unsalted, ½ stick for onions/celery; 2 tablespoons for rice
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt to taste
  • green onions garnish, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF
  • Prepare two boxes of wild rice with seasonings in 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of butter; set aside
    2 boxes wild rice with seasoning, 4 cups chicken broth
  • Drain and rinse chicken livers; place in medium saucepan and cover with water; lightly season with salt and pepper; cook on medium heat till livers reach internal temperature of 165ºF
    ½ pound chicken livers
  • In a medium saucepan, add ½ stick butter, chopped onions and celery; cook till tender
    ¾ cup celery, ¾ stick butter, ¾ cup onion
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove oysters from container; chop finely; DO NOT THROW AWAY the oyster liquor (juice); put chopped oysters and their liquor aside½
    8 ounces fresh oysters
  • Remove half of the chicken livers from the saucepan and dice finely; set aside; See Recipe Notes
  • In a 9 x 13 baking dish, add cooked rice, sauteed onion and celery, chopped chicken livers, chopped oysters, cayenne pepper and garlic powder; combine well
    2 boxes wild rice with seasoning, ¾ cup celery, ¾ cup onion, ½ pound chicken livers, 8 ounces fresh oysters, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Drizzle remaining oyster liquor (juice) over rice mixture; combine well
  • Bake uncovered at 325ºF for 15-20 minutes
  • Season with salt and garnish with chopped green onions
    salt, green onions

Notes

  • This recipe yields 8 cups total; if you're serving this with other sides, allow about a half a cup (to three-fourths cup) per person
  • When chopping the oysters a lot of juice will come out on the cutting board; add this juice to the rice, as well as the juice the oysters came in
Chicken livers
Chicken livers typically come in a one pound plastic container. You're only gonna use half of these (about ½ a cup) unless you double the recipe. 
  • Don't add salt until after you've added the oysters; their juice is already pretty salty 

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cupCalories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 527mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1949IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 2mg
Craving More? Pin it and Share!Mention @SmartyPantsKitchen or tag #smartypantskitchen!
Join the Facebook group!Mention @SmartyPantsKitchen or tag #smartypantskitchen!

More Quick and Easy

  • Cabbage, sausage and potatoes in cast iron skillet.
    Pennsylvania Dutch Skillet Supper
  • Creamed spinach in white serving bowl.
    Tex Mex Jalapeno Creamed Spinach
  • Creole shrimp pasta in blue bowl.
    Creole Shrimp Pasta
  • Challah bread loaf stuffed with roasted cauliflower spread and sliced.
    Cauliflower Stuffed Brioche

Reader Interactions

I'd love to hear from you! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Anecia Hero, Food Blogger

About SmartyPantsKitchen

I'm Anecia, a native Texan, author, cook and photographer for SmartyPantsKitchen where I'm sharing Traditional and Contemporary Southern recipes for cooks of all levels. There's nothing fancy or gourmet about my recipes-just easy, simple, delicious and memorable! Take a tour and check out delicious recipes! 

Learn more about me →

Texas Recipes

  • Authentic Texas Chili in white bowl with tortilla chip and shredded cheese.
    Texas Chili
  • Close up of cake on white plate.
    Original Texas Sheet Cake
  • Sausage cream gravy in red bowl with bowl of biscuits in red checkered basket in background
    Sausage Cream Gravy
  • Whole pecan pie on colorful tablecloth
    Classic Southern Pecan Pie
  • Chicken fried steak with cream gravy and a side of green beans
    Texas Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy
  • Apple cake on gold plate.
    Fresh Apple Cake

Brunch

  • Two slices of quiche on white plate.
    Basic Quiche Recipe
  • Holiday Sausage Ball on fork resting over honey mustard dip
    Easy Sausage Balls
  • Smoked tomato bisque on brown serving tray with crouton and cream
    Smoked Tomato Bisque (Low-Sodium)
  • Slice of low carb egg casserole on plate.
    Low Carb Crustless Quiche Recipe
  • Slice of spinach feta pie on white plate with a side of kalamata olives.
    Spinach Feta Pie
  • Shrimp Saganaki in white baking dish.
    Shrimp Saganaki (Baked Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta)

Reader Favorites

  • Fried catfish filets with tartar sauce.
    Restaurant-Quality Fried Catfish
  • Purple hull peas in white bowl.
    How to Cook and Season Southern Purple Hull Peas
  • Sliced classic meatloaf with tomato sauce on white serving platter.
    Classic Southern Meatloaf with Old-Fashioned Tomato Sauce
  • No beer batter fried fish in paper
    Fish and Chips: No Beer Batter
  • Cream gravy being spooned over chicken fried steak
    Southern Cream Gravy
  • Fried oysters on platter with lemon wedges.
    Crispy Southern Fried Oysters

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and recipes

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2018-2022 SmartyPantsKitchen.com