This Easy Stuffing Recipe is a favorite for every holiday dinner. With simple ingredients and thousands of 5-star reviews-it’s perfect every time!
Celery and onions are tossed with bread, broth, and herbs and baked until golden. It’s the best stuffing recipe with a buttery-sage flavor and crisp edges!
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Ingredient Notes for Stuffing
I love mashed potatoes, but homemade stuffing is the thanksgiving side dish I look forward every year.
- Bread – Any dry bread works for stuffing, I usually mix white and wheat bread. Tear them into cubes and let it dry on the counter so it can absorb the broth. Store bought dried bread cubes can also be used. If they’re seasoned, I add less salt but I do still add the herbs.
- Celery/Onions – These are the base of the flavor in this stuffing. Cook them in butter until tender.
- Seasoning – Poultry Seasoning adds that classic turkey stuffing flavor with a blend of sage, thyme, and rosemary. You can replace poultry seasoning with ground sage if needed.
- Broth – Chicken or turkey broth adds moisture. The amount needed will vary based on the type of bread used and how dry it is. See the recipe notes for more details.
- Additions – Dubbed the best stuffing recipe, this recipe lends itself well to add ins like shredded carrots, raisins, dried cranberries, or cooked sausage.
Bread for Stuffing
Bread is the base of the stuffing and the key is making sure it’s very dry before adding broth. This allows it to soak up the broth (and flavor) without becoming soggy.
If possible, buy the bread at least a few days early, cut it into cubes, and let it dry on the counter. Any kind of bread will do – including sourdough or half cornbread.
If using purchased dried bread cubes, they may need a little extra broth.
The Best Golden Crunchy Edges
I bake stuffing in a casserole dish for the crunchy edges and buttery soft center (which would technically make it dressing). You can also cook it in a Crock Pot. Cooking it separately ensures both the turkey and the stuffing cook evenly and reach safe temperatures without overcooking.
Stuffing a Turkey You can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey. Ensure that the stuffing has cooled in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
Stuff the turkey just before roasting so it doesn’t sit at an unsafe temperature for too long. If stuffing a turkey, the center of the stuffing should reach 165°F as the drippings from the bird enter the stuffing.
Stuffing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a casserole dish. Prepare the stuffing without baking and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before baking, remove it from the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Everyone loves turkey dinner leftovers so I always make extra! Turkey stuffing can be frozen for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight or in the microwave. Bake in a casserole dish for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
Ingredients
- 2 small yellow onions diced
- 4 ribs celery diced
- ⅔ cup butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning or ½ teaspoon ground sage
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 12 cups dry bread cubes
- 2 to 4 cups chicken broth see notes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs any combination of sage, thyme, or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dry herbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and poultry seasoning (and rosemary if using). Reduce the temperature to medium low and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs.
- Pour 1 cup of broth overtop and toss the cubes. Add the remaining broth, a little bit at a time until cubes are moist (but not soggy) and gently toss. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the bread mixture in a baking dish, dot with additional butter if desired, and cover.
- Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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What type of bread would you recommend? I made this but it came out so soggy and I only added 2 cups of broth. I think it might’ve been the bread.
Any bread will work in this recipe. Did you dry out the bread beforehand? If it wasn’t dried out that could cause it to become soggy when the broth is added.
Hi- My wife and I enjoy stuffing with many dishes, but we both prefer to make is as a box instant, where you heat water, onion, butter, and celery the add breading, stir, and serve. How can I adapt this recipe to cut down on the time?
This recipe takes only about 15 minutes to prepare before baking. You could prepare multiple batches and freeze for quick use next time! The post has instructions for making ahead and freezing. Enjoy the stuffing Paul!
Absolutely delicious :) I add cranberries and a touch of cinnamon to mine and everyone loves it! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Very tasty, I added chopped walnuts, chopped dried cranberries and dates, and used about 3 cups of broth. I also had some cornbread in the freezer i oven dried and used. It was lots for us and plenty leftover just as we like it.
Good recipe, works with dried herbs as well as fresh. but do not use as much chicken stock as this it’s WAY too much. I use 1-2 cups max.
The amount of broth needed can vary based on the type of bread (how dense it is) and how dry the bread is. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Best stuffing ever. I use 2 cups of stock bc any more and my bread melts but the flavor is amazing. I bake mine longer and flip it often to make sure lots of bread pieces get time under the heat. I wouldn’t call this editing the recipe so much as editing for my bread and oven. Thanks for a hit recipe!
Hi Holly, the recipe calls for poultry seasoning AND fresh herbs. I don’t have “fresh” herbs, just bottled (dried). Can i substitute or perhaps use extra poultry seasoning/sage? Thank you.
Hi Lori, you can substitute for dry herbs if you prefer. The ratio is 1 tsp of dry herbs for every tablespoon of fresh herbs. Hope that helps!
In a rush I picked up herb seasoned crumbs instead of cubes. How should I adjust the recipe? I’d love to try this for our Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks!
I would reduce the salt if the cubes have a salty flavor and reduce the poultry seasoning to about ½ teaspoon. This recipe doesn’t contain any ‘raw’ ingredients (like eggs) so once mixed you can taste one of the cubes and add additional seasoning if needed.
how could i incorporate ground chicken into this recipe? i know its not ideal but i have some frozen 1lb tubes that i need to use up.
should i cook the ground chicken first then add it before baking or should i mix it in raw?
Hi Carl, I would follow this sausage stuffing recipe but replace the sausage with ground chicken. You will have to let us know how it turns out!
Greetings Holly
Just a quick note – stumbled on your site – looking for Shredded Hasbrown potates – and there you were…I signed up (of course) and I’m enjoying all the other recipes…As I mention to the wife – “so many recipes and Not Enough Time”
I’m 87 and thankfully in excellent health – I do all the cooking and baking and enjoying every moment
Good luck and keep those great ideas coming – like always I do ‘experiment’ with some of the recipes. In your stuffing recipe – I added fresh butter fried mushrooms…along with 1/4 – 1/3 cup of walnuts..
Turned out fantastic
All the best
We are so happy you are enjoying our recipes! Your additions sound delicious too, Don. Thank you for sharing!
Just wondering if I make ahead, I prepare as directed without baking? My concern is that the broth would make the bread to mushy if I was to leave it over night without baking? Hope this makes sense. I am not a great cook so I need all the help I can get please.
Hi Heather, we mix the broth into the bread just until moist so it shouldn’t get soggy but you can prepare the stuffing up to step 3 then toss with the broth the next day right before baking to ensure it doesn’t get soggy. I hope that helps!
Hi Holly,
Can this be prepared completely and baked the night before, then cooled and reheated the next day for Christmas dinner? I would guess if so then you would need to add a little more chicken stock to the pan as to not dry out. At what temp would you reheat? Or could you reheat in the crock just to have more room in the oven? Can this recipe be cut in half as well? Or could you
Hi Michelle, we actually have the perfect make-ahead stuffing recipe for exactly that! You will have to try it out and let us know what you think.
Fantastic!!! Easy and delicious!! Was a big success. Thank you!!
I got so tired of the gourmet stuffing recipes and was excited to find this one. I used a package of brioche burger buns and the rest honey wheat bread with the crust trimmed (the crows loved the crusts). It tasted just like my mom’s who recently passed. Delicious. This will be my forever goto stuffing recipe from now on. Thankyou Holly.
This was a hit at thanksgiving dinner.
Not sure what I did wrong but this stuffing was a soggy soupy mess, even with additional cooking. It didn’t make it to the table.
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that, Christy! We add broth overtop the bread cubes only until moist, then dot with butter and bake. Is it possible you added too much broth?
Just to clarify, you mean 3/4 cups, not 3-4 cups broth, right?
You will need between 3 cups and 4 cups of broth (not ¾ cup).
Quick question? For the fresh herbs, do you use one tablespoon of each or one tablespoon total of all of them mixed together? Kinda silly I know!
1 tablespoon total
Turkey stuffing question: Should I bake stuffing first or stuff bird with unbaked stuffings? I am accustomed to stuffing first.
Thanks & happy holidays!
The bird is stuffed with unbaked cool stuffing (it can be warm from the butter/onion mixture).
I used this recipe last Thanksgiving and it was a success! This year, I need to make it in two smaller pans instead of one bigger pan. How would this affect the baking time?
Depending on how small your pans are, I would check the stuffing halfway through the cooking time and adjust accordingly.
Hello! I went to our local bakery and decided to get Challah bread for this recipe, and cubed/dried it myself. The Challah loaf is 1lb 7oz – I bought 2 to be on the safe side. Do you think 1 loaf is enough? Or should I do both?
Hoping the Challah holds up, vs getting a ‘hearty’ loaf (like French bread!)
That sounds delicious, Kendall. I would love to hear how the Challah bread holds up! I would imagine you will need more than one loaf, so good call. You need 12 cups total so I would start cubing it up and measuring as you go to see how much more you need.
What is the best bread to use for stuffing? French, White, Corn bread? And how dry should it be?
Thanks
As mentioned in the post, I like to use a combination of white and brown bread for stuffing, but you can use your favorite bread! The recipe is for already dried bread, but there are instructions for adjustments if you use fresh bread and dry it yourself. Hope that helps Michelle! Enjoy the stuffing!