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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I plan on making a half recipe, so how long should I cook the stuffing for. I was also wondering what kind of bread should be used. Finally, I am vegetarian and would like to know if vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth?
Thank you!
Hi Ella, I would check it halfway through to see how done it is. You can definitely use vegetable broth and any bread you have on hand will work for this recipe. We like to use a combination of white and brown bread for ours and leave the bread cubes out for a few days to dry or dry them in the oven before using.
Getting ready to make half amount, because I’m using it for stuffing Pork Chops. Wish me luck.
Good Luck Brian!
I plan to make this ahead and bake it xmas day. The broth won’t make the bread soggy over night ?
It doesn’t get soggy as the bread soaks up the broth. There is no extra broth to make it soggy. Enjoy!
I read that you use a whole load of bread and sometimes use brown bread also. Do you have a specific brand of bread that you like to use?
I find that you can’t really taste the difference from brand to brand in stuffing. I most often just buy what’s on sale or use what I have on hand.
And you use about one loaf?
Yes, it’s approximately 1 loaf. I cube it and measure in a measuring cup to make sure I have about 12 cups.
How much is considered a serving size?
Approximately ½ cup.
This sounds delicious but im SUPER picky with texture in my stuffing and do not want the pieces of onion and celery in it. Could i switch them out for onion powder & celery salt instead if these ingridents are key to flavour or should i just omit them entirely?? Also since i wouldnt be sauting them how would you suggest to add butter in it? melt it beforehand and add in with the broth and other spices and continue as directed?
Onion powder should work just fine, I worry that the celery salt might make it too salty so you might like to leave it out. I would suggest adding some butter as you toss the mixture.
Oh yes it may be too salty adding celery salt, i agree with you,didnt think of that haha! how much onion powder would you suggest adding in? Also, can never go wrong with a little extra butter
It is suggested that 1 tablespoon onion powder is equal to 1 onion but I worry it’s too much. I would try about 1 teaspoon or so, once you mix it all together have a taste and see what you think and you could always add more in.
When you say 4 stalks of celery do you mean 4 complete bundles?? Or 4 pieces off of one bundle.
4 pieces off of one bundle
Ok that makes much more sense! Thank you!
I made this recipe once and loved it! I remade it today for a belated Thanksgiving meal that got rescheduled due to weather. It’s already been baked. Can it be frozen after it’s already been baked? And how would I reheat it? From frozen? Defrosted? Thank you!
Yes, it can be frozen. To bake, defrost in the fridge overnight. Remove it from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. You may need to add a few minutes extra if it’s chilled.
I haven’t made this yet, but have a question. The recipe calls for 12 Cups of bread cubes. Is that correct? Most bread cubes in a bag (already made) are 12 oz. I would need 4 of those bags and definitely will be dry and not fit in that pan?
The recipe is correct as written. This works out to be approximately 1 whole loaf of bread if using fresh bread (may vary slightly). If you are using dry bread cubes, you can add a bit extra broth if needed. A 9×13 pan will hold 15 cups and this recipe only needs 12 cups (plus the bread squishes down as it moistens) so 1 recipe should fit just fine in the pan.
Ounces and cups are different units of measurements. Ounces is weight, cups is volume.
The 12oz bag is just a little more than 12 cups.
This is like my mothers recipe, but she also used corn bread and bread. Would you use the same amount of liquid. Or would you use a little more.
For a cornbread dressing you should definitely check out this cornbread dressing recipe here! But it would be a little more liquid depending on how dry your bread or cornbread is.
I always use drippings from a baked turkey for my dressing. We are having fried turkey this year. Will turkey or chicken broth work as well?
Hi Alice, turkey drippings are definitely the most flavorful option but this recipe turns out delicious with broth as well!
I need to make and bake this in advance.. Does/will it reheat well in the oven the next day? Thanks!
Yes, I would suggest making it but not baking it until the next day in the oven.
Just wondering if made ahead of time would it soak in all the broth and come dry and would you need to cook it longer.
Hi Michele, we have made this recipe up to 24 hours in advance without any issues.
How much loaf of bread do you use
It may vary slightly bit it will need about 1 loaf of bread.
If I’m going to make this stuffing a day ahead – should I cook it first and then place in fridge and reheat before meal?
Or should I make the whole thing, throw it in the fridge, and then cook it the next day?
You can make it 24 hours ahead of time and bake it on the day of serving. Enjoy Tom!
Like many others, this is pretty much my recipe I’ve used for years. I add just one more ingredient which probably sounds strange, but I add a drained can of chopped water chestnuts. The celery always gets cooked up soft and I wanted a bit of crunch and this is it. Everyone who tastes it goes on to use it in their recipe. Incidentally, growing up we always called it dressing, but we always stuffed it into the bird so who cares.
That is a great tip Shirley! I will be adding water chestnuts one of these times for the crunch, thanks for sharing.
Great recipe
Thanks Sara!
Interested in making this recipe for Thanksgiving! Is it calling for 1 tbsp of each herb or 1 tbsp combined between the 3 herbs? I just want to make sure I add the correct amount of herbs.
Great questions Kaily! It is one tablespoon fresh herbs total. The list behind is just an example of some delicious ones you could add!
How many does this feed, roughly? Serving close to 20 for Thanksgiving, wondering if I should double it?
Hi Kim, this recipe makes 12 servings. So you will want to double it for everyone to get at least one serving of stuffing.
Wow! I didn’t think ANYONE made my Mom’s stuffing!!! LOL We usually add sausage, but with many more vegetarians in the family, this one get used a lot more than it used to!
So happy you enjoy it Annie!
hi when do you add the sausage and what kind?
Hi Sally, we do have a delicious sausage stuffing recipe that can walk you through making that version!