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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REPIN this Super Stuffing Recipe
Delicious!!! My husband usually only likes Stove Top because he says my family’s stuffing tastes like wet bread lol. Made this for him to try and now he’s sold! No more Stove Top on Thanksgiving!
Hi! If I am making this ahead of time, do I bake it for the full 30 minutes and then refrigerate? Or do I just refrigerate after putting it in the casserole dish and then bake it when I’m ready for it to be served?
You can just put it in the casserole dish and refrigerate before baking. If it is chilled from the fridge, it might need a few minutes of extra cook time.
If I make this 2 days prior to thanksgiving do I need to worry about it being soggy?
This can be made ahead of time and won’t be soggy. You’ll add enough liquid to make it moist but not soggy.
Hello! I have recently discovered spend with pennies, and now its my complete go to for any recipe, so thank you!! In a comment further down, someone asked if the cooking time is different if you make a half batch and you replied that it should be checked halfway thu the cooking time to see if it’s done.. My question is, how do I know when it’s done? First timer here on stuffing so any advice is welcomed. Also, would I be asking too much for you to look at what I’ve listed below to make a half batch? I have come up with 1/2 sm onion, 1 celery stalk, 3 C bread, 1 C broth, 2.5 Tbsp butter, plus the spices and seasonings of course. Does this look about right? Thanks again!!
Thank you for your kind words Megan!
As this stuffing contains only items that are completely cooked (nothing that will make you sick if it isn’t cooked like raw egg or meat) it mainly needs to be heated through and you’re looking for a little bit of browning and crispy edges. You can insert a butter knife in the center and feel if it’s hot to make sure it’s heated through. You’ll want to use a smaller dish than asked for in the recipe so it’s not too thin of a layer so it doesn’t dry out.
Your ingredients listed above will make about ¼ of the recipe. If you click the PRINT button, on the print page you can change the number of servings and it will change the amounts of the ingredients for you. (You will need to adjust the cook time/pan size yourself though). Hope that helps!
Absolutely helped!! Thank you. Happy Holidays Holly!
Thank you for the next recipes ever.
If making this ahead, should I add the broth when I make it (and then stick it in the fridge) or should I add it just before I bake it? Thanks!
You can add the broth to the recipe before refrigerating.
How many slices of bread make 12 cups of cubes?
It will vary a bit based on what type of bread you choose but on average 13-16 slices.
This is a wonderful recipe, I make it often now, I add cooked Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage to it! It’s great! Thank you!
Great recipe, turned out great. However, one part of the directions can’t be over-emphasized. In most cases you won’t need 3-4 cups of broth. Add a little at a time until until the brand’s completely moist and then stop. Don’t overdo. Whatever’s left can be used to make gravy.
Your recipe sounds yummy. I am cooking for one so will down size the ingredients. Can’t wait to try it. Love stuffing. By the way, sections of the celery are called ribs…the stalk is made up of many ribs. So, I will use one rib off the stalk.
This is how mom made her stuffing / dressing but with more addition she saute cut up bacon along with the celery and onion. Fantastic !!!!
That would be an amazing addition!
Is that 1tablespoon each of the herbs or a mixture of the herbs to make 1 tablespoon?
A total of 1 tablespoon herbs.
If you use Poultry Seasoning (per your recipe), do you still add the additional herbs you have listed in the recipe as well? Poultry Seasoning is made of those same herbs, so don’t want to over season.
Yes, I add both.
Do you think we could cook this in a slow cooker/crockpot instead of the oven? Too many sides in the oven already. :)
Absolutely! I use this crock pot stuffing recipe.
Very similar to my grandmother’s recipe; she used a little more parsley and less sage, and I find sage to be so strong that a little goes a LONG way. She also added some eggs to bind it together, and for holidays I always add chestnuts and dried cranberries. but this is a great basic recipe!
That sounds great Marisue! Thank you for sharing.
Worst stuffing receipt ever Ever !
Sorry you didn’t like this recipe, Rick, it’s usually rated 5 stars from our readers.
What a shame that you don’t have the ability to keep your miserable opinion to yourself. If you didn’t like it give it zero stars and say it wasn’t your favourite.
Stuffing is excellent recipe ,Rick just likes to put a damper on things,I bet he does it to everything!!!
Looks yummy.
So if we stuff it in a turkey.. how long do we pre cook it for? Or if at all? Just prepare it as recommended and then cool ot for 45 minutes?
If you are using this recipe to stuff a turkey, I would suggest preparing and cooling it completely. There is no need to bake it as it will cook in the turkey.
Hello,
Just want to confirm. I prepared it added the broth and put it in a casserole dish. I want to make it tomorrow. So I will bake it tomo. Is that ok even though I put the broth into the mix? Or was I suppose to wait for tomo to put the broth? Smells delish :)
Combining it all today and baking tomorrow will be just perfect. Enjoy!
When should I add walnuts and apples?
If you like the apples to be soft, they can be cooked along with the celery and onion. I would stir the walnuts in with the broth.
When you say 1 tbsp fresh herbs(sage,thyme,rosemary) do you mean 1tbsp of each one or 1tbsp of one of them? Also do you cover it with a lid when you put it on the oven?
You will need 1 tablespoon total, I usually use a mixture of those 3 herbs. Place mixture in a serving dish, dot with additional butter and cover. Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Making this recipe and stuffing in a chicken for Easter. Do you cover the bread cubes when they’re drying? Or leave them uncovered?
You leave them uncovered.
Thanks!