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
I’m hoping to make this ahead of time tmr and it will be in the fridge for 48 hours…when you say prepare as directed, do I also bake ahead of time and then rebake it when I take it out of the fridge on the day of?
Thanks!
Prepare and refrigerate before baking. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Cook as directed, you may need to add a few minutes more.
No. Refrigerate unbaked. Let it sit 30 minutes outside of the frig then bake. Hope this helps.
I plan on doing this for XMas , do I need regular white bread or like French style baguette bread ? Thanks !!
Either would work.
Looks delicious! Can you use store bought fired stuffing cubes instead fresh bread? If so, how much? Thank you!
Yes, you will need to measure out 12 cups of dried cubes. Ensure they’re cubes that are a bit larger than a crouton. You may need a bit of extra broth if they’re really dry.
I’ve used this recipe for 20+ years and my family and friends make sure to request it each and every year! Everyone’s favorite way to have it as leftovers the day after is for me to fry the stuffing up in a non-stick pan with a little bit of butter so that the bread bits start to just get toasty from the soaked up butter!! Sooo good with the left over gravy and mashed potatoes!!! ❤️❤️❤️
So glad you love the stuffing Mari! It’s my favorite!
Delicious comfort food, perfect with roast chicken!
I don’t know if I will use white bread for my bread
IT WAS PERFECT FOR MY GLUTEN FREE FAMILY!!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My younger daughter has celiac disease so I made this recipe and it was a hit in our household. This was my first time making it from scratch and I was a little insecure until I tried it out and my family eat it. Success! Will be making it always for the holidays. Thank you so much.
This was disgusting. Idk why they said it was good
Trying to make ahead tonight for tomorrow dinner. So I prepare everything as directed including the broth too? Leaving in the fridge overnight won’t make it all soggy?
It will be fine refrigerated overnight. Enjoy!
This was my first time making a Thanksgiving dinner and this turned out to be favorite side! Amazing~
When making it the day before, and you say prepare as directed, do you mean to just put it all together and then in the fridge? Or bake it first and then in the fridge and reheat it the next day. Thank you. I’ve just put everything together but now I’m stumped. ♀️
You can prepare it and refrigerate before baking. If can be baked the next day. If the stuffing is cold from the fridge, you may need to add a little bit of extra time.
Do you need dried (toasted) bread cubes or can I just cut up a loaf of bread and use right away?
It should be slightly dried, I would suggest putting it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 300°F. This will keep the stuffing from getting soggy.
Just to clarify, you use 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning and a tablespoon of fresh herbs combined?
Yes, this is correct.
Fantastic stuffing, Holly! You saved us as the grocery store was out. Decided to do it from scratch and found your recipe. So glad we did! This will become a part of our annual Thanksgiving tradition
Well I’m so very happy to hear that, a happy accident! Thank you Dave and Sheila!
Your recipe mirrors my own, but every year I have to check and make sure I’m not forgetting something. I always have to make sure I don’t over cook. So thanks for being the first recipe to pop up! Love it that we think alike! Happy Thanksgiving. Be safe.
Thank you Barb! There are some recipes I check and recheck every time too!
Can you add apples, do I need to change anything else?
Thank you
If you like the apples to be soft, they can be cooked along with the celery and onion. Enjoy Scott!
Made this for Thanksgiving…I’ll def. be making it again….saving the recipe. Everyone loved the stuffing….
Hi Holly! I only have dried herbs—do I use the same measurements as fresh herbs? Thank you, and happy Thanksgiving!
Sure you can! I use ⅓ of dried in place of fresh (so 1 teaspoon total).
Hi!,
If you wanted to add a meat like sausage or oysters, would you less something else so it wouldn’t become mush? Or just make like is ?
I would make it like it is, as long as you don’t add too much broth (and your ingredients aren’t wet) it shouldn’t get mushy.
This has been a family recipe ever since I can remember. Love this bread stuffing on leftover turkey sandwiches! Thanks so much for sharing.