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
Hi! I’m planning to make this for Thanksgiving this year and have two questions.
1. what do you recommend using for the bread cubes?
2. does a specific onion work/taste better for this?
Thanks so much!
My preference is using a regular sandwich bread and drying it yourself (either overnight or in the oven). I use a regular white onion (with the yellow/brown skin) but any white onion will work just fine.
Can I use a Baguette for the bread crumbs?
Baguette will work just make sure it is dried out and not fresh!
Personally, I have been using sourdough bread the past few years to make my stuffing. I feel like it gives the stuffing an even better taste than regular bread and seems to stay a little more moist. I haven’t tried it with this recipe yet but that’s what I plan to use.
If I’m using dry herbs how much of each should I use? And if I’m planning to use a loaf of sandwich bread from the store, will 1 loaf equal 12 cups or should I plan for a loaf and a half?
It can vary slightly based on the brand but on average 13-16 slices should be good.
Quick question. What size dish do you use for baking this recipe?
We used a 9×13 baking dish
This is my first time making stuffing and I was wondering if I can buy the bread in a bag that’s already dried out and cut?
Sure you can. The drier the bread, the more broth you’ll need.
hello wanted to try this recipe for Thanksgiving.Is there a specific bread type to use or will any store bought brand work?
Any store-bought brand will work!
I have some turkey “broth” (Better than Bouillon Turkey Base)… do you think I could use that or should I use Chicken broth?
That turkey broth sounds like a great substitution, Emily!
Can you leave out the fresh herbs since poultry seasoning has sage in it? Can you use dried parsley instead?
You can leave them out if you prefer, Yvette! The fresh herbs so add a lot of additional flavors though. Dried parsley should work fine, I would add about 2 teaspoons.
I just found your stuffing recipe and I am going to use it for Thanksgiving. I would like to make this the day before. Your make ahead directions say to prepare as directed, cover tightly and refrigerate. Does this mean that you do not bake it before refrigerating? Looking forward to making this. Thank you. Sue
Exactly, Sue! When ready to enjoy, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and bake as directed. You may need to add a few extra minutes if it’s still cold from the fridge to ensure it fully cooks.
If I make it ahead do I bake it? Or wait and bake it once I take it out of fridge.
Hi Elisa, We bake it when ready to enjoy! Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and bake as directed. You may need to add a few extra minutes if it’s still cold from the fridge.
If I’m using poultry seasoning can I still use 2 Tablespoon sage. I do t want it to be bitter.
Hi Christine, that should work well. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! It turned out perfect in my Turkey. There was even a little left over. SWP Employee
Awesome recipe!!
I would definitely do this one again. I made it ahead of time so I could concentrate on the other things I was making. I had no leftover stuffing so I need to make it again so that we can have it with our leftover turkey.
Thanksgiving 2021. Perfect stuffing for traditional dinner. Love the portion adjustment option. I used store made dry bread cubes, a full Campbells box of chicken broth and dried herbs (just eyeballed the amounts). I followed the directions the night before and allowed it too cool and stored covered in the fridge overnight. I stuffed the turkey cavities using all the stuffing just before putting in the oven. I hope this helps some readers!
Why does my stuffing always have a bitter taste?
Hi Mary, it sounds like it may be the herbs you have added. Too much Saje can make this stuffing a little bitter.
Can this stuffing be put inside the Turkey and baked?
Yes, it can. You’ll want to ensure that the stuffing is completely cooled before stuffing the turkey. The turkey should be stuffed just before roasting.
When you say 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs is that 1 tablespoon each of the 3 fresh herbs or all together ? Just want to make sure, thanks in advance
This is 1 tablespoon total. Enjoy!
Is it tablespoon each Sage thyme rosemary ? Would seem appropriate
You will need a total of 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Hi Holly!
This sounds like a fantastic recipe! I just want to make sure that you only need a total of one tablespoon of fresh herbs together, or one tablespoon of each. That is what I assumed one of each, but want to be sure! Also, I am doubling it… have you ever done that before?
Hi Kristi, we use one tablespoon total of fresh herbs. You can use whatever combination of sage, thyme, and rosemary you wish or add about ⅓ of a tablespoon of each.
“If you do stuff your turkey, remember to completely cool the stuffing first. If you don’t, the bird will sit at an unsafe cooking temperature for too long.”
This is confusing: Is an unsafe cooking temperature too hot or too cold? If hotter is safer, why cool the stuffing?
Can you clarify?
Thank you
Hi Doug, definitely understandable. Adding hot stuffing to a cold turkey isn’t food safe, and can cause bacteria to grow. Hope that helps clarify it a little.
Do the bread cubes have to be fresh or stale bread? For example, I found “stuffing croutons” at my grocery store, and as the name suggests, they are dried breads cubes. Wondering if I can use those?
Thanks!
Stuffing croutons will work just fine! You may need a little bit of extra broth since they’re usually a bit drier.
Added some Italian sausage to this stuffing recipe it’s the best been making my stuffing like this for years .. homemade chicken broth is best ..
How much Italian sausage did you add?
Hi Jan, we have this delicious sausage stuffing recipe where we add one pound of sausage.