Stuffing Recipe

Published November 10, 2019

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My favorite Stuffing recipe! Made from scratch and 100 times better than what you get in a box! It includes hearty bread, lots of butter, a flavorful blend of aromatics including fresh herbs and vegetables, and it’s finished with nicely seasoned chicken broth to soak it all up.

Stuffing in a white casserole dish.

Homemade Stuffing Recipe from Scratch

This stuffing is likely to become a new Thanksgiving tradition in your home! Once you try it homemade you’ll never look back!

Every time I make this people love it! It’s just good old fashioned stuffing the way it’s meant to be, made with bakery bread and fresh ingredients!

And trust me cutting and drying your own bread cubes is worth the extra step. Keep in mind you can do this in advance to save time on holidays.

Can I Make it Ahead?

Probably the biggest question here will be “can this be made in advance”? Yes this can definitely be done. To do so:

  • Prepare the stuffing as directed the day before.
  • Pour into the baking dish, cover and refrigerate.
  • The following day remove from the fridge while the oven preheats.
  • Bake as directed while adding about 10 extra minutes to the baking time since it will be going in cold.

Want to go one step further?

The bread cubes can even be cut and baked a few weeks or months in advance then frozen. Thaw before using.

Ingredients needed to make stuffing from scratch shown here.

Ingredients for Stuffing:

  • Hearty bread – use hearty French bread or sandwich bread. “Hearty” as in not light and delicate bread. It should have some structure to it (like Granny Sycamore’s if using sandwich bread).
  • Low-sodium chicken broth – unsalted or regular chicken broth will work too, just adjust salt amount as needed as some have more or less. Want to make this even better? Try it with homemade chicken stock.
  • Eggs – these help bind the stuffing together. I don’t know of a great substitute here but instead they could be omitted stuffing just won’t hold together as well.
  • Salt and pepper – I start with about 1 tsp salt but that’s my taste preference, adjust as desired.
  • Unsalted butter – salted butter will work here too, just keep in mind 1/2 cup butter generally has about 1/4 tsp added salt so you won’t need to add as much.
  • Yellow onion, celery and garlic – these aromatics add so much background flavor to the dish don’t skip them. It’s also important that they are cooked until almost softened because they won’t soften up much while baking. No one wants stuffing with crunchy celery.
  • Fresh parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary – these poultry style herbs compliment turkey and chicken perfectly, because stuffing and poultry were made to go together right?
  • Dried marjoram – fresh will be great if you are able to find it. Use 3 times the amount listed. If you don’t have either or this herb could be omitted.

Scroll down for my printable recipe.

Tip for Bakery Bread:

If you are using fresh bakery bread here with a hard crust I recommend wrapping in a plastic bag and letting it sit overnight before slicing and cutting into cubes. This makes it so much easier to cut as the moisture of the loaf softens the crust, and it makes lest crumb mess.

Bread cubes on a baking dish after drying in the oven.

How to Make Stuffing:

  • Dry bread cubes: preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes out evenly onto two 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheets.
  • Bake in preheated oven, tossing bread 3 times and rotating pans throughout baking, until bread cubes are almost fully dried through, about 45 – 60 minutes. Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, move oven rack to center.

Mixing eggs, seasoning and broth in a glass mixing bowl.

  • Mix liquids: in a liquid measuring cup whisk together 2 1/2 cups chicken broth with eggs, salt and pepper until well blended. Set aside.

Sautéing celery, onions and garlic in a skillet with butter.

  • Saute vegetables until nearly soft: melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion, saute until tender, about 10 – 12 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.

Showing how to make stuffing. Pouring broth mixture over dried bread cubes, celery mixture and herbs in a glass mixing bowl.

  • Mix stuffing ingredients: Place dried bread cubes in an extra large mixing bowl. Add in parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary and marjarom. Pour in sauteed vegetable mixture and drizzle over chicken broth mixture then immediately toss.

Wet stuffing mixture after mixing in mixing bowl.

  • Moisten as needed: Slowly pour in more chicken broth while tossing until bread is just barely soaked through.

Raw stuffing mixture spread in white baking dish shown before baking.

  • Bake: Pour mixture into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Spread into an even layer. Cover with foil and bake in 375 degree oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cooked through, about 15 – 25 minutes longer. For a further browning on top you can broil just briefly (don’t walk away!).

Tips for the Best Stuffing Recipe:

  • Be careful with the amount of broth added. Based on the type of bread used and how dry it gets the amount needed can vary. You just barely want the broth to soak the bread. If you don’t add enough the stuffing can be dry, if you add too much it can be wet and soggy. Press on a few cubes as you are tossing to ensure they get moistened through.
  • If possible stick with fresh herbs. It adds the best flavor. It’s hard to come by fresh marjoram so that one I go with dried.
  • Don’t use margarine, only real butter. Margarine would ruin the flavor.
  • Bake just until cooked through, you don’t want to dry it out.
  • Broil briefly for a golden brown top.

Scooping out a spoonful of stuffing in baking dish.

Will Dried Herbs Work?

Yes, if you don’t wan to pay the higher price for fresh or don’t have access to them you can use dried herbs. Use 1/3 the amounts listed. I would recommend though at least using fresh parsley if possible, it’s inexpensive and easily accessible.

Can I Use Store-Bought Bread Cubes?

Yes (with reservation). For the best stuffing you’ll want to dry the bread cubes yourself but for a quick and easy stuffing you can substitute store-bought unseasoned bread cubes. You’ll need about 15 cups of those small store-bought dried bread cubes for this recipe.

Variations on Stuffing:

  • Want to make stuffing in the crockpot? Try my Slow Cooker Stuffing.
  • Add fruit! Try my Apple Cranberry Rosemary Stuffing.
  • Love it with sausage? You can add 1 1/2 lbs cooked sausage to this recipe, just cut butter in half to 1/2 cup, and add the rendered fat of the sausage.

Stuffing on a large dinner plate with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey and steamed spinach.

What to Serve with This Stuffing Recipe?

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Stuffing in a white casserole dish.
5 from 14 votes

Stuffing Recipe

My favorite stuffing recipe! Made from scratch and 100 times better than what you get in a box! It includes hearty bread, lots of butter, a flavorful blend of aromatics including fresh herbs and vegetables, and it's finished with nicely seasoned chicken broth to soak it all up.
Servings: 16
Prep25 minutes
Cook1 hour 30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Dry bread cubes: preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes out evenly onto two 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheets.
  • Bake in preheated oven, tossing bread 3 times and rotating pans throughout baking, until bread cubes are almost fully dried through, about 45 - 60 minutes. Set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, move oven rack to center.
  • Mix liquids: in a liquid measuring cup whisk together 2 1/2 cups chicken broth with eggs, salt and pepper until well blended. Set aside.
  • Saute veggies until tender: melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion, saute until tender, about 10 - 12 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
  • Mix stuffing ingredients: Place dried bread cubes in an extra large mixing bowl. Add in parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram. Pour in sautéed vegetable mixture and drizzle over chicken broth mixture then immediately toss.
  • Moisten as needed: Slowly pour in more chicken broth while tossing until bread pieces are just barely soaked through.
  • Bake: Pour mixture into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Spread into an even layer. Cover with foil and bake in 375 degree oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cooked through, about 15 - 25 minutes longer. For a further browning on top you can broil just briefly (don't walk away!).

Notes

  • Don't use super fluffy French or sandwich bread, it won't hold up very well and it wont absorb as well. Bread should be fairly dense.
  • I personally think stuffing tastes best with fresh cut and dried bread but 15 cups store-bought unseasoned dried bread cubes can be substituted if desired to simplify the recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Stuffing Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 303.24 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.02g22%
Saturated Fat 8.05g50%
Cholesterol 70.05mg23%
Sodium 482.37mg21%
Potassium 217.68mg6%
Carbohydrates 35.66g12%
Fiber 2.2g9%
Sugar 2.68g3%
Protein 8.75g18%
Vitamin A 627.21IU13%
Vitamin C 4.92mg6%
Calcium 56.54mg6%
Iron 2.71mg15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

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73 Comments

  • Brandy

    Going to make this for thanksgiving on Thursday. I got the fresh herbs and I lucked out on some day old artisan bakery breads on sale. Can I dry my bread cubes today (Saturday) store in air tight container to make on Thursday? Or is today too soon?

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Yes you can dry the bread in advance just store in an airtight container or bag in the fridge or freezer once they’ve cooled.

  • Cydra

    Interesting, the beautiful picture shows spinach, but it’s not mentioned in the “what to serve with” section. Wondering if that is a picture of the actual recipe?

  • Shelly Asham

    Easy and delicious. My husband was concerned about not stuffing the turkey, but turns out we had way more gravy by doing the stuffing separate. I used some fresh herbs from my garden, and the rest was dried. Will definitely use this recipe again.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      Love to hear it turned out well for you Shelly! Thanks for leaving a review!

  • Annette

    Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I got the fresh herbs as suggested. My husband had me buy stove top just in case but he never even touched it. He ate all of this stuffing. It is now my go-to. Thanks!

  • Lin

    Do you think Benecol would work in place of the butter? I normally use it for my regular stuffing (using turkey gizzards etc. and stuffing in the turkey) and it taste fine.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      If it typically works for you in place of butter then yes it should work here just fine.

  • Jer

    I will be making only half of this recipe so can I still use a 9×13 pan, or should I use a smaller one. If so, what size would you recommend?
    Thank you.

    • Jaclyn

      Jaclyn Bell

      I’d bake in a 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 then you’ll probably need to reduce the bake time a bit.

  • Meredith Ulino

    Followed this recipe exactly as it is written and it turned out AWESOME! I did this as a test run to make with a roasted chicken a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving, since I wouldn’t want to experiment with a new recipe on a holiday. Probably one of the very best stuffing recipes I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing.