This traditional stuffing recipe is made with dried bread cubes, butter, onion, celery, and savory aromatics. It’s perfect for a Thanksgiving feast or as a weeknight side dish.
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“I made it yesterday and everyone loved it!! Simple yet delish!!” -Vasyl, FoodieCrush reader
This Is a No-Frills Stuffing Recipe That Everyone Loves
If I were to stand at a table loaded with the classic Thanksgiving dinner dishes, and have to choose just one to eat for the rest of my Thanksgiving dinner days, it wouldn’t be the turkey, it wouldn’t be the mashed potatoes, and it wouldn’t even be my grandma’s ambrosia salad that would make the cut.
The one dish I could never miss is the super simple, totally basic, homemade stuffing I’ve been eating since I could put food in my hungry little mouth.
What makes this particular stuffing so crave-worthy is the trifecta of onions and celery sautéed in more butter than you think you should use. The aroma of these three ingredients sautéing on the stove is enough to send visions of Turkey Day memories flooding through my brain like a food memory time capsule.
Please, please, please make this recipe. It’s buttery, savory, and everything you could ask for in a Thanksgiving stuffing.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
It’s all about aromatics. The aromatics of dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs, which is why I use poultry seasoning every time. Plus, using dried herbs I already have in my pantry means there’s one less Thanksgiving ingredient I need to stock up on.
Homemade stock makes a difference. I like to make my own chicken or turkey stock to flavor this homemade stuffing recipe and use it for making my homemade gravy. (Note: If I’m making the turkey stock, I usually sub in the carcass after making my juicy roasted turkey breasts — because I always want extra white meat — and a few roasted turkey wings.)
To cover or not to cover? I do both! To lock in the moisture and ensure the stuffing heats up evenly, I cover the baking dish with foil for the first 20 minutes of baking, then I remove it and bake for another 10 minutes to help the top develop some color.
Grab These 6 Basic Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Dry bread cubes — I use the ones sold in the grocery store bakery or Mrs. Cubbison’s Cube Stuffing.
- Onion — Gets sautéd with celery to season the stuffing.
- Celery — Combined with the onion, helps give this Thanksgiving stuffing the classic flavor it’s known for.
- Butter — Don’t skimp on the butter here, it’s crucial for amazing flavor!
- Chicken stock — Turkey stock or vegetable broth work too, so use whatever you have on hand. Just don’t use water, which lacks the flavor you need to make a good stuffing.
- Dried poultry seasoning — I season the stuffing the same way my mom always did, with dried poultry seasoning. I buy it already pre-mixed in the little red-topped spice jar.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — Always, for flavor.
Heidi’s Tip: Some recipes call for eggs because they act as a binder, helping the stuffing hold together more. I prefer my traditional eggless stuffing recipe, but if you’d like to try it, whisk 2 eggs and add them to the cooled stuffing mixture so you don’t get scrambled eggs in with your stuffing.
How to Make Stuffing That’s Always Moist and Flavorful
- Sauté your veggies. Melt the butter in a skillet, then add in the chopped onion and celery and cook until softened. You’re not looking for it to develop lots of color, you just want it to soften.
- Drizzle, season, and toss. Add the dried bread cubes to a large bowl and top with the sautéed veggies. Pour in the chicken broth and sprinkle with stuffing seasoning. Stir and toss to mix, tasting as you go, and add more seasoning to taste.
- Bake either inside the turkey or in a 9×13-inch casserole dish (my preference). You’ll know it’s done when it’s set and golden brown on top.
Want to Make Your Stuffing in Advance? Here’s How
For a make-ahead stuffing, assemble it a day ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate. Do NOT bake it yet! You’ll bake it off the next day, noting that you may need to add an extra 10 minutes to the bake time.
How to Keep Stuffing Warm
Thanksgiving stuffing is one of the first side dishes to cool down once it’s been removed from the oven (bread just doesn’t hold heat well).
To keep this stuffing warm until you’re ready to serve it, cover it tightly with foil and place it in the drawer underneath your oven (it should be fairly warm in there if your oven is still on), or in a 200°F oven.
How to Reheat Stuffing
You can reheat leftover Thanksgiving stuffing on the stove or in the oven. Simply drizzle a tablespoon or two of broth over the stuffing, then either heat in a skillet on the stove or cover with foil and cook in a 350°F oven.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
The BEST Traditional Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 11 tablespoons butter , divided (1 tablespoon for preparing the baking dish and 2 reserved for dotting on top)
- 2 cups celery , chopped (about 4-5 ribs)
- 2 cups yellow onion , chopped (1 large)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 10 cups dried bread cubes (1 pound package dried)
- 2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth , or use homemade turkey or chicken stock
Instructions
- Melt 8 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a large, high sided skillet or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 6-7 minutes. Season with the kosher salt and black pepper and remove from the heat.
- Add the dried bread cubes to a large mixing bowl with the sautéed onion and celery. Sprinkle with the dried poultry seasoning and drizzle with the chicken broth. Gently toss until the ingredients until mixed.
- To bake outside the bird, prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the reserved butter and spoon the stuffing in the dish. Drizzle with an additional ¼ cup of chicken broth and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to keep moist, cover with foil and bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- To bake inside the bird, spoon 3-5 cups of the stuffing into the bird’s cavity, stuffing it loosely but not overfilling, then follow your bird’s cooking directions. Be sure the internal temperature of the stuffing comes to 165°F on an instant read meat or food thermometer before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Mix-Ins to Try
This stuffing recipe can be the building block base to all your stuffing cravings by adding other ingredients to take it from simple to special:
- Sausage, ham, or bacon. (Plain sausage, mild Italian, or apple sausage all add a savory bite in sausage stuffing.)
- Nuts like pecans, pine nuts, walnuts
- Dried fruit like cranberries, currants, raisins, dried apricots, or cherries
- Chopped apples, mushrooms, or fennel
- Roasted vegetables like butternut squash or caramelized onions
- Smoked oysters or water chestnuts
FAQs
The best Thanksgiving stuffing starts with basic dried sandwich bread. You could certainly use artisanal bread, like sourdough, but I find that good old dried sandwich bread does the best job of absorbing the seasonings and flavors.
I love using the dried bread cubes I purchase from my grocery store bakery. Or, you can make your own. A 1-pound loaf of bread will make about 12 cups of cubed bread.
To make your own dried bread for stuffing, cut a loaf of white or French bread into ½-inch slices and place it on a baking sheet or rack to sit out overnight, or for two nights, until dried. Cut into smaller pieces if desired.
To prepare bread stuffing in the oven, place the sliced bread in a 225°F oven for 30 minutes or until dried, and cut it into smaller pieces.
Stuffing cooked outside the bird: To be sure there’s no contamination for your stuffing, cook it in a baking dish prepared with butter as noted in the recipe instructions below. When cooking outside the bird, drizzle with ¼ cup more stock and dot with 1-2 tablespoons more butter, so the stuffing doesn’t dry out in the oven. Bake covered with aluminum foil.
Stuffing cooked in the bird: Cooking the turkey unstuffed creates a more level cooking field so the white and dark meat will be done at the same time. Dense bread stuffing reduces airflow inside the bird and slows the cooking time. Dark meat cooks slower than white breast meat, and stuffing the bird compounds the issue. If cooking the stuffing inside the bird, it’s VERY important to use a food or meat thermometer to be sure the internal temperature in the middle of the stuffing hits 165°F.
Stuffing should be moist but not overly wet before baking, otherwise, it will be soggy. To avoid soggy stuffing, make sure you’re starting with dried-out bread, and don’t overmix the stuffing.
Though often used interchangeably (depending on what region you’re from), there is a small difference between dressing and stuffing. Historically, while the basic concept of the dish doesn’t change too much (a baked mixture of cubed bread mixed with sautéed veggies and herbs), “dressing” is more of a Southern thing, while “stuffing” tends to be more recognized in Northern states.
There are variations like sourdough bread or cornbread dressing, ones made with dried fruits and nuts, sausage, rice, or even oysters. But no matter the ingredients, the biggest difference is whether you stuff your mixture inside the turkey to bake (stuffing) or bake it in a baking dish (dressing). Potato, po-tah-to, let’s call both delicious.
Main Dishes to Serve with Stuffing
- Juicy Roast Turkey Breast
- Herb Butter Rotisserie Turkey
- Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken
- How to Cook a Whole Turkey
- Glazed Ham
- Simplest Roast Chicken
More Easy Stuffed Recipes You’ll Want to Make Too
- Stuffed Pork Chops Plus 10 More Ways To Use Leftover Stuffing
- Cranberry And Walnut Stuffing
- Farro, Butternut Squash, Sausage And Dried Cherry Stuffing
- Cornbread Dressing
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Janis
Hello Heidi! Can I used Pepperidge Farm bread crumbs in the bag for this recipe? Thank you!
Yes, for sure that works!
Judith Bronger
Made this for Thanksgiving this year. Followed the recipe exactly. Did not add any extra ingredients. If I make this again, I would cut back on the amount of onion and add more celery for more crunch. Made it the day before, which was great. The leftovers tasted better the day after Thanksgiving.
Yay! So glad you liked it Judith!
Brett
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Is the butter salter or not salted?
You can use either, I use salted :)
Gail C.
I love this one! It’s the one I always make but without the celery because that’s the way my mother did it. The smell and taste is nostalgic!
Sandra Welch
This is the same recipe my family has used for decades at Thanksgiving and through out the year on chicken, and pork. Its delicious and always reminds me of family when I make it.
Agreed Sandra! Thanks for the review and the 5 stars.
Catherine
Same Sandra, and my Nana made it in her 100th year❤️
Eli Tsakamenos
finally! the real recipe! thanks!
Ronne Clohessy
Wow ! These are very helpful and relatively simple recipes for just two people ( me and Hubs) this Christmas. I will be cooking turkey breasts and more from your recipes. Thanks for lots of ideas. Any particular brand of turkey Breasts? I am a health food nut .Ronne’
Joann Urdiales
Thank you. Im trying this stuffing easy recipe. For thanksgiving.
Lesley
Really good! I added Italian sausage.
Vicki
What size dish do you bake this in?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
9×13
Bonnie Bolan
Can I add eggs to this recipe?
Hi Bonnie, as in raw egg? Yes, you could whisk an egg or two and mix in so it is more solid and casserole-ish.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
If you’d like!
Vasyl
I made it yesterday and everyone loved it!! Simple yet delish!!
So glad you liked it too Vasyl! Another example of basic is sometimes best.
Petra
My husband’s grandfather made the same dressing with added green peppers. We all make it on Thanksgiving. Debbie the vegetables are raw and it’s best to cook it all the way. Check above for reheating instructions?
That’s a great savory addition Petra. Happy to see this brought back some food memories for your family.
Debbie
Can you make this a day ahead of time, and finish the baking time the next day?
Yes for sure Debbie. If you put it in the oven straight from the fridge it may take an extra 10 minutes to cook through.
Sidstatus
Wow I like this also try this
Bonita
This is the stuffing I have been making forever but now I use the crockpot saving oven space…plus the house smells amazing…Bonita
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Great idea! The crockpot is a great space saver!
Stefanie Barnhouse
how long in the crockpot?
Don Snyder
Heidi,
Your basic stuffing recipe is what I use during the week and is, as you say, simple…BUT for thanksgiving the addition of good, loose, pork sausage is a must (and I saw you had it, among other things, after the recipe).
While we are communicating… I also make my own cranberry sauce. The recipe is on the bag… but as and extra touch… I add a can of tangerine segments. Try it, you will like it.
Have a great turkey day.
Don Snyder
Don, you always have great additions to make! Thanks for the rec, I bet other readers will likely agree.
Kermit
Don,
Try making honey fermented Cranberries.
Fermenting creates beneficial yeasts which are good for gut health.
Try putting them over vanilla ice cream. Add some chocolate m & ms, and add a dople of plain greek yogurt on top.
The sweet and sour is too die for.
I also add a few cheerios as I eat it (they will go soggy if you add them all at once) for a nice crunchy texture.