Easy Stuffing Recipe (Classic & Herby)

Name: Easy Stuffing Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 pound about 10 cups white sandwich bread, sourdough, or French bread, cut into ½-inch cubes; ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick); 2 cups diced yellow onion (about 2 medium onions); 1 cup diced celery (about 4 stalks); 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 cloves); 2 tablespoons fresh sage (finely chopped); 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves; 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (finely chopped); 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; 2¾ cups low-sodium turkey or chicken broth (use vegetable broth for a meatless version); 2 large eggs (whisked)

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My homemade stuffing recipe is a classic. Made with simple, fresh ingredients, it's the savory side dish I find myself coming back to for every holiday and weeknight meal alike.

You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!

Stuffing is a big deal in my house. We don’t mind the boxed stuff, but I love making things homemade or semi-homemade. This stuffing is so simple to make, but the flavor is delicious. With three types of fresh herbs, the aromatics really come to life.

This recipe is pretty straightforward, with a few tips and techniques that make the texture and flavor just right.

If you’re a fan of Thanksgiving sides, then you’ll love this cornbread dressing.

Happy Cooking,

Tanya

Easy Stuffing Recipe at a Glance

Best for: Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday spread that needs a classic bread stuffing
Prep time: about 25 minutes (drying the bread and prepping the vegetables)
Cook time: 45 to 50 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Bread. You'll need about 1 pound (roughly 10 cups) of bread cut into ½-inch cubes. I use white sandwich bread, but sourdough or French bread work as well. Sandwich bread gives you a softer stuffing, while sourdough or French bread holds up a little firmer and adds more chew. Whatever you use needs to be cut and dried completely before it goes anywhere near the broth.
Aromatics. Yellow onion, celery, and garlic are the base. Dice them small, so they cook evenly and disappear into the stuffing instead of standing out in big chunks.
Fresh herbs. Sage, thyme, and rosemary are what make this taste like Thanksgiving. Fresh is worth it here if you can get it. If you only have dried herbs on hand, use about a third of the amount the recipe calls for, since dried herbs are more concentrated, and add them in with the onions and celery so they have time to soften. You could also use dried poultry seasoning instead of fresh herbs.
Broth and eggs. Low-sodium turkey or chicken broth lets you control the seasoning, and you can swap in vegetable broth for a meatless version. The eggs are what bind everything together, so your stuffing holds its shape instead of falling apart when you scoop it.

How to make this Stuffing Recipe

Please see the recipe card below for the full printable recipe, ingredients, and instructions. Here you will find step-by-step photos of how to make this recipe.

Step 1: Dry the bread. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the bread cubes on baking sheets in a single layer and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're completely dried out and crisp. Let them cool completely before you move on.

Step 2: Cook the aromatics. Once the bread is drying, bump your oven up to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until fragrant. Take it off the heat.

butter and onion, garlic, and celery with seasoning in skillet for stuffing

Step 3: Combine. Place the dried bread cubes in a large mixing bowl, then pour the warm butter and vegetable mixture over them. Toss gently to coat. In a separate bowl, whisk the broth with the eggs, then pour that over the bread mixture and fold everything together gently until the broth is absorbed.

Step 4: Bake. Transfer to your prepared baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy on top.

technique

For stuffing the bird

Want to stuff a turkey instead? Cool the stuffing completely first, then spoon it loosely into the cavity right before roasting, never ahead of time. Loose filling lets heat move through evenly, and you'll want to check with a food thermometer that the very center reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving, same as if it were baked in a dish.

Tanya's Top Tips

Don't rush the bread-drying step. If your bread isn't fully dry and a little crisp, your stuffing will be dense and soggy instead of that soft, custardy texture you want.
Fold the broth mixture in gently. You want every piece of bread moistened, but you're not trying to mash it into a paste.
Taste your butter and aromatic mixture before you combine everything. It's much easier to adjust salt and pepper here than after the stuffing is baked.

Variations

Stir in ½ to 1 cup of chopped apples or dried cranberries with the broth mixture for a little sweetness.
Add ½ cup toasted pecans or walnuts for crunch.
Swap half the bread cubes for cubed cornbread if you want something closer to my cornbread dressing. Dry or lightly toast the cornbread first so it doesn't turn mushy, and know that it'll bake up a little more crumbly and slightly sweet.
Leave the eggs out if you prefer a looser, more scoopable stuffing rather than one that holds together in slices.

What to Serve With Easy Stuffing

This stuffing belongs right next to the turkey and gravy, but here's what else rounds out the table:

Gravy from drippings of the turkey or chicken or giblet gravy poured over the top
Mashed red skinned potatoes or microwave mashed potatoes if you're short on stovetop space
Smothered green beans or southern green beans
Carrot soufflé for something a little sweeter on the plate
Cranberry sauce, for the tartness this stuffing doesn't have on its own

Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing

Make ahead. You can dry the bread cubes and chop the vegetables up to 2 days ahead; store them separately in the refrigerator. Combine the stuffing just before baking. If you need to make it ahead of time, assemble it in a freezer-safe dish and freeze it unbaked immediately. Bake from frozen until the center reaches 165°F.

Leftovers. Refrigerate leftover stuffing in an airtight container within 2 hours and enjoy within 3 to 4 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F (175°C) until hot throughout, then uncover for a few minutes to crisp the top. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave.

Freezing. Cooked stuffing freezes well for up to 1 month. Store it tightly wrapped or in a freezer-safe airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add a splash of broth if needed, and reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) until hot throughout.

FAQs

Can I make this stuffing without eggs?

Yes. The eggs help bind everything together, but you can leave them out for a looser, more scoopable stuffing. If you skip them, add a little extra broth so the bread doesn't dry out, and bake it covered a bit longer to help it set.

What's the difference between stuffing and dressing?

Traditionally, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey, and dressing is baked separately in its own dish, though many home cooks use the terms interchangeably. Stuffing cooked inside the bird tends to come out moister and more compact, and it needs to reach 165°F (74°C) in the center to be safe to eat. This recipe works either way, baked in a dish as written or spooned into the turkey just before roasting.

What if my stuffing turns out too dry?

Drizzle warm broth and a little melted butter over the top, cover with foil, and pop it back in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes to rehydrate it. Dry bread cubes that weren't dried long enough, or stuffing left uncovered too long while baking, are usually the culprits. Next time, keep it covered a little longer or add a splash more broth before baking.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us grow. Thank you for your support!

Tanya Harris