The Best Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing — 🧡😋 Nothing frilly or trendy in this recipe. It’s a classic, easy, homemade stuffing that everyone loves!! Simple ingredients with stellar results! It’ll be your new go-to recipe!!
Table of Contents
A Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe
People love serving this traditional stuffing at Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and I even receive emails at other times during the year from people who make it and no matter the season — it’s always a hit!
My family are stuffing fanatics for classic and traditional stuffings. No pears, dried fruit and nuts, wild mushrooms, or even bacon or sausage need apply.
Think: old-fashioned stuffing made with day-old bread, onions, celery, butter, and herbs.
The stuffing is lightly crusted and golden on top, soft underneath, full of rich buttery flavor, and well-seasoned from the herbs.
As the stuffing bakes, my house smells exactly like Thanksgiving and like all the Thanksgivings I remember at my mom’s and grandma’s houses growing up smelled. Warm, cozy, comforting, and happy. This is the BEST stuffing recipe ever!
Homemade Stuffing Ingredients
Like I’ve already mentioned, this easy Thanksgiving stuffing recipe calls for simple, straightforward ingredients. Classic, but delicious!
- Onions
- Celery
- Fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme)
- Butter
- Broth – I use reduced sodium chicken broth, but vegetable broth works too.
- Bread
- Eggs
- Salt and pepper – season to taste
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make the Best Stuffing
This classic Thanksgiving stuffing is easy and straightforward to make, even if you’ve never made homemade stuffing before.
Here’s a quick overview of the recipe:
- Melt the butter in a skillet, then sauté the onion and celery until softened.
- In a large bowl, stir together the dried bread cubes, sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, and broth.
- Add the eggs last, mixed in with a little broth for easier distribution.
- Turn the stuffing into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and dot the top with butter. Bake until done.
Time Saving Tip
To save time day of, bake and dry out the bread the night before and leave uncovered on the counter until the morning you’re ready to make the traditional stuffing.
Recipe FAQs
Technically this is a dressing recipe because it’s not stuffed inside the bird, but in my family we still call it stuffing rather than dressing. Our age old mis-naming tradition.
I used a loaf (baguette) of day-old white French bread from my grocery store’s bakery that I cubed, dried in the oven for 45 minutes, and allowed it to sit out overnight.
To save time on the big day, I dry it out the night before but you can do it that morning if time permits. You want to begin with really dry bread because otherwise it’ll turn to mush.
I’ve never pre-made or pre-assembled this classic stuffing recipe, but I think it’d be fine to assemble the night before and bake the day after. Check the stuffing just before baking it. If the bread seems dry at all, drizzle a little extra broth over top. You do NOT want to end up with dry stuffing!
Yes, this classic stuffing recipe tells you to cover the stuffing with foil and bake it for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 40 minutes.
If you need to keep the homemade stuffing warm before serving it, loosely cover it with foil and stick it in a 200ºF oven.
Stuffing is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently as desired.
Yes! Once baked, let the Thanksgiving stuffing cool completely before storing in a freezer bag. You can reheat the stuffing from frozen in a 350F oven (don’t let it thaw first, otherwise the bread will turn to mush).
This is our go to recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing. It’s a hit every year. I’ve made it with homemade bread cubes, store bought bakery bread cubes, and packaged Oroweat/Pepperidge Farm bread cubes. They all come out great. — Jody
What to Serve with Homemade Stuffing
Recipe Video Tutorial
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Traditional Homemade Thanksgiving Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound day-old white French bread, diced into 1/2-inch cubes and dried
- 1 extra-large, about 2 1/2 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 1 ½ cups celery, diced small
- ⅔ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely minced
- ¼ cup fresh sage leaves, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, sticks discarded, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, sticks discarded, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250F. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 45 minutes. You must begin with very dry bread or it’ll turn to mush. Tip – To save time on the day of, bake and dry out the bread the night before and leave uncovered on the counter until the morning you’re ready to make the stuffing.
- When you’re ready to make the stuffing, transfer bread to a very large bowl; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9×13-inch pan or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large skillet, add 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter and heat over medium-high heat to melt.
- Add the onions, celery, and cook until vegetables have softened and are just beginning to lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Transfer vegetables to bowl with bread.
- Add the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, and toss well to combine; set aside. Note about salt – the saltiness level of low-sodium chicken broth varies, and so do personal preferences, so salt to taste.
- To a small bowl, add the remaining 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 2 eggs, and whisk to combine. Pour mixture over bread and toss well to combine. Turn mixture out into prepared baking dish.
- Dice the remaining 1/4 cup (half of 1 stick) butter into 8 to 10 pieces and evenly dot the butter over the top of the stuffing.
- Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is as lightly golden browned as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Stuffing Recipes:
All of my Thanksgiving recipes!
Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing — This sausage stuffing is super easy to make since the slow cooker does all the hard work for you! There’s no sauteing or browning required at all and you can FREE UP YOUR OVEN!!
Homemade Stovetop Stuffing — With this easy homemade stuffing recipe, you’ll never need a box of the store-bought stuff again!
Cornbread Stuffing — 🧡💛🙌 Fast and easy homemade cornbread is transformed into a family favorite cornbread stuffing side dish with the addition of celery, onions, garlic, broth, and a bouquet of fresh herbs!
Pull-Apart Stuffing Ring — You’ll never guess the secret ingredient that not only makes this stuffing ring FAST and EASY, but also creates PERFECT texture! The stuffing is soft and tender, buttery and moist, not at all soggy, and seasoned to perfection with sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley!
Originally published November 5, 2018 and republished with updated text November 20, 2020.
I made this stuffing last year and can’t wait to make it again. Best stuffing I have ever had !! 😀
I made this stuffing last year and can’t wait to make it again. Best stuffing I have ever had !! 😀
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad so glad to hear you made it last year and it’s the best stuffing you’ve ever had!
Also, just a little tip I’ll throw your way… last year I just broke the pieces up with my hand. This year, I wanted a bit more uniform and cut the loaves with scissors! Super easy and they’re perfection
Hello, what do I do if I want to actually stuff the turkey?
Thank you!
I don’t know because I don’t make stuffing that way. It used to be reported as dangerous so I don’t take a chance. However, you could Google and figure out what to do.
My first attempt at making homemade stuffing. It’s really good and bursting with flavor from the fresh herbs. I may use regular butter next time as it seemed like it was missing something.
My first attempt at making homemade stuffing. It’s really good and bursting with flavor from the fresh herbs. I may use regular butter next time as it seemed like it was missing something.
Thanks and glad it was bursting with flavor! Adding salt is always a good idea if something tastes a little flat. I don’t tend to keep salted butter on hand but you could try that and see if you prefer it.
May I make this recipe without celery? Should I substitute something else! Thanks
Yes. Although it won’t taste like the stuffing you are probably craving.
Probably not. I mean you could try subbing something else like a turnip, parsnip, not sure what else?, but again, who knows how that will work. You would have to test it.
My advice, make exactly as written.
Are you supposed to drain the sautéed celery and onions before adding to the bread mixture, or include the 1 1/2 sticks of butter the veggies sautéed in into the mixture? I added the entire pan of sautéed veggies and butter. The stuffing came out crusty on the top and bottom and very mushy in the middle. Help!
No, you don’t need to drain anything. Probably sauté a bit longer so that there isn’t much residual liquid in your saute pan.
The problem is that likely your bread wasn’t dried out enough. That would explain the mushy in the middle situation. If the bread is sufficiently dry, that will not happen, even if you don’t drain anything off.
Hi! So this is my first time making stuffing and I was wondering if I could save time and buy dry bread that’s already bagged?
I have never done it that way so can’t say for sure if/how it will exactly turn out for you.
Love this recipe. I was thinking about doubling it this year, how much longer would you cook it?
It’s hard to say, it would depend on the size of casserole dish. If it’s double the surface area, you probably wouldn’t need to cook much longer at all. If it’s roughly the same surface area, meaning you have more piled in/on top of each other, then it’s hard to say…another 30 mins, maybe more? You would need to watch it and decide.
great
I remember I made these from a recipe that called for ground sausage, cranberries and pecans sauteed together and then mixed with cheese. My guests loved them but I thought they were too. please visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com
great
Hey Averie! Question on the bread. Do you buy a baguette, let it sit as is for a day, then 1 day later cube & then dry out in the oven? Thanks!
Hey Averie! Question on the bread. Do you buy a baguette, let it sit as is for a day, then 1 day later cube & then dry out in the oven? Thanks!
Do what I say in Step 1 in the recipe: Tip – To save time on the day of, bake and dry out the bread the night before and leave uncovered on the counter until the morning you’re ready to make the stuffing.
You can buy it that day, or a day in advance, cube it, bake it, let it sit out overnight. By that point it will be nice and dried out, especially if you bought it a prior day beforehand.
This is my go to recipe! This will be my 4th year using it. I make it on Thanksgiving and Easter, as well as other times through the year. Like tonight for example. So I have probably made it a couple dozen times at this point.
With the upcoming holiday season I’d like to share my tips for the questions that I am sure are to come.
You can double, even triple this recipe. In fact I do 2 and a half times the recipe. I follow the recipe exactly with one exception; if I do a single batch I use 2 eggs, a double batch is 4 eggs, and then when I do 2.5 batch I just use 4 eggs. I was low on eggs one year so used one less and the stuffing turned out just fine.
I cook this recipe in the crock pot!! Be sure to use a liner. I do a lower setting for 2-3 hours and then about an hour to an hour and a half before serving I give it a stir and turn it to high. This gets the edges crispy, which I love!!! This is also why you want to use a liner.
Can you use dry herbs instead of fresh? Tonight is the first time I’ve used dry herbs.
And it does work, but it is not the same. Use about a third size portion if using dried.
But if this is for a holiday or dinner party, don’t skimp and just use fresh herbs. SO So so amazing! The flavor from the fresh herbs makes such a difference.
If you don’t use French bread or baguette then I suggest starting with about 1/2 cup less of broth, then add more as needed. Lighter breads will get too soggy.
I always use French bread on holidays!!!!
Tonight I used hot dog buns as well as both white bread and multigrain bread.
This recipe is a true winner!!!