This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is your classic, never-fail stuffing recipe! Its buttery flavor and moist texture makes it a must-have on your Thanksgiving dinner spread and a definite fall recipes favorite!

Thanksgiving dinner is typically the biggest meal of the year and having tried and true recipes you know everyone will love makes things less stressful and way yummier 🙂 So, here are some of my favorite plates I make for my Thanksgiving dinner table: Easy sweet potato casserole, the best dinner rolls, creamy homemade mashed potatoes, and praline pumpkin pie!

Thanksgiving Stuffing in a glass baking dish.

Why This Recipe Works

  • The best texture and flavor. As you know, I’m big on flavor and texture, and this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe has both! The French bread makes a big difference with the texture and the seasonings in this dish are next level!
  • Say goodbye to bland stuffing. The secret to getting great flavor in stuffing is the butter, seasonings and chicken stock. Promise me you’ll make this recipe and say goodbye to bland stuffing! Stuffing is probably my favorite dish at Thanksgiving and it can be yours, too!
  • Perfect balance of bread and veggies. I love the traditional stuffing recipe because the bread, celery and onion is the perfect combination in my opinion! However, there are sometimes when more is more! If you’re looking for a stuffing recipe with a bit more vegetables or sausage, be sure to try out my vegetable stuffing recipe. 

Ingredients

Ingredients used to make homemade thanksgiving stuffing on a marble counter.
  • French Bread Loaf: Using French bread makes a huge difference! The bread maintains some of its structure so it doesn’t become mushy.
  • Veggies: Chopped celery and onion provide great texture and flavor.
  • Poultry Seasoning: This is a typical seasoning blend used in stuffing recipes. It typically consists of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sage.
  • Chicken Broth: Using chicken broth NOT water is essential because the chicken broth will add way more flavor to the stuffing than if you just did water.
  • Butter: Adding butter to the stuffing adds an additional flavor depth and helps make the texture of the stuffing divine!

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Prepare the bread. Cut the French bread loaf into 1-inch cubes, then set them on a baking sheet to dry out overnight. (Scroll down to see an alternative under “recipe tips.”) 
  2. Cook the veggies until soft. In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper. 
A dutch oven with chopped onion and celery cooking in melted butter.
  1. Add the dry bread. Stir in the dried-out cubed bread until evenly coated. 
Cubed bread in a large dutch oven with a wooden spoon sitting in the pot too.
  1. Stir in the broth. The key to this step is to add the broth, little by little (**hint hint: SLOWLY!) while mixing the stuffing so that the bread doesn’t become too wet or soggy. Mix well. 
Cubed bread in a large dutch oven.
  1. Transfer to dish. Place in a buttered 9×13-inch casserole dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to bake. (I have chilled mine for various amounts of time, the most being 6 hours, and it was really good.)
Homemade Thanksgiving Stuffing in a 13x9 inch baking dish.
  1. Bake until golden brown. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. The top of the stuffing should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm. 
Golden brown thanksgiving stuffing in a 13x9 inch clear baking dish.

Recipe Tips

If you like moist stuffing, bake covered for 15 minutes, and then remove foil and bake uncovered for the last 20-30 minutes. 

You can add cooked sausage to this recipe as well! Depending on how much meat you want, you can use 8 oz or 16 oz of plain sausage or sage sausage. (Yes, they have sage sausage, have you tried it?!)

Be sure to dry out the bread overnight. You want really dry bread or else your stuffing will be overly mushy.

Stuffing leftovers go great alongside leftover turkey salad sandwiches and delicious Thanksgiving pies for dessert!

FAQs

  • If I’m using meat in my stuffing, does it need to be cooked before mixing it with the cubed bread? 
    •

    Yes. Cook the meat before stirring it into the remaining ingredients.

  • What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

    • Nothing at all. I’ve heard people use those terms interchangeably. People call the stuffing mix dressing since it’s usually put inside the turkey to help add flavor to the turkey from the inside. 

  • Can I use this recipe to stuff my turkey?
    •

    I don’t recommend it. You would need to alter the recipe a great deal. I am weary of stuffing a turkey because the stuffing touches the raw bird. For the stuffing to be safe to eat, it would need to be cooked to 165°F, which means the bird will be overcooked.

    Is stuffing better with or without eggs?

    I know some people will add eggs to their stuffing recipes to act as a binder. I don’t think it’s necessary and can sometimes alter the texture of the stuffing, which is why I omit it.

    What’s the best bread to use in stuffing?

    I love using a French bread loaf. I dry it overnight so it’s really dry otherwise your stuffing will be too mushy. I love the tougher crust on the French bread. It gives an awesome texture to the stuffing.

    Can you freeze stuffing?

    Yep! Cool completely after baked and store in an airtight container/plastic bag in the freezer for 1-2 months. Remove from the freezer and place directly in the oven and bake at 350 until warmed through. If you let it thaw first it will be mushy!

    A serving of Thanksgiving Stuffing on a white plate on a white background.

    Thanksgiving Recipes

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    A close up photo of golden baked Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe. in a baking dish.
    Print Review
    5 from 1 vote

    Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

    So flavorful and perfect for your Thanksgiving meal! It's easy to make and can be made in advance. 🙌🏼
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 40 mins
    Total Time: 50 mins
    Servings: 8 servings

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 large French bread loaf - 1 pound worth.
    • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
    • 1 large yellow onion - chopped
    • 5 stalks celery - chopped
    • 3 teaspoon poultry seasoning
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 cup chicken broth - see notes

    Equipment

    Instructions
     

    • Cut French bread loaf into 1” cubes, then set on a baking sheet to dry out overnight. Alteranativey, if you don't want to do this, you can cube the bread, place on baking sheet, and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes (may need more time) or until they are lightly golden.
    • In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper. 
    • Stir in the dried-out cubed bread until evenly coated. 
    • SLOWLY stir in the broth while mixing the stuffing so that the bread doesn’t become too wet or soggy. Mix well. 
    • Place in a buttered casserole dish 13×9”. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to bake. Mine usually chills for 4-6 hours (because I like to make it in the morning).
    • Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. The top of the stuffing should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm. 

    Notes

    You can use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. 
    If you like moist stuffing, bake covered for 15 minutes, and then remove foil and bake uncovered for the last 20-25 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 203kcal (10%)Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 11g (55%)Cholesterol: 46mg (15%)Sodium: 483mg (20%)Potassium: 141mg (4%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 664IU (13%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 34mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
    author: Whitney Wright
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a star rating and review on the blog post letting me know how you liked this recipe! Take a picture and tag @saltandbaker on Instagram and Facebook so I can see what you’re making!

    This recipe was originally published on Nov. 6, 2020. It was republished on Nov. 1, 2021, to include additional information and photos.