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A good breading stuffing recipe is the cornerstone of any holiday meeting, and this version has all the savory flavors and the perfect buttery, crispy texture that you know and love.
As a classically-trained chef, I have taken all the guesswork out of this classic side dish. I have all the best tips, tricks, and shortcuts to help you get your stuffing prepped and in the oven fast.
This recipe is extremely versatile, too! I’ve tested it in a slow cooker, in an air fryer, with gluten-free bread, in a half-batch size, and I’ve made it in advance. This is the only recipe you need, no matter how you want to make it.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Chicken broth: I keep jars of homemade chicken broth in the freezer (it’s a delicious by-product of poaching a chicken), but store-bought low-sodium chicken broth is also good. Or use turkey broth if you have that.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs taste the best in this stuffing, but dried herbs work too. I rarely find fresh marjoram and almost always substitute dried. Or, customize your turkey stuffing with spices like rosemary and poultry seasoning.
- French bread: Use any sturdy bread such as Italian, challah, or sourdough bread. Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).
How to make Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with butter. In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- To the skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with eggs and mix well. Add bread cubes to the mixture and toss to combine.
- Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Stuffing Recipe Tips
- Yield: This Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe makes about 10 cups, enough for 10 side-dish servings of about 1 cup each.
- Make Ahead Stuffing: After you’ve assembled the stuffing, refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance. See my full Make-Ahead Thanksgiving menu for more ways to cook in advance including a Make Ahead Roasted Turkey, Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (that won’t get watery in the freezer), and Make Ahead Pumpkin Pie.
- To go: Prepare this Classic Bread Stuffing in the oven-safe insert of a 9×13-inch crockpot and then tote it with you to your holiday gathering. Bonus, you won’t have to ask your host to keep it warm!
- Crockpot stuffing: Save your oven space and make bread stuffing in your slow cooker. You’ll still have soft, chewy bread cubes with plenty of crispy edges without using your oven.
- Gluten-free stuffing: transforms gluten-free bread into a side dish worth making. You’d never know the difference when you tuck into this glorious gluten-free bread stuffing.
- Small batch: My Bread Stuffing for Two is the same delicious, buttery stuffing with all your favorite flavors, but scaled down to a smaller quantity for small gatherings. See my full Thanksgiving for Two Menu which includes a pair of roasted Cornish Hens with Stuffing and two Mini Pumpkin Pies for dessert.
How to serve Homemade Stuffing
Serve homemade stuffing with your favorite roasts like turkey, chicken, and ham. It’s also delicious with Cornish hens! The best thing about this recipe is, you don’t need bird drippings to make a delicious stuffing.
Round out your menu with roasted vegetables, your favorite holiday casseroles, and plenty of soft dinner rolls.
Storing Homemade Stuffing
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing this Turkey Stuffing Recipe
For best results, assemble and freeze the bread stuffing uncooked. Then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed in the recipe.
Homemade Stuffing Recipe FAQs
The best bread for stuffing is a sturdy loaf with a tight crumb. Bakery French bread, Italian bread, Challah, and Sourdough are all good choices. When you cut up a 1-pound loaf into cubes, it should fit in an even layer on a single half-size rimmed baking sheet. If you need 2 sheet trays to fit your pound of bread cubes, the bread is too soft an airy. It won’t make good stuffing and you’ll wind up with a dish full of mush, no matter how well you dry it out.
Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).
Yes! I’ve tested this homemade stuffing recipe in a 9-inch by 13-inch aluminum foil pan.
For food safety reasons, and for a more evenly cooked bird, most modern recipes don’t encourage stuffing a turkey. If you decide to stuff your turkey, combine wet and dry stuffing components just before placing them in the cavity, ensuring any raw meat, poultry, or seafood used in the stuffing is fully cooked beforehand. Do not stuff a bird with cooked stuffing. Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat. For more information, see the USDA website. Stuffing a chicken or Cornish hens is also discouraged.
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Classic Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) plus more for buttering dish
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 4 celery ribs halved lengthwise and chopped
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups chicken broth (see note 1)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried overnight on counter (see note 3)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- To skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with eggs and mix well. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chicken broth: I keep jars of homemade chicken broth in the freezer (it’s a delicious by-product of poaching a chicken), but store-bought is also good. Or use turkey broth if you have that.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs taste the best in this stuffing, but dried work too. I rarely find fresh marjoram and almost always substitute dried.
- French bread: Use any sturdy bread such as Italian, challah, or sourdough bread. Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).
- Yield: This Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe makes about 10 c., enough for 10 side-dish servings of about 1 c. each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I followed the recipe exactly and it came out like a bread omelette. I think 2 eggs would have been enough. Not sure we’re going to love this for Christmas dinner 😵💫
I’m so sorry Coco, it definitely should not be omelette-like. I’m not sure what went wrong with your batch. Sorry again. – Meggan
I made this yesterday with homemade white bread and it was delicious!!! I added about 4 T. of butter pats on top before baking which just added to the deliciousness 🙂
Yum! That sounds delicious, Peggy! – Meggan
Do you have any suggestions for making this gluten free? Do you think it would work using GF rolls or breads? I once tried using my own traditional sausage stuffing recipe but with gluten free bread — it was not edible! Your’s sounds like it could work. Thoughts?
Hi Kate, this recipe works well with gluten-free bread… so much so that I wrote a separate post for it. 😊
Here’s the link: https://cash-surge.live/gluten-free-stuffing/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope you love it! – Meggan
I’ve never added eggs to my stuffing before. What is the purpose of this
Hi Patricia, the eggs act as a binder and add moisture. Adding eggs help the stuffing hold together in chunks rather than being crumbly. Thanks! – Meggan
I am interested in trying this in the crockpot. Can you please tell me what temp and time to cook? Do I need to make any changes to the recipe?
Hi Raegan, this recipe is great in a slow cooker! You will still cook the vegetables in a skillet, and then toss with the egg mixture and bread cubes, but then transfer the stuffing to a slow cooker coated with butter or nonstick spray, cover and cook on HIGH for for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to LOW and cook for 4 to 5 hours. Keep warm until serving time. I have a separate post about it, including a recipe that you can print: https://cash-surge.live/crockpot-stuffing/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Take care and please let me know if you have any more questions! – Meggan
Excellent stuffing!
Thank you, Terri! I’m happy you loved it! – Meggan
My great grandmother, grandmother, and mother made this recipe and now I make it. But we add 2 cans of mushroom soup, and fresh mushrooms sauted with the celery and onion. And we also used 2 to 3 loaves of French bread dried.
Can this stuffing be loosely placed and cooked in the turkey? And can ¾ cup egg substitute be used in place of fresh eggs?
Hi Michele, The USDA and I do not recommend making the stuffing inside the turkey. The turkey and the stuffing would both have to be cooked to 165 degrees to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. If you decide to stuff your turkey, do not do it ahead of time. Make sure the stuffing is just combined when it goes into the cavity. They now recommend not using already cooked stuffing. Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing itself must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat. I haven’t tried an egg substitute for this recipe, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I hope you have a great holiday! – Meggan
Best ever just like my foster mom use to make
I’m so happy you loved it, Anne, and that it brought back some wonderful memories! Take care! – Meggan
Delicious recipe. Never used an egg before. Everyone liked it. Thank you. Many blessings
You’re welcome, Faith! I’m glad everyone liked it! Take care! – Meggan
Can you make stuffing and freeze it for 2 weeks.
Hi Joan, yes! You can freeze the baked stuffing for up to 1 month. Store in an airtight container and reheat in a 325-degree oven, covered, for 30 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees (the baking time really depends on the amount of stuffing, whether it’s just leftovers or you made the whole thing in advance). – Meggan
This recipe sounds soo good! I’m making today.
Please cud you tell me roughly how many cups of bread are in this recipe. I like to use all different types of bread: Dark rye, raisin, multi grain, white, etc. and need a guideline as to how much, by cup.
I would like to add in some turkey gravy to this. Maybe 1 cup gravy and 1 cup chicken broth? Please let me know what you think.
Thank you.
Heather
Hi Heather, it’s 10 cups loosely packed bread cubes or 8 cups of firmly packed (as in smashing them down) cubes. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Just saw this recipe. Want to make for christmas.
I have sage, marjoram, but no thyme.
I do have Poultry with Thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, nutmeg. Is it better if I just go by thyme?
Hi Karen, I prefer thyme but a seasoning with rosemary sounds great also! – Meggan
This is now my “go to” recipe for stuffing. Delicious, easy to make and very convenient. Family loved it at Thanksgiving. I make the whole recipe even for the two of us. That way I have leftovers.
Thank you Brenda, I’m so glad you all enjoyed! – Meggan
My turkey will be roasting at 325. Any chance this dish could be cooked at 325? If I wait to cook at 400 for 50 minutes the turkey will be cold! Suggestions please
Hi Cindy, yes. It can be cooked at 325 degrees, but it likely will take longer. I would recommend putting it in about 20 minutes before the turkey is done, and once the turkey is pulled from the oven and resting, the oven temperature could be turned up. – Meggan
Is there any place in this recipe where dish could be frozen and then baked a couple days or more later?
Hi Diane, here’s a link to a make-ahead version of this recipe: https://cash-surge.live/make-ahead-stuffing/%3C/a%3E Hope this helps! – Meggan
This stuffing was AMAZING! We’re making it again because there weren’t any leftovers. Thanks Meggan!
I was pleasantly and extremely surprised by the flavour and how moist this recipe was. It seriously tasted just like my mom’s that I love, only she only ever cooked hers inside the turkey. Seriously, this was so flavourful and delish, I’m making it again for Christmas.
Just wondering if this recipe can also be cooked inside the turkey or not?
Hi Jacquie, I’m so glad you liked the stuffing! I do not recommend making the stuffing inside the turkey. The turkey and the stuffing would both have to be cooked to 165 degrees to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. If you decide to stuff your turkey, make sure the stuffing is warm when it goes in so it has a head start in cooking (either because you just finished making it or because you made it in advance and reheated it). Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat. I hope you enjoy making it again and I hope you have a nice holiday! – Meggan
Thanks for your prompt reply and information Meggan. So am I understanding that the main and only reason is because of the cooking temperature? It would not become too moist, gooey and uneatable ? I would think I could solve that by putting it in a pan and cooking it longer, while the turkey is cooling before carving. I have a very small oven and could possible cook both a turkey and stuffing in separate pans at the same time. What are your thoughts. Thank you.
Hi Jacquie, it’s possible the stuffing could become gooey if the turkey is overstuffed and doesn’t have enough room to expand. Also, I wouldn’t take out the stuffing to continue cooking it because removing the stuffing from the turkey before it reaches 165 degrees could contaminate the cooked turkey. (The USDA recommends removing the stuffing from the turkey after it has reached 165 degrees and the turkey has stood for 20 minutes.) Sorry about that. If you made the stuffing ahead of time, you could reheat it while the turkey is resting and being carved. The stuffing can be reheated in a 350-degree oven, covered, for 30 minutes or until warm throughout. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you need anything else! – Meggan
This recipe is my go to for classic dressing.. No need to change a thing. You can make additions as you wish but why mess with perfection.
Hi Rose. Can’t wait to try this fir my Thanksgiving dinner this year. My husband has celiac so cannot put in turkey as is our tradition. One question, dies bell seasoning work as well in place of the fresh herbs used In your recipe ?
Hi Martha, Bell’s seasoning appears to consist of rosemary, sage, thyme, ginger, and pepper so I think it would be fine if you substituted the thyme, marjoram, and sage in this recipe and omitting the fresh parsley. You can also use dried versions of the fresh herbs, the substitutions are in the recipe card. I haven’t tried this personally but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. – Meggan
This went perfect with my roast chicken. So delicious.
I Love this recipe. I’ve been making stuffing for years without eggs or broth but cooking it inside the turkey which makes it moist. I have not mastered stuffing in a baking dish until I found this recipe. I have one question though, when you refer to celery stalks are you referring to 1 rib or the whole stalk or bunch? I assume you mean 4 ribs? I always assumed a stalk was 1 rib but recently found out that a stalk is the whole bunch. I found many recipes use the terms stalk when they should really use the term rib.
Hi Debbie, I’m so glad you like the recipe!!! Stalk = rib, I didn’t know a stalk was also a term for a bunch. I’ve always hated not knowing if I should say “stalk” or “rib” but now you’ve sold me – it’s rib! I’ll change it everywhere on the site LOL. From henceforth, stalks shall be ribs. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I just needed a reason to favor one term or the other. And more importantly – glad you love the stuffing! It uses 4 ribs! Thanks again for everything and take care. -Meggan
Excellent recipe however I do add green onions as well and I certainly add extra sage Seasoning
I would like to make this the day before and then re-heat in the oven on Christmas Day. Any concerns with this Meggan? If not, how long and at what temperature would you recommend for re-heating? Thanks!
Hi Rose, that sound be just fine! This is actually a great stuffing to make ahead; I’ve done it myself a few times. You cover the stuffing with foil after you make it, then keep it refrigerated. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Keep stuffing tightly covered with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 10 to 20 minutes longer. I hope this is helpful! Thanks Rose and good luck! -Meggan
I tried this recipe, it was delish!!! I’ve been trying to find recipe for bread stuffing in a baking dish… thank you for posting.. my family loves it.. and I used the stove top bread stuffing in box, not the fresh bread, still good and delish…thanks
This is very similar to the family recipe we have used for over 50 years…only difference is I use poultry seasoning rather than marjoram. In addition, we have ‘held the eggs’ in favor of adding a little more butter…and for increased texture, we always add slivered almonds. I just cannot try other recipes because this one is just SO YUMMY!!!
Prepared this stuffing per the recipe, but added Tennessee Pride sausage and chopped bacon. It was absolutely the best stuffing I’ve ever had! Excellent recipe!
What do I do I add the chicken broth?
Hi Joell! You add the chicken broth to the bowl with the eggs and the salt & pepper, step #3. Thanks! -Meggan
Hi Meggan! Thanks for posting! This looks just like the stuffing I had at Thanksgiving dinner growing up. It’s my first year hosting and I’m going to take a crack at this recipe. Would french baguettes work for this recipe? I couldn’t find a larger loaf of french bread at either of the grocery stores I hit yesterday. I’m afraid the baguette will be TOO hard if I leave it out to “dry.” Thanks for any info!
Hi Rachel, I’m making this today with your variaron and I’ll reply and let you know how French baguettes work out!
Hi Rachel! The French baguettes work great! You’ll want 2 baguettes, 8 ounces each, to get 10 cups loosely packed bread cubes or 8 cups of firmly packed (as in smashing them down) cubes. I cut my baguettes into 1-inch or 1 1/2-inch cubes. I used to do 1/2 cubes but that’s super tiny and annoying, so now I do bigger pieces (and with baguettes you could even tear them if you want). Other information: I dried the baguettes in the oven per the method in the recipe (225 degrees for 30 minutes). When they came out, they were mostly like little rocks, so I understand your fear! But once you put them in the broth/vegetable/egg mixture, they soften just like regular bread. The recipe performs exactly the same as with French bread (I know this because I’m also making the French bread version today). I will say that the pieces of bread on top are drier than the ones on the bottom. If you pick off a cube of bread from the top and eat it, you might think “oh no! This is way too dry!” But honestly having those crispy-edged, slightly browned pieces on top is a really nice contrast to all the soft pieces underneath. When you eat them together, it’s perfect. A little bit of crunch here and there. 🙂 And it’s not because it’s baguette – that’s just how the recipe is. If everything was soggy, you wouldn’t get any crunch. Okay, I’ve officially beaten this horse to death, so good luck and PLEASE let me know if you have any other questions! Good luck! I’ll email this message to you too, just in case my reply to the comment goes to your spam. Happy Thanksgiving! -Meggan
I made this today for our Thanksgiving dinner. It is fantastic !!
This is really good. However, i add bell pepper, and shredded chicken breast, and omit the parsley, tyme, and marjoram. Everyone loves it!
Same recipe as my Grandma!
This is the same receipt my mother cooked for our family. Don’t know if it came from her mother or U of Wisc. in the early 1920’s. However she did not cover during baking…instead drizzling white wine or vermouth about every 1/2 hour or so while the turkey cooked. As my sons grew so did their appetite for dressing. One whole receipt was declared theirs and only theirs!
This is the fabulous stuffing that my mom and my late wife both made.
I’ve missed it every year, and now I can have it again. Just wish that I could cook it for them.
Thank you for this recipe, Meggan! May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Steven, your comment made me tear up!!! This is why I get up in the morning, just hoping that my random (but favorite) stuffing recipe might help somebody out. Your comment is more than I ever could have hoped for! Blessings to you and your family. I hope you had the most wonderful Thanksgiving. -Meggan
Recipe sounds great can’t wait to try it Thanksgiving
Can it be made a day ahead. It sounds delicious.
Hi Caren, YES! I actually devoted a new post to make-ahead stuffing and it’s based on this recipe. You can check it out here if you want.
https://cash-surge.live/make-ahead-stuffing/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Thank you and happy thanksgiving! I hope you love this recipe, it’s possibly my favorite thing on the Thanksgiving table. -Meggan
can you freeze this. it sounds wonderful.
Hey there! Yes! You can freeze the baked stuffing for up to 1 month. Store in an airtight container and reheat in a 325-degree oven, covered, for 30 minutes or until warm throughout (the baking time really depends on the amount of stuffing, whether it’s just leftovers or you made the whole thing in advance).
This is going to become a family favorite! Great taste and easy to make, love this simple prep