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This classic Homemade Stuffing recipe is so easy to make from scratch. Made with dried bread cubes tossed with sautéed celery and onions, fresh herbs, and broth, then baked until it’s moist and fluffy on the inside with a golden, crunchy top.
For more stuffing variations, try this Bacon Stuffing, Classic Sausage Stuffing, or Cornbread Stuffing for a delicious twist on the traditional recipe.
Find even more holiday inspiration in our complete collection of Thanksgiving Side Dishes.
Pin this recipe for later!5 Keys To Making The Best Homemade Stuffing
- Dry your bread properly. Stale bread absorbs broth evenly without getting mushy. Day-old bread dried overnight works best, but you can quick-dry fresh bread in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes if you’re short on time.
- Don’t oversaturate the bread. Add broth gradually until the bread is moist but not soupy. You should see no liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl. If it feels too wet, add more bread cubes.
- Use low-sodium broth. This gives you better control over the saltiness, especially since butter and any added salt will concentrate during baking.
- Let the garlic cook briefly. Add garlic in the last minute of sautéing to prevent burning, which creates a bitter taste.
- Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly. You want a golden, crispy top, but watch closely in the final 15-20 minutes to avoid burning.
recipe walk-through
How To Make Homemade Stuffing
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
It’s really easy to make your own stuffing from scratch, with just a few steps!
Step 1: Prepare the bread.
Cut up your bread into bite-sized cubes so it can dry out. Dry bread is the key to perfect stuffing — it soaks up the buttery broth mixture without turning soggy or mushy. There are two methods to choose from:
Overnight (Classic) – Dry the cubes by spreading them out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and let them sit uncovered at room temperature overnight.
Oven (Quick) – Bake the cubes at 300°F for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice until they’re crisp and lightly golden. Be careful not to let them brown. Using this method, you may not need as much broth.
- Once dried out, the bread should feel light and slightly crisp, not fresh and spongy.
While French bread is a classic choice, sourdough, Italian, or even challah add great flavor and slightly different textures to your stuffing. See the FAQ section below for more.
Step 2: Cook the veggies.
Melt some butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sautéing the vegetables in butter creates a flavor base and ensures they are tender in the final dish.
Add diced onions and celery, and saute them until the onions are translucent and soft, and the celery has lost its raw crunch.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Do this just at the end, as adding the garlic too soon can cause it to burn.
Step 3: Mix everything together.
Stir the vegetables, fresh sage, and thyme together with the stale bread in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk together an egg and some chicken broth, then pour some of it over the bread. Start with about 3 cups of the broth mixture and add more gradually. The bread should be evenly moist (not mushy) and still hold its shape when stirred.
- Every loaf of bread absorbs liquid differently, so trust your eyes and hands more than exact measurements.
- Pro Tip: Mix gently to avoid breaking down the bread cubes too much. You want distinct pieces, not a mushy paste.
- If you’re making this ahead, stop after assembling but before baking. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days
Step 4: Bake.
Pour the bread mixture into a large baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake for about 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- You’ll know it’s done when the top is golden brown and crispy, and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 165°F.
If you want the top to be a little more golden and crispy, flip on the broiler for the last five minutes or so.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best bread to make stuffing with?
The type of bread you use is really a matter of taste. Most often I use a one-pound loaf of French bread, but you can also use sourdough, Italian, or even challah. To save on time, you could even use a box of stuffing mix from the grocery store; just discard the seasoning packet.
Do you have to dry out bread for stuffing?
Letting the bread sit out overnight is helpful for adding flavor and texture to your stuffing. It helps control the moisture so you aren’t left with mushy or soggy pieces of bread in the center.
How wet should stuffing be before baking?
Stuffing should be just moist enough, but not soupy or overly wet. If there is liquid at the bottom of the pan, you’ll want to add more bread to sop that up. Conversely, if the stuffing seems too dry, add more liquid until all of the bread pieces are moist.
What is the secret to good stuffing?
Use dried bread cubes, with just the right amount of moisture (not too much or too little broth), and avoid overcooking or undercooking the final dish.
Why do you put eggs in stuffing?
The egg acts as a binder, holding the stuffing together and creating a more sturdy casserole than just a jumble of bread crumbs.
Can I cook the stuffing inside my turkey?
While you can cook stuffing inside your turkey, I don’t recommend it. If you do choose to, be sure the stuffing starts out completely cooled or chilled so the turkey isn’t held at an unsafe temperature for too long.
For safety, the stuffing must reach 165°F because it soaks up raw drippings as the turkey cooks. The problem is that getting the stuffing hot enough often leads to an overcooked, dry turkey. That’s why I usually bake stuffing separately in a casserole dish — you get perfectly cooked stuffing and the turkey stays juicy.
Serving Suggestions
Stuffing is a favorite around the holidays, but it’s also great for weeknight dinners with main dishes like these.
Don’t forget the turkey!
Get the best roast turkey recipe, plus TONS of tips!
Storage Tips
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Who doesn’t love turkey dinner leftovers? I love to pile turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce all in a bowl and enjoy it for lunch the next day! But if you end up with a lot of leftovers, it can be difficult to finish them all. What’s great about this traditional stuffing recipe is that it freezes beautifully.
Make-Ahead Stuffing: Prepare the recipe as directed, then cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance. Remove from the fridge and sit out for 30 minutes before baking.
Refrigerating: Cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months.
Reheating: To reheat large portions, bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Or microwave until heated through. Add a little broth to keep it from drying out.
You can also use the leftovers to make my Turkey and Stuffing Casserole!
101+ Thanksgiving
Side Dishes
Find all the sides you could possibly want for the perfect Thanksgiving menu!
More Essential Thanksgiving Side Dishes
We all know that stuffing is basically a requirement on your Thanksgiving table. It’s a necessary side dish whether you’re making a whole turkey for a crowd or a small Roast Turkey Breast for a few people! Here are a few more of our favorite Thanksgiving sides.
Homemade Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Diced onion
- 3 Celery stalks diced (1/2-¾ cup)
- 2 Garlic cloves minced
- 2/3 cup Butter
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 12 cups Stale bread cubes 1-inch cubes from 1 large loaf french bread
- 3-4 cups Chicken broth
- 1 Egg beaten
- ¼ cup Fresh parsley minced
- 3 teaspoons Fresh thyme leaves minced
- 3 teaspoons Fresh sage minced
Instructions
- Arrange the bread cubes on a cookie sheet and let them sit out on the counter overnight to dehydrate them.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add bread cubes to a large bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute onions and celery until soft and translucent; about 5-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add vegetables and fresh herbs to the bowl with the bread and stir.
- Whisk egg together with chicken broth, then pour over bread until it’s moist but not soggy. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour bread mixture into a 13×9-inch buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Watch closely once uncovered so the top doesn’t burn.
Notes
- Day-old bread works best. For quick drying, bake cubes at 300°F for 10 minutes.
- Use low-sodium broth to control saltiness.
- Add broth gradually until bread is moist but not soupy. No liquid should pool at the bottom.
- Fresh herbs can be replaced with 1-2 teaspoons of dried poultry seasoning (use half the amount for dried).
- Add garlic in the last minute of cooking to prevent burning.
- Internal temperature should reach 165°F when done.
- Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly during the final 15-20 minutes.
- Stuffing can be assembled up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Storage: Leftovers last 3-4 days in the fridge. It also freezes well for up to 3-4 months. Reheat at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, adding a splash of broth to prevent drying.
- Don’t stuff the bird. Baking in a casserole dish ensures the stuffing reaches a safe temperature without overcooking the turkey.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
If I half the recipe, do I halve the cooking time?
It may cook a little quicker, but you wouldn’t halve the time.
What temp do you preheat the oven to?!
Hi Ashley, All of the information you need is in the recipe card, including oven temperature.
I worry about bugs in regards to leaving the bread out, uncovered, overnight. Could I bake it at a low temperature to dry it out?
Hi Courtney, Place the pan in your unheated oven overnight instead of leaving it out on the counter. You just want it to be a little stale; baking would dry it out. It would also be ok to use fresh bread.
This was my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner this year, and it was a hit! A very light but flavorful stuffing; moist but not mushy; aromatic but not stifling.
It only took about 2 cups of broth to fully saturate my bread, but the loaf I had was less than 12 cups in volume, which probably explains it. Fortunately, the recipe cautions to add the broth gradually, so I was spared the mistake of adding all 3 cups of broth at once.
Awesome feedback Spencer! So glad everyone liked it. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m not sure if the directions are written out wrong…but mine turn into a mushy mess and I feel like I needed double the bread maybe to fit the pan. At the top is says 30 mins. But once you get to the actual recipe it’s an hour. Tried cooking longer but way too wet and I only used half of the broth.
Hi Felicia, I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you. There seems to have been a glitch in the calculations at the top but the written instructions were correct.