Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing.
This is the best stuffing recipe ever!
Seriously, it’s our favorite stuffing and the only one I make now. The edges are golden and crunchy, the inside is soft. It’s wildly flavorful and buttery and filled with herbs and most importantly, a delicious neutral flavor that truly goes with any meal.
Stuffing is by FAR my favorite side dish. In fact, Thanksgiving is alllll about the side dishes for me. Each one gets better than the last. And yes, technically this would be considered dressing since I’m serving it outside the bird.
However!
You can use this to stuff the bird if you wish. I’ve done it both ways, because we have a few family members who loved stuffing from inside the turkey.
I also think it’s a fairly regional thing? No one here calls stuffing “dressing” – really ever! It’s always stuffing, and that’s what I grew up with.
But that’s neither here nor there. I wanted to share my favorite best stuffing recipe with you today because we’re all about the classics this year. I want my Thanksgiving plate to taste like it did all those wonderful, comforting cozy years ago.
P.S. yes this is one of very few recipes you will find where I use celery. I still loathe it, but find it an important building block of flavor in stuffing!
My mom has always made delicious stuffing. It’s completely traditional and classic because as I’ve said every year, my family absolutely loses it if there is an unconventional dish on the table. I mean, remember the one year I tried to bring butternut squash lasagna?
Did not go over well.
But really, my mom’s stuffing is so good. This recipe is a modern twist on hers – very similar ingredients, but more fresh herbs. Also, still lots of butter. LOTS. It’s worth it! It’s Thanksgiving, and butter gives you that toasty, rich flavor with the crispy crunchy edges.
This recipe feeds about eight people, but I’ll be the first to tell you that in my house, stuffing always goes first. It’s one thing that people usually take seconds of, and it’s the one dish they also want to take home for leftovers! So because of that, I never mind making a lot.
If you’re scaling down your celebration this year, I’m happy to tell you that this recipe can be cut in half easily! And if you’re feeling more people, you can easily double this too. Honestly, I always double this for the reasons above. I liiiiive for stuffing.
If you have leftover stuffing…
I suggest using it for a breakfast hash skillet with eggs. I’ve also successfully thrown it in a waffle maker to create a stuffing waffle. Now that is incredible.
You can use it on a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, stuff in inside of bell peppers or simply freeze it to bring it our on a chilly night in winter. It’s the best dinner time treat!
Now I know that I’m all about the classic stuffing this year. But if you’re craving more variety, I have quite the selection to choose from. Last year I showed you how to make this but grilled the bread, which adds a really great twist.
I’ve also done slow cooker stuffing before too, in case you don’t want to really bother with it!
And, this double bread stuffing recipe that so many of you use every year and love!
Which stuffing is your favorite to make?!
Best Stuffing Recipe!
Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 18 to 24 ounces bread cubes, (1.5 loaves of bread, or about 12 to 14 cups) preferably toasted or stale
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups diced sweet onion, roughly 2 large onions
- 2 cups diced celery
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 large eggs
- a mixture of fresh herbs for sprinkling
Instructions
- Note about the bread cubes! You have options here. Stale or toasty bread works best. The first option is that you can cut 1 ½ pounds of bread into cubes, place it in a large baking dish, loosely tent with foil and let it sit overnight. You can also cut the cubes and put them in oven, toasting them at 350 degrees F until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so. Finally, you can buy the toasted bread cubes in bags from the store. It’s your choice! You can also choose the size of your cubes. They can be small or larger for a more rustic stuffing.
- My mom has always used a mixture of stale and fresh bread. Also, I like to use different kinds of bread (usually two), like a sourdough and italian, and mix the cubes. It provides great texture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x13 baking dish (you can also use a larger baking dish or a larger foil roasting pan too!) with melted butter, olive oil or spray with nonstick spray. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl (this may be easier for you to stir!) or the baking dish that you will bake it in. You can also separate this into two baking dishes if it's easier.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - at least ½ to 1 teaspoon each. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage, parsley and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of stock.
- Pour the onion celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups stock and 2 eggs.
- Pour that mixture into the bread cubes and stir and fold the bread cubes until thoroughly combined. Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.
- I have successfully made this a day ahead of time and reheated it - it’s just as good! emove the pan from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating it. You can also use this mixture to stuff the bird if you wish!
- To serve 4: Cut this recipe in half exactly and bake it in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish. I bake for the same amount of time.
- To serve 12 to 18: Double this recipe exactly. Bake in a large baking dish, like a 10x15 roasting pan, or baking in two 9x13 baking dishes. I bake for roughly the same amount of time, or about 15 minutes longer.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Look at that buttery golden crunch!
876 Comments on “Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing.”
Can I prep this the day before but not bake it and then bake the day after and it taste the same…wasn’t sure if there would be a difference in pre-baking the day before and just reheating VERSUS just prepping to bake fully the next day. I’ve never made stuffing ha.
i would probably just bake it the day before and reheat the day of! still tastes great!
How long and what temp do you use to reheat? Can I use your homemade turkey stock?
I usually prep and bake the day before and just warm it up under foil the next day. If you don’t bake it – it will be very soggy the next day is my guess.
Hi, I love this recipe — I actually prepped it completely the day before, left it in the cooking pot (refrigerated) and then baked it the next day! It turned out GREAT! I also added fresh thyme to the recipe and used small muffin tins instead of baking in a larger dish — that way, every little muffin is crispy and crunchy. Such a wonderful Thanksgiving treat, love the smell of onions and herbs in the buttery mixture! Heats up well for leftovers too. Enjoy!
Hi. Do you adjust the cooking time when baking in muffin tins and how full do you fill the muffin tin? Much thanks in advance!
I see your make ahead instructions but curious about prepping in advance, NOT baking, storing overnight, and baking as usual on TG day. Do you strongly recommending baking fully first then reheating as opposed to prepping the day before and baking the day of?
i don’t both and really can’t tell much of a difference! either will work. what i personally do is prep my bread, make all the vegetables and store in a container in the fridge, then combine everything the morning of and bake.
Ive been using the recipe for the last four years and this is what I have done. Prep it all and then mix it together in the morning and bake it the day of.
I agree dressing is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Still use the same recipe for 52 years. Tweeked it by
adding mushrooms and using ciabatta bread. My recipe is the same as yours but no eggs. Always felt it wasn’t Thanksgiving till I smelled the celery and onion sauteeing in butter! Happy Thanksgiving to all.
I’m with you, rarely use or eat celery! But yes in stuffing… and unusual versions. I made oyster stuffing one year, as well as a “Mediterranean” stuffing with black olive…. Both were looked at with horror,in my Maine/ New England family…
Cooking novice alert! Is there any specific instructions on how to reheat day of? I really like the idea of being able to prepare some of my dishes the day before.
i like to reheat in an oven around 300 degrees (though this can vary depending on other dishes that may be in the oven for thanksgiving). time also varies depending on your dish size, etc. it will most likely be around 30-45 mins to reheat fully! if it seems dry, drizzle a bit of chicken or turkey stock on it and reheat.
Can I do without the egg?
yes, many people have made it without the egg and it’s fine,
How do you reheat it? Thank you so much!
i reheat in a low oven around 300 degrees until warm.
Can I make this 2 days ahead and reheat? Or will it not be the same.
yes, you can. if it seems dry you can always drizzle a bit of chicken or turkey stock on it before reheating.
Great recipe!! Reheating instructions (temp & time) would be helpful.
i like to reheat in an oven around 300 degrees (though this can vary depending on other dishes that may be in the oven for thanksgiving). time also varies depending on your dish size, etc. it will most likely be around 30-45 mins to reheat fully.
What kind of bread is used? Thanks! Looks amazing.
Can I add sausage to this recipe? And if so, does it alter any other portion of the recipe?
Thank you
I’m wondering about this as well!
I just made this and added a pound of sage sausage. Cooked the sausage first and added to the bread. Then I just followed the recipe exactly. Turned out perfect!
I made this last year and it was fantastic! I will be doubling the recipe this time using dried herbs.
Since doubling this year, I will be using 24 cups and then 6 teaspoons of dried herbs?
Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
This recipe is a favorite! This year, I have a dried herb stuffing seasoning that I’ll be using. How much would I use to replace the dried herbs?
General rule is 1tsp of dried herbs for every tbsp of fresh herbs. Taste, taste , taste to ensure it’s to your likening.
Make this every year! I do gluten free bread ( no one can tell). I add more fresh herbs and also make it vegetarian ( veggie broth) I use vegetarian sausage in a tube so I up it by adding fennel seeds in the sausage. It comes out awesome… simply herby and wonderful.
Rebecca, what kind of gluten free bread do you use? I need to make one batch gluten free, but I’m going back and forth on what bread to use. In the past, I’ve used Udi’s hot dog buns for stuffing since they are so dense.
Posted earlier it super. Vegetarian ( use veggie broth and add vegetarian sausage) and gluten free bread. The ONLY thing I add different is I also use thyme. I used to ask my Mom how hers was so good she replied ” I put a lot of TIME into it”. Lol, didn’t realize until I was 15 she was actually saying “THYME”.
I’ve made this a few years in a row now and everyone always loves it!
When you say a mixture of fresh herbs for sprinkling, are you referring to using the same herbs that are in the dish itself, or adding different ones? And if you use the same herbs, is the amount needed included in the recipe part above for example, 3tbsp sage,etc
Great question as I was wondering the same. Making this today.
I also was wondering what this meant. Hope we get an answer soon. I will be making it tonight
The mixing of different types of bread and some normal and cooked made the recipe absolutely perfect
After reading the comments I became a little confused and would like some clarification. I have cubed and toasted my bread, and measured out 14 cups of the dried cubes. For 14 c of dried cubes do I use the rest of the ingredients in the amounts that are listed? Some comments seem to say that you need to measure before toasting. It will be my first time trying this recipe, and that would be a big mistake if I actually need to be doubling the rest of the ingredients.
Jaime ..start with the measurements she has above and slowly add more to taste ..if your unsure you could add extra herbs in 1/2 tsp increments.
It really does come down to personal taste ..my family loves seasoning my son in laws family doesn’t use seasoning on anything! (The horror!!! ;))
With the amount of bread cubes you have I would follow her recipe exactly and then taste to decide if you want it a little stronger! (Rule of thumb for me is always ..you can add more but you can’t take it out!! ) 😍
Can this be made Vegan? I saw your comment that no eggs are fine. I know that the butter adds a special flavor, but if substituting butter, would you recommend coconut oil or another oil?
I made it as last year is and it was delicious!
i definitely would not use oil for this! it will be very oily and not taste great. i would use a vegan butter alternative (like earth balance) or something that tastes as close to butter as possible.
How do you do this is you’re stuffing the bird? Does this come out good like that?
you can use this to stuff the bird, make sure the internal temperature of the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F before consumed.
Can you use this to stuff the bird?
yes, with any stuffed in the bird, make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F before consumed.
Hi! This looks absolutely delicious and I want to make sure mine comes out just right! Do you happen to have the measurements in metric?
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh? If so, is the amount different?
Just a quick question, step 5 says to put over bread crumbs, but there’s no bread crumbs in the recipe. Is it supposed to be bread cubes?
yes, the bread cubes.
I made this last year and it’s delicious!! I want to make a day ahead this year. What is the best way to re heat this dish please?
Jessica — November 19, 2022 @ 7:42 am Reply
i like to reheat in an oven around 300 degrees (though this can vary depending on other dishes that may be in the oven for thanksgiving). time also varies depending on your dish size, etc. it will most likely be around 30-45 mins to reheat fully.
Do you use flat (Italian) parsley or curley parsley? Thank you.
Flat parsley is usually used in dishes as this
Has anyone made this in a slow cooker? Trying to save oven space on Thanksgiving!
I have done it in a slow cooker but honestly if you have an air fryer oven or a toaster oven it would actually be better! You won’t get the crunchy and crisp bites on the bread if you do it in a slow cooker..my recommendation would be to do your potatoes and some of those types of dishes in the slow cooker and use the oven for the stuffing (it is the most important part of the meal ;)) (just my thoughts from experience)
Good idea, thank you!!!
I love raisins in my stuffing – could they be added to this recipe? And would you recommend soaking them first or just throwing some in? Thank you!
how long and temp do you reheat it?
She had said 300° for about 30-45 minutes.
Can this go inside of the turkey?
Can I used dried herbs instead of fresh ?
Use 1 tsp. dried herbs in place of 1 TBL of fresh.
Hi! How long would you cook this at 325 to yield same results? Everything else in oven will be at that temp so wanted to double check- thanks!
Hi! I’m going to try this for Thanksgiving. You think I can add Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, and pecans to this? I love adding those to most stuffing, but don’t want to mess this up. I wouldn’t add too much, maybe a qtr cup of each or even less. Or to get the best result, should I make it exact? Also, if I don’t want to use eggs for some of the vegetables members of my family, what can I use instead?
Can this be cooked in a nesco instead of in the oven? Thanks
At what point in making stuffing the stuffing do you put it in the raw turkey? Is it before you bake it, when it’s just tossed with all the ingredients, or after you bake it?
Before you bake it. Remember that you have to get the stuffing up to temp at 165 to be safe. Sometimes to do this it will cause the turkey itself to overcook. That’s one reason a lot of cooks are cooking in a dish on the side and not inside the turkey.
I made it this weekend for Friendsgiving and everyone loved it! No leftovers!
Hi there!
I only have yellow onions at home and I’m not sure how to find sweet onions in the store. Will the yellow ones work okay? Or should I look for a different kind?
Thank you! :)
yes!! those work perfectly.
Yellow should work just fine :) when recipes call for sweet I usually use Vidalia if I can find it.
Love this recipe! If I’m using some of the stuffing to stuff the turkey with, should I use the full amount, or portion some off for just the bird? I’d like to still be able to serve some separately :)
this full amount won’t likely all fit in the bird! so if you make this, there will be both – some in the bird and some out.
Hi! I’d love to make this recipe but the amount of bread needed is unclear. Is there a way to get an exact number of fresh bread needed?
2 to 2.5 loves of bread should yield the amount of cubes needed.
I’m planning on making this but I can’t find the oven temp on the page 🤔
its 350
Can I reheat in crockpot? We have an early potluck at work. I’ll make it as directed the day of but can I transfer to crockpot to reheat?
yes you can reheat in the crockpot.
This is a really great recipe. I normally make sausage sage, cornbread stuffing, but I really wanted to do something more traditional, and this recipe is amazing. The only thing I would change is I should’ve listened and added both a mixture of fresh and stale breadcrumbs. I ended up toasting fresh bread to make it dry, so I should have also added fresh bread as well, so as a result, I had to add more chicken stock. Flavors were delicious. Everyone loved it. I will make this again.
Question. I have white, yellow, and purple onions. Do I need to run to the store for a Vidalia or will one of those onion types be okay in this recipe? Thanks!!
Yellow or white works just fine :)
I’m so excited and it’s just now going in the oven. Smells divine!
This looks wonderful! Can you substitute ghee for the butter, for guests who can’t have dairy? If so do you use the same amount of ghee as you would butter?
The instructions worked perfectly for a double batch. I did extend the cooking time by 15 minutes, like recommended. I can’t wait to try it tomorrow for Thanksgiving.
I am using 12. oz GF stuffing mix. Do I half this recipe?
Should I remove the small crumbs or keep them with the bigger pieces?
I loved reading all through this and how it was your Mom’s and family’s recipe and then at the end it says “adapted from bon appetit”. That gave me a good laugh. :)
I believe she said it was a modern twist on her mom’s recipe with very similar ingredients :)
I can’t wait to share this with my family tomorrow (for Thanksgiving), it’s SO SO good! Best stuffing I’ve ever had, can’t wait to take all the credit… JK! :)
Will be making this from years to come.
Thank you!