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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I appreciate you so much!
Look at that buttery golden crunch!
876 Comments on “Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing.”
This is super last minute and probably won’t get a response in time for tomorrow however I was wondering what’s the best way to reheat? It says take out 60 min prior to serving? I’m making it today for tomorrows dinner. I assume 15-20 min in 375 oven?
I prepare mine the night before always and I bake it the following so it’s ready in time. Hope this helps.
Sorry… I meant to write I prepare in advance and bake it on the day I’m serving it.
She posted on a previous page!
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.
yes whatever temp your oven needs to be (to heat other dishes) is fine – if it’s 300, heat a little longer. if it’s 375, then 20-30 mins should be good!
Do you put the mixture in the turkey before or after the mixture is cooked?
you’d put it in before but make sure it is 165 degrees F before eating it once cooked.
Can I use bags of Pepperidge Farms stuffing instead of bread? Or cornbread stuffing mix?
you can use the bags of stuffing mix, yes
Second year I’ve made this for my family! It’s delicious, I’ve cooked day before and day of—- one tray I make with sausage . They all taste great and thank you for reposting the reheating instructions!
I made this today exactly like the recipe except with two cups of yellow onion and substituted the sage with thyme. It was so delicious! Thank you so much!
I only have salted sticks of butter should I just omit the salt in the recipe? Or will this change the flavor?
I only have salted butter should I just omit the salt?
no, you will still need a bit of salt! you can start with half the salt and go from there!
The recipe says:
“18 to 24 ounces bread cubes, (1.5 loaves of bread, or about 12 to 14 cups) preferably toasted or stale”
You said:
“I have cubed and toasted my bread, and measured out 14 cups of the dried cubes.”
Follow the recipe. ;)
She did follow the recipe…
12-14 cups of toasted bread cubes and then she added 14 cups of toasted bread cubes. Where is the problem??
There is no problem on my end. I was replying to someone else who apparently deleted their question.
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Happy Thanksgiving Everyone . I made this (for year without my dad ) (he always did the stuffing) it was a hit thank you .
When I made this recipe, the eggs scrambled in the oven. Any advice on why this might have happened or how to prevent it?
i have never made homemade stuffing and I have to tell you the reviews are spot on! this was delicious and well worth the time to make. I followed the recipe exactly which is rare for me. So pleased with my entire dinner, especially this dish!!
Best stuffing ever. I used sourdough and Italian, toasted and fresh bread. It was perfect. It was beyond what I expected… And reminded me of stuffing from when I was little.
I used this recipe for a last minute alternative to a low-salt oyster filling (which is my dad’s favorite). I omitted the eggs (we’ve had bad experiences with egg in stuffing due to food poisoning) and subbed in some milk instead. Also baked it in a bundt pan for extra crispy bits. It was DELICIOUS. This seems like a very versatile recipe and it will be my go-to base your stuffing moving forward!
Seriously, best stuffing ever. Everyone loved it. Small addition- broil top the last 5 minutes
I made this for thanksgiving this year and my dad, who is known for his stuffing, commented on how good it was. I’m very excited for making stuffing waffles with it in the morning!
Made this today and I’m sorry to say it was a failure. I followed the recipe. It was not crisp and had little flavor. I’m guessing it was the addition of the eggs. We ended up throwing most of it away.
I added my own herbs. Just winged it with the recipe It’s just little of this and that. I have to brown it more. Not sure how wet it is or they think it’s to be. I am just making this at my sons while visiting. Can’t remember how I did it but guessing similar and the herbs we like.
Okay, this really is the best. I research endlessly my recipes and settled on this for yesterday’s Thanksgiving. It’s superb. My bread components were recipes from King Arthur Flour, a cornbread and a sandwich bread. We’re eating this again for breakfast right now.
This was the hit of thanksgiving! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Making stuffing muffins right now for breakfast. Everyone loved this last night.
First time making this and it was delicious! Huge hit for Thanksgiving … it does take a bit of time to chop the herbs but so worth the effort. I used Arnold Country White 1.5 lbs size so only needed one loaf. Dried the bread in the oven and I definitely recommend using that method. The bread was not soggy and perfectly soaked up the stock mixture. Served 8 with 2-3 servings as leftovers.
Oh. My. Goodness. I adore sourdough and the yumminess of each ingredient (especially the fresh herbs) brings together the best sourdough stuffing I have ever had. I cut the bread in large cubes as wasn’t sure if it made a difference and personally I love the large cubes. They absorbed all of the deliciousness. So moist. It reheated really nicely. I poured a small amount of chicken broth over the top before I tented it with foil when reheating. Everyone really enjoyed it. I highly recommend!
Wonderful stuffing! I’m saving this to my permanent holiday recipe folder! Made it pretty much exactly as stated. Tore the bread (rosemary sourdough and a soft ciabatta) in rough chunks and saved in a paper bag for 3 days to get stale. Prepared it about 3 hours ahead while the Turkey roasted and threw it in the oven right before we ate. Not much leftovers unfortunately!
I was asked to make stuffing for the first time in my adult life for 25 people. I found your recipe, doubled it, followed it exactly (except I only had dried spices) and everyone loved it. So thank you for making this newbie look like a star.
Big hit on Thanksgiving. Made it the day before then reheating for about 45 minutes @ 300F and came out fantastic. Cubed and toasted a variety of leftover breads (including some hot dog buns). Will absolutely make again, thanks for the recipe!
I made this for thanksgiving last night. It’s delicious! Everybody loved it and wanted the recipe. I did not change any of the ingredients. It was very easy to make.
This stuffing came out so good! I think it was the best stuffing I’ve ever made. I did add some thyme in addition to the other herbs, but that’s the only change I made. I was hesitant to use eggs, but I did, and I’m glad I did. The texture and flavor was delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
This is simply the best stuffing recipe ever. I get rave reviews every Thanksgiving ever since I started using this one. This year I forgot to get fresh parsley, so used fresh thyme and a little dried parsley instead, and I think it was even better than the original.
Also this year, I had to make 2 other varieties.
1. A big batch of the original recipe.
2. A dairy free version using country crock plant butter with olive oil instead of dairy butter. (Halved the recipe for our allergic folks)
3. A keto version using store bought loaf of keto that, imo, tasted disgusting on its own, but the stuffing recipe hides it and was delicious! (Halved the recipe for the keto folks)
Has anyone ever made this without the egg? I’m guessing it would be looser after baking, but wondering if it would still work…we also have family with an egg allergy, and would love to provide them the same delicious stuffing! TIA!
Wendy, I’m just recipe surfing but I had to chime in to say that
I think you are a saint accommodating so many food preferences, really absolutely sweet and thoughtful. I would personally feel badly if someone had gone to so much trouble on my behalf!
Dairy free + keto + regular + eggless?!? I hope your hard work is appreciated – Sheesh, I appreciate you!😉
Cheers
Can you make this the day before you plan to bake it off?
yes
Ok. Worst cook ever here! Thanksgiving will be at our house on Sunday. When the recipes says “other herbs”, what does that mean? Thanks in advance.
This recipie and another recipie I found for smoked turkey were the stars of the show at my Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how good the stuffing and turkey was. I followed the recipie to the letter using dense bakery bread left out overnight. it was my first time hosting Thanksgiving and it went so well that I can already tell it’s going to be a yearly tradition. I’ll be making smoked turkey and this stuffing every year. Thank you for sharing this recipie.
First time in cooking a turkey breast instead of a turkey. Wanted a new recipe to bake I oven. Hands down its a keeper. I added sausage to mine thats a tradition. Can’t wait to share with other family members
**Best Stuffing I’ve EVER Eaten**. I made ONE mistake…I cut the recipe in half b/c I didn’t want a ton of leftovers. Big mistake – everybody had seconds! I’m going to make this again next week b/c it was that good. I didn’t have enough room in the over for everything so I put this in about an hour after the turkey went in. Cooked for 45 minutes. Then after the turkey came out and was resting, I put this back in the oven to warm up for about 30 minutes. The last 5 minutes I put it under the broiler.
I made it for my extended family this year and it was a hit. Everyone asked for a recipe. Delicious.
I made this for Thanksgiving. The first time I cooked it outside of the bird. It was a hit. Everyone commented on the moist inside and crunchy outside and the buttery flavor! It is now in my recipe file. Thank you so much for your work involved in bringing the deliciousness to us!
Best dish at the Thanksgiving dinner table!!!
Followed the recipe exactly and it was fantastic! Cubed up a loaf each of Italian and Sourdough bread and toasted before assembling. I did have to toast quite a bit longer than the time suggested (just check to make sure they are dried out enough). I will definitely add this dish to my Thanksgiving repertoire. Delicious!
Hi! Can I use dry herbs? If so, how much should I use?
I hate that no one had answered you yet so allow me to butt in lol When substituting fresh herbs for dried, it’s a 1 to 3 ratio so since this recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of each herb, 1 tablespoon of dried should be correct.
What would the measurements be for dried herbs instead of fresh?
i made this recipe for a friendsgiving i hosted. It was a huge hit best stuffing i have had. This is a new staple in our house from now on.
Can this be frozen for use at a later date?
Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe for Christmas!
If I prepare it and bake it the day before, how long and and what temperature would it take to reheat it the day of serving?
Sorry if this question has already been asked. Thank you!
Hi Can you make this recipe without eggs?
While the ingredients do make a good stuffing base, I don’t understand why Americans don’t STUFF the bird with the stuffing?!? It’s called STUFFING for a reason and cooling it inside the bird adds oodles of flavour
Can I substitute fresh herbs with dry herbs
Second year in a row I used this recipe for Thanksgiving. Now sharing it with my family for Christmas
Any opinion about what this would be like if I used beef broth instead of chicken or vegetable? I want to serve it with prime rib, but I think it might turn out really weird if I did that.
This was a huge hit! People who only like Stove Top loved it. People who only like stuffing from the inside of a turkey loved it! AND I made it with gluten free bread which honestly has a weird texture and doesn’t taste the same as regular bread, but it was still SO SO good! I haven’t been able to have stuffing since becoming gluten free, so I was thrilled to find a recipe with so many glowing reviews. Make this. Everyone will love it!
I just have one question. About measuring fresh herbs, do you measure it before or after you chop it up? Because 3 Tblsp of fresh herbs ended up 1 tblsp once I chopped them up. Either way, delicious delicious delicious!
Making this a few days ahead and hoping it freezes ok! Any advice regarding freezing this stuffing?
Hi Suzanne! I usually wrap things with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of heavy duty foil. I also plan on freezing any leftovers, crossing my fingers that this will keep it ok in the freezer.
Is it okay to use dry herbs if the grocery is out of fresh?