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How to Make Thanksgiving Stuffing (Classic Bread Stuffing)
Classic Thanksgiving bread stuffing baked in a 9x13 dish: dried bread, buttery onion and celery, sage and broth. Serves 10 in under 2 hours.
By the Forkful editorial team · Published
Quick answer
Dry 12 cups of 1-inch bread cubes, cook 1 diced onion and 4 chopped celery stalks in ½ cup butter with sage and thyme, then toss with the bread, 2½ cups of broth and 2 beaten eggs. Bake in a buttered 9x13 dish at 350°F (175°C), covered 30 minutes, then uncovered 15–20 minutes, until golden and 165°F (74°C) in the center. It serves 10.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 55 min
- Makes
- 10 servings
Total time includes 40 min of hands-off waiting (resting, rising, chilling or cooling).
Stuffing is one of the Thanksgiving searches that climbs every November: Google Trends lists "thanksgiving stuffing" among the rising Thanksgiving queries (about +100% in the past 3 months). Most people want the same thing: a stuffing that is crisp on top, soft and savory inside, and never soggy.
The trick is dry bread. Stale cubes soak up broth without collapsing, so the middle stays tender instead of turning to paste. This version bakes in its own dish, which cooks more evenly than stuffing inside the bird and lets you check it with a thermometer. The ratio, about 1 pound of bread to 2½ cups of broth and 2 eggs, matches what other trusted home recipes use.
Ingredients
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- 12 cups day-old white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 lb / 450 g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for the dish
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp dried sage (or 2 tbsp chopped fresh)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 ½ cups chicken or turkey broth, warm (600 ml)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
- If the bread is fresh, spread the cubes on two baking sheets and dry them in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 30–40 minutes, stirring once, until they feel dry and crisp outside. Or leave them out overnight. Raise the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and celery with the salt, and cook 8–10 minutes until soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme and pepper for 1 minute.
- Put the bread cubes in a very large bowl. Scrape in the vegetables and butter, add the parsley and toss.
- Whisk the warm broth with the eggs, pour it over the bread a little at a time, and fold gently until the cubes are evenly moist but not swimming in liquid.
- Spoon into the dish without packing it down. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake 15–20 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp and a thermometer in the center reads 165°F (74°C). Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for the best result
- 1Use a sturdy sandwich loaf, French bread or challah. Very soft, thin sliced bread falls apart; drying it well is more important than which loaf you pick.
- 2Add the broth gradually. If the cubes still feel dry in places, add another ¼ cup; if liquid pools at the bottom of the bowl, stop.
- 3For a crunchier top, skip the foil for the last 20 minutes and dot the surface with a few small pieces of butter.
- 4Add-ins that work: browned sausage, chopped apple, dried cranberries or toasted pecans, about 1 cup in total.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container for up to 4 days, and reheat to 165°F (74°C). You can assemble the dish up to a day ahead, covered in the fridge, then add 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time. Baked stuffing freezes for up to 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
Should I cook stuffing inside the turkey?
It is safer and more even to bake it separately. If you do stuff the bird, pack it loosely and make sure the center of the stuffing reaches 165°F (74°C), per the USDA.
What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?
Mostly the name: stuffing is traditionally cooked inside the bird and dressing in a separate dish, but in practice many people use both words for the same baked bread side dish.
Can I make stuffing ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble it a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, then bake it straight from the fridge, adding about 10 minutes under the foil. Check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
