Simple Classic Stuffing
4.8
(199)
Active Time
20 minutes
Total Time
3 hours
With all the other side dishes on your holiday table, does your Thanksgiving stuffing recipe really need all those extras? Our best stuffing recipe leaves the sausage, pecans, cornbread, sweet potatoes, and dried fruit—we love a cranberry, but save it for the relish—on the cutting room floor. The result is a buttery, vegetarian-friendly jumble of torn country or sourdough bread and aromatics perfectly suited to sidle alongside roast turkey and mashed potatoes.
The only prep you’ll need to do is dry the torn loaf of bread in a low oven and sauté the diced onions and celery. Toss it all together with beaten eggs, store-bought chicken stock (or vegetable broth for vegetarian stuffing), and a quartet of fresh herbs, including parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, and slide it into the oven. Want to simplify this classic stuffing recipe even further? Go ahead and substitute dried herbs for the fresh ones; we won’t tell.
For truly crispy stuffing, it’s important to oven-dry the bread cubes rather than letting them simply go stale on the counter. (But that doesn’t mean you can’t use stale bread!) Stale bread isn’t actually dry, it’s just hard, and it won’t absorb stock at the same rate—so go ahead and give it a spin in the oven too if that’s the kind of bread you’re using.
Finally, traditional stuffing is baked inside the bird on Thanksgiving; baking this version in a casserole dish technically makes it dressing, but it’s your Thanksgiving dinner, so call it whatever you want. Feel free to bake this homemade stuffing recipe ahead of time, refrigerate after letting it cool down, then reheat the stuffing at 350° while the turkey rests, just until warmed through.
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
13x9 Baking Dish
$70 $65 At Amazon
12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet
$220 $100 At Amazon
Instant-Read Thermometer
$69 At Thermapen
Balloon Whisk
$11 At Amazon
Ingredients
8–10 servings
Step 1
Preheat oven to 250°. Grease a 13x9x2" baking dish with unsalted butter and set aside. Scatter 1 lb. good-quality day-old white bread, torn into 1" pieces (about 10 cups), in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl.
Step 2
Meanwhile, melt ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 2½ cups chopped yellow onions and 1½ cups (¼" slices) celery to melted butter. Stir often until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with dried bread cubes; stir in ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle in 1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth and toss gently. Let cool.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 2 large eggs and remaining 1¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dressing registers 160°, about 40 minutes.
Make Ahead: Dressing can be made 1 day ahead up to this point. Uncover dressing, let cool, then cover again and chill. The next day, proceed with the final bake as described below.
Step 4
Uncover dressing and continue to bake until set and top is golden brown and crisp, 40–45 minutes longer (if chilled, add 10–15 minutes for a total time of 1 hour 30 minutes–1 hour 40 minutes).
Editor’s note: This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe was first printed in 2012 as "Simple Is Best Dressing.” Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving side dish recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (199)
Back to TopSo what's the parsley for? Decoration? Have not made yet.
Jan Campbell
Tucson az
7/11/2023
I grew up w/ cornbread stuffing inside the bird. I still make it the same as my mother did 37 years later. As an adult married to a Soldier I spent 30 years eating savory bread dressing served in military dining facilities (DFAC) across the US and Germany. Like my mother’s, the DFAC’s dressing was also consistent in ingredients and taste through the decades. It’s been 9 years since I’ve had what I call DFAC dressing. And for those 9 years I’ve missed it as I’d always bring an extra helping home to have on my plate. That is until I discovered this wonderful yet “simple is best stuffing” recipe. No apples, sausage, chestnuts, or mushrooms as add ins. Just a few fresh herbs, day-old bread…I used French…and some other staples and voila, my holiday table/plate is complete and my tastebuds are happy. Thank you for closing the loop on a missing holiday tradition. Simple is Best Stuffing is delicious!
Lucille Pittard
Carmel, IN
11/25/2022
This is a recipe that I make that has people who don’t like dressing asking for the recipe. The fresh herbs are a huge part. I add sausage, carrots and potato bread pieces. This time I used bone broth I made that had cinnamon sticks in it. I think it was my favorite batch!
Anonymous
Idaho
11/25/2022
The most delicious and simple stuffing recipe; have made this for several years now. One tip: don't add all the butter at the beginning, because the vegetables won't brown, they will essentially just boil in the butter. Start with a good pat and then add the rest when the veggies are close to the desired "doneness." Don't underestimate how long the herbs take to chop, but don't you dare use dried herbs!
Anonymous
MA
11/15/2022
This was delicious! I was worried it would be soggy with all of the broth, but it cooked up beautifully. Mu daughter is vegetarian and it's nice to have a stuffing she enjoyed.
Linda M
Sooke, BC
4/18/2022
I searched and. searched for a dressing as hood as grandmas, but could not find one until I used this tecipe! It was really over the top. If I make dressing this is it!!! Just wonderful and the make ahead feature is perfect!!!
Photobabe
Zephyrhills, FL
4/14/2022
I love all the fresh herbs. I used only about half the butter for a lighter version, and it was still delicious.
Kathleen Sutherland
Iowa City, IA
1/13/2022
This stuffing is phenomenal... but do NOT use regular sandwich bread is it will end up soggy. If you use a sturdy/crusty bread like sourdough it's the best stuffing ever!!
Oakville Jen
Oakville, ON
1/1/2022
I made this stuffing on Christmas Eve up to the first bake, then put it in the fridge for easier prep on Christmas Day. It looked really great after the first bake and puffed up like a scuffle, but unfortunately did not look quite as appetizing after the second bake. I recommend putting it in a 9-13 baking dish and also DO NOT use potato bread cubes (too dense).
Lisa Longoria
Gainesville, FL
12/29/2021
I made a version of this for Christmas dinner this year. It was exactly what I was hoping for. I forgot to use the eggs, so it was just broth, but it was awesome. I also couldn't find fresh herbs except for the rosemary, so used dried ones...it was STILL awesome. Got lots of compliments. Thank YOU!
laurelfleming
Ontario Canada
12/26/2021
Great recipe - easy to find ingredients - easy to follow directions. Delicious, balanced dressing that matches any chicken or Turkey focused meal.
Primrose
San Miguel de Allende, MX
12/25/2021
I love this recipe! I changed the ingredients to include the flavours my mom always uses in her stuffing; apples, sage, mushrooms, celery and onion, and use turkey stock instead of chicken but follow the method exactly. Top is crispy and golden, bottom is soft but not soggy, truly delicious.
Chuck Pavlov
Ontario, Canada
12/25/2021
Simply the Best! The first year of my marriage 22 years ago I had stuffing at Thanksgiving for the first time. I was hooked. My grandmother always made cornbread dressing. When my husband and I started having our own Thanksgiving with our family he insisted upon stuffing. I searched for years for a recipe that was simple and just like the one his Aunt made. I finally found it about 3 years ago and this is it. I've made it every year since. I even use dried sage and poultry seasoning and it turned out great! This is a keeper.
Erika Melrose
Dallas, Tx
12/19/2021
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit--making it again for Christmas. The only thing I changed was that I added leeks in addition to the celery and onions and I am not sad about that! Everyone loved it.
Kelly
Tacoma, WA
12/18/2021
I make this every year exactly as written with whatever plain bread crumbs I can find at the store or fancy bakery artisan bread that I dry out, and it always turns out amazing, regardless of the bread (except when I forgot I wasn't using low-sodium stock, used the written salt amount, and it turned out a touch too salty). This year, my husband wanted me to use Ezekiel bread (sprouted whole-grain bread) and to my surprise, it still turned out wonderfully despite my hefty skepticism. Highly recommend.
Flying Pancake
Nashville, TN
12/12/2021
See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Find out what your fellow readers are making for dinner tonight.61 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes for a Less-Stressful Feast
These easy-to-prepare recipes will ensure a delicious holiday.Our Best October Recipes for 2023
That chill in the air means it’s time for butternut squash soup, roast chicken, and homemade pies.19 Ways To Give Stale Bread a New Lease on Life
Whether it's just the heel, a few slices, or a whole loaf, here's how you can put leftover bread to good use.What We're Actually Cooking for Thanksgiving
The Epicurious team thinks about Thanksgiving for months before the big day. Here’s what we’re actually putting on our menus.The Best Bread for Stuffing Is Dried in the Oven, Not on the Counter
Learn how to properly dry your bread out for stuffing so you can get properly stuffed on Thanksgiving.Our 39 Best Stuffing Recipes
Call it stuffing or call it dressing; what's important is that everyone knows it’s the best part of Thanksgiving dinner.Our 71 Most Popular Recipes of All Time
Can you guess the most popular recipe on Epicurious?The Most Popular Recipes of 2021
Peek behind the curtain at the dishes that Epicurious readers cooked this year.
