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This is the classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe at my house. It’s buttery, herby and soft and moist through the middle. But it’s the crisp browned edges that take this recipe over the top.
Table of Contents
Why This Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe Delivers
Good stuffing can vary widely, but for me it’s about contrast. We get contrast of flavors with savory/herby and balance that with a hit of sweetness from (trigger warning) raisins. Trust me on the raisins. We also get amazing contrast of textures with the soft, moist (not wet) center and lots of crispy bread pieces around edges since we’re baking in a 9×13 metal pan rather than inside the bird.
I understand that golden raisins in stuffing are a controversial topic, but I stand by them. They’re my choice over apples which are hard to nail texturally or cranberries which I find too tart. Hydrating the raisins first first makes them plump instead of chewy, and the little bursts of sweetness work really well against all the butter, sage, black pepper and chicken flavor.
Brian’s Pro Tips
Dry the Bread, But Don’t Turn It Into Croutons
I dry the bread until it’s about 80-85% dry. You want enough moisture removed that the bread can absorb the stock without immediately turning to mush, but it shouldn’t be rock-hard.
Cook the Vegetables Until They’re Actually Tender
Onion and celery aren’t going to soften much once they’re suspended inside wet bread. Cook them fully on the stovetop before assembling the stuffing.
Use a Metal Pan
Don’t use glass or ceramic if you can avoid it. Metal conducts heat more aggressively and gives you the crispy, caramelized edges that are arguably the best part of stuffing.
Covered First, Crispy Later
The first 45 minutes at 375°F cook and set the inside without drying out the top. Then the foil comes off and the oven goes to 450°F so the exposed bread and edges turn golden and crunchy.
Key Ingredient Notes
Full ingredient list and amounts are in the recipe card below.
Hearty White Bread
You want bread that can absorb a substantial amount of stock without dissolving. Look for something less squishy and sweet than the standard white wonder bread. This is also not a good place for artisanal sourdough or anything with a thick or chewy crust.
Substitute with a hearty gluten free bread of your choice for a gluten free stuffing. Gluten free bread tends to turn to mush when the liquid is added in my experience so you may need to adjust down the amount of stock you use.
Golden Raisins
Yes, raisins. They add little pockets of sweetness that break up an otherwise very savory, buttery dish. Hydrating them before they go into the stuffing keeps them soft and juicy.
Substitute with nothing. Just leave them out. I can’t recommend dried cranberries because they’re too tart.
Fresh Sage
Sage is the flavor that I attribute most to Thanksgiving and it’s a real star of this stuffing. It gets cooked in butter with the onion and celery so the flavor is distributed throughout the dish.
Poultry Seasoning
This reinforces the sage and adds the other woody herb flavors you expect in traditional stuffing without requiring a pile of separate fresh herbs.
Substitute with equal parts dried thyme, dried marjoram, and dried rosemary.
Chicken Stock + Better Than Bouillon
We’re using boxed chicken stock for our liquid which has very little flavor so I add BTB to make it actually taste like something.
Substitute the boxed chicken stock homemade chicken or turkey stock if you have it. Just watch the salt levels since homemade stock may be saltier.
Substitute the Better than Bouillon with another bouillon product that you like.
How To Make Thanksgiving Stuffing
Detailed, step by step instructions to make this recipe are below. For a condensed version, including volumetric measurements, reference the recipe card.
Dry the Bread
- Preheat the oven to 275°F / 135°C.
- Cut 750 g hearty white bread into roughly 1½-inch (4-5 cm) cubes and divide them evenly between two half sheet trays.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until the bread is roughly 80-85% dry.
You’re not going for croutons. The bread should feel noticeably dry and firm while still having a little give left in the center.
Hydrate the Raisins
- Add the golden raisins to a small saucepan and cover them with 500 g / 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the raisins stand in the hot water for another 15-20 minutes to fully hydrate.
- Drain off the water and set aside.
Cook the Onion, Celery and Sage
- Preheat a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add 115 g butter. Once melted, add the diced onion, celery and salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the minced fresh sage and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables are fully tender and everything smells VERY Thanksgiving-y.
Make the Stock Mixture
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, eggs and Better Than Bouillon until well combined.
Assemble the STuffing
- Transfer the dried bread to a very large mixing bowl. You’ll want a 12 quart minimum.
- Add the cooked onion-celery mixture, hydrated (drained) raisins, parsley, poultry seasoning and black pepper.
- Pour the stock and egg mixture over everything and gently fold together until the bread is evenly moistened. You want the bread cubes to stay intact as much as possible so be gentle.
NOTES:
The dryness of your particular bread will vary. If your mixture still seems dry after everything has been absorbed, add another splash of chicken stock. You’ll want it to be very moist. Soggy, even, but there shouldn’t be sitting liquid.
If your bread is very dry and not absorbing the liquid, allow it to sit for several minutes to absorb before baking.
- Liberally butter a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) metal baking pan.
- Transfer the stuffing mix to the pan and spread it into an even layer, pressing it down lightly without compacting it too much.
- Next, use your fingertips to dock the top (basically make a bunch of small indents across the top).
- Finish with six thin pads of butter distributed evenly over the surface.
Bake Covered, Then Uncover
- Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375°F / 190°C for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 450°F / 230°C. The middle of the stuffing should be set, but still light in color. Return the stuffing to the oven for another 18-20 minutes or longer until the top is deeply golden and the edges look crisp.
- Serve hot with roast turkey, plenty of gravy, and your other holiday favorites.
Make-Ahead
Don’t make the entire pan ahead, but DO get as much prep done the day or 2 before as possible.
I usually cut and dry the bread and leave it covered on my counter the night before. You can dice and cook the onions, celery and sage in advance and even hydrate and drain the raisins in advance.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftover stuffing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
For reheating, cover it initially so the center warms without drying out, then uncover it for the last several minutes so the top and edges can crisp back up.
Serve This With…
- THE BEST ROAST TURKEY – Juicy throughout. Your guess WILL want seconds!
- TURKEY GRAVY – A flavorful make ahead version to save you time on the big day.
- POTATO PUREE – A more refined, luxurious version of classic mashed potatoes.
- SHEET PAN APPLE PIE – My favorite holiday dessert, perfect for a crowd.
Thanksgiving Stuffing
Ingredients
- 750 g hearty white bread
- 115 g unsalted butter, plus additional for topping
- 350 g onion, small diced
- 250 g celery, small diced
- 5 g coarse salt
- 5 g fresh sage, minced
- 150 g golden raisins
- 500 g water
- 15 g flat leaf parsley, minced
- 3 g poultry seasoning
- 3 g black pepper
- 5 large eggs
- 950 g chicken stock
- 50 g Better Than Bouillon, chicken or turkey flavor
- Additional chicken stock, as needed
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1½ inch (4-5 cm cubes). Spread over two half sheet trays and dry in a 275°F / 135°C oven for 25 minutes, until about 80-85% dry.
- Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery and salt and cook 3-4 minutes. Add sage and cook another 4-5 minutes or until veggies are fully tender.
- Cover raisins with water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand in the hot water for another 15-20 minutes. Drain.
- Whisk together chicken stock, eggs and Better Than Bouillon.
- In a very large bowl, combine dried bread, cooked veggie mixture, drained raisins, parsley, poultry seasoning and pepper. Pour in stock mixture and gently fold until evenly moistened.
- Liberally butter a 9×13-inch / 23×33 cm metal baking pan. Transfer stuffing to pan, press lightly into an even layer and dock the surface several times to create indentations with your fingertips. Top with six thin, evenly spaced pads of butter.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375°F / 190°C for 45 minutes or until set. Remove foil, increase oven to 450°F / 230°C and bake another 18-20 minutes or until deeply golden with crisp edges.
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Frequently Asked Questions
I like the lighter flavor and the light color doesn’t leach off onto the bread when baking…so basically, they look nicer IMO. Use regular if that’s what you have.
Not for this recipe. Cornbread is much heavier, more crumbly, and just doesn’t work for this recipe.
