These Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe instructions will guide you to a savory, golden side dish that's sure to steal a spot on your holiday table. With a blend of herby aromatics and buttery bread cubes, this version offers classic flavor without fuss.
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Homemade Stuffing vs Dressing?
Today, these names are interchangeable. However, technically, stuffing is made by placing all the ingredients in the turkey and baking it that way. Dressing is cooked on the stove top or in the oven.
Thanksgiving Dressing is a classic Thanksgiving recipe dish that is as much a part of the foundation of the meal as spatchcock turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy without drippings, and green bean casserole with cream cheese. This is my favorite way to make stuffing, and I hope you will love it too!
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful Base - Onion, celery, and herbs like sage provide a warm, herby foundation.
- Perfect Texture - The right balance of bread cubes and broth ensures a tender interior with crispy edges.
- Make-Ahead Friendly - You can prep much of it in advance, so holiday day-of stress is minimized.
- Crowd-Pleasing - It's a classic side that appeals to a wide range of tastes, from traditionalists to casual eaters.
What This Recipe Needs
- Bread Cubes (Stale or Toasted) - These cubes are the body of the dressing, absorbing savory flavors without becoming mushy. Any bread works, but I love to use a combo of sourdough, Italian, French, or my no-knead bread.
- Butter - Adds richness, helps sauté the veggies, and ensures the dressing stays moist and golden.
- Onion, Celery, Garlic - These aromatics bring savory depth, texture contrast, and freshness to every bite.
- Chicken Broth - Provides the necessary moisture and savory "juice" so the bread mixture isn't dry.
- Eggs - Help bind the dressing together so it slices neatly instead of crumbling apart.
- Herbs & Seasonings (Sage, Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano, Salt & Pepper) - These herbs evoke traditional Thanksgiving flavors and prevent the dish from tasting bland.
Substitutions
- Use vegetable broth instead of poultry broth for a vegetarian version.
- Swap cornbread or sourdough cubes in place of plain white bread for extra flavor.
- Substitute ghee or olive oil for butter if you're avoiding dairy.
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out my other tasty side dishes like Thanksgiving Corn, Smoked Cream Cheese, Pumpkin Fluff Dip, Pepper Gravy Recipe, Bacon Wrapped Dates, and this fun Turkey Cheese Ball.
How to Make Thanksgiving Dressing?
- Step 1: Dry out bread if it's not stale. Preheat oven to 275°F. Cube your bread and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the bread in the oven and bake until it is dry, about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to check the bread to make sure it doesn't start to brown.
- Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish. Add bread, sage, parsley, rosemary, and thyme to a large bowl.
- Step 3: In a fry pan, melt butter. Then add onions, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté until just starting to brown.
- Step 4: Add sautéed veggies to the large bowl of bread and herbs, along with part of the broth. Toss to combine.
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- Step 5: Whisk eggs with the remaining broth, then fold the mixture into the dressing mixture. Place dressing into the prepared baking sheet and cover with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until the top is golden.
Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe Variations
- Browned Butter - Browning the butter beforehand can add an extra depth of delicious nutty flavor.
- Sausage & Apple Dressing - Add cooked crumbled sausage and diced apples for a sweet-savory twist.
- Mushroom & Leek Dressing - Swap or add mushrooms and leeks in place of some onion and celery.
- Cranberry Pecan Dressing - Stir in dried cranberries and toasted pecans for texture and a pop of tartness.
- Cornbread & Jalapeño Dressing - Use cornbread and add chopped jalapeño for a Southern-spicy variation.
Expert Homemade Stuffing Tips
- Cut bread roughly - cubes of ~1" give a good balance of absorbency and structure.
- Don't dump all the broth at once - let the mixture rest between additions so the bread absorbs well.
- Tent with foil mid-bake if edges are browning too fast.
- Mix gently - over-stirring can crush your bread cubes and create a mushy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don't recommend cooking the stuffing/dressing in the turkey. When stuffing the turkey with the bread mixture, you have a high chance of not cooking it to the correct temperature to kill all the bacteria in the turkey, and it also restricts airflow, preventing the turkey from cooking uniformly.
Yes, make this the day before! Bake the stuffing all the way through for the first 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool, then refrigerate. The next day, place the dish in the oven at 350°F and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes to brown the top and heat through.
Don't oversoak the bread - pour in broth gradually and allow it to absorb before adding more.
Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate stuffing for up to 4 days. Freeze stuffing for several months. Use leftover stuffing in this tasty Thanksgiving sandwich!
More Related Recipes
For more tasty Thanksgiving and Christmas Recipes, check out my cranberry relish, pumpkin bread pudding, sweet potato rolls, sweet potato biscuits, Thanksgiving chicken recipe, sweet potato pudding, sweet potato soufflé, Fall Cookies, and this amazing caramel pecan pie!
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Video
Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 oz bread cubes* stale is ideal*
- 3 tbs sage chopped fresh, or 1 tbs dried
- 2 tbs parsley chopped fresh, or 2 teaspoon dried
- 1 tbs rosemary chopped fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tbs thyme chopped fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 tbs oregano chopped fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups sweet onion ~2 large onions, diced
- 2 cups celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced, or 1 teaspoon powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth if not using low sodium omit the salt, divided
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Dry out bread if it's not stale.. See notes for how to do this.*24 oz bread cubes*
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with more butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add cubed bread, sage, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.3 tbs sage, 2 tbs parsley, 1 tbs rosemary, 1 tbs thyme, 1 tbs oregano
- Melt butter in a large skillet or fry pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, celery, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 10-15 minutes or until they start to brown.1 cup unsalted butter, 2 ½ cups sweet onion, 2 cups celery, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper
- Add onions and celery to the bread, along with 1 ½ cups of broth. Gently toss them and set aside to cool.2 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Whisk remaining broth (1 cup) with eggs. Gently fold egg mixture into bread until combined.2 ½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 2 large eggs
- Place stuffing mixture in prepared dish and cover with foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F when inserted in the center of the stuffing.
- If making this the day before, uncover the stuffing, let it cool, cover again, and then refrigerate. The next day, continue with final baking as follows, adding 10 minutes to the bake time since it will be cold.
- Uncover the stuffing and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is golden.
Notes
- Make your bread stale by drying it out in the oven. To do this, preheat the oven to 275°F. Cube your bread and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the bread in the oven and bake until dry, 15-20 minutes. Make sure to check the bread to make sure it doesn't start to brown.
- Use a couple of types of bread for a good mixture of textures. I like to use sourdough and a white, French, or Italian bread.
Lisa says
I love that this uses different types of bread. So easy and tasty!