Homemade Herb Stuffing is made with toasted bread, sautéed onions and celery, chicken stock and plenty of savory herbs. The bread soaks up all of that buttery, seasoned flavor while baking up soft and tender in the center with lightly crisp edges on top.
This easy stuffing is a great side for roasted or baked chicken, turkey or pork. It has all of the familiar flavors of traditional sausage stuffing, without the meat.
Why You Will Love This Homemade Herb Stuffing
- Simple Ingredients: There is nothing complicated about this stuffing or dressing recipe. Bread, butter, vegetables, chicken stock and a handful of herbs come together to make a flavorful homemade side dish.
- Soft with Crispy Edges: Covering the stuffing for the first part of baking keeps the center moist and tender. Removing the foil toward the end allows the top and edges to turn lightly golden and crisp.
- Plenty of Savory Flavor: Poultry seasoning, sage and thyme give this homemade dressing its classic flavor, while chicken stock adds richness without adding chicken to the stuffing itself.
- Perfect with Chicken or Turkey: Although chicken stock is used to prepare the stuffing, there is no meat in the recipe. This makes it an easy side dish to pair with chicken, turkey, pork or your favorite holiday meal.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Bread: Use white bread, French bread, Italian bread or a combination. Sourdough can also be used for a slightly tangier flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Chicken stock provides the savory flavor in this recipe. Vegetable stock can be substituted if preferred, although the flavor will be slightly different.
- Onion: Yellow or sweet onion works well. Shallots can also be used for a milder flavor.
- Garlic Powder: Substitute with two minced garlic cloves.
- Dried Herbs: Fresh herbs can be substituted for dried. As a general rule, use approximately three times the amount when substituting fresh herbs for dried.
- Parsley: Flat-leaf or curly parsley will both work.
How to Prepare Homemade Herb Stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the bread into cubes and add to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Add the fresh parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery. Season with poultry seasoning, dried sage, dried thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add two cups of the chicken stock to the vegetable mixture. Warm through.
- Pour about 1/2 of the mixture over the dried bread cubes. Stir.
- Gradually, add more of the mixture until the bread cubes are moistened, but not soggy. If needed, add more chicken stock.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Once the bread mixture has cooled slightly, mix in the eggs.
- Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly without pressing the mixture firmly into the pan.
- If desired, drizzle the top with 2 tablespoons melted butter for a richer, more golden finish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the stuffing is hot throughout and the top is lightly golden with crisp edges.
- Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
How to Serve and Store
- Serve this Homemade Herb Stuffing warm alongside roasted chicken, baked chicken, turkey, pork chops or pork tenderloin.
- Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through. Add a splash of chicken stock before reheating if the stuffing seems dry.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Prepare the stuffing and transfer it to the baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to one day before baking. Allow the baking dish to sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before placing it in the oven. You may need to add a few additional minutes to the covered baking time.
The bread should be evenly and generously moistened but there should not be liquid pooling in the bottom of the bowl. When you gently squeeze a piece of bread, it should feel moist and hold together without releasing a lot of liquid.
Not using enough stock is the most common reason. Very dry or dense bread can absorb considerably more liquid. Keep extra warm chicken stock nearby and add it gradually until the bread is properly moistened.
Yes. Sautéed mushrooms are a great addition. You can also add finely diced carrots, although they should be sautéed until tender before being mixed with the bread.
The eggs help bind the stuffing and give the center a tender, cohesive texture. They can be omitted, but the finished stuffing will be looser and may require slightly less stock.
Yes. Brown about 1 pound of sage or breakfast sausage, drain away any excess grease and fold it into the bread mixture before adding the stock. You may need slightly less stock depending on the moisture from the sausage.
This Homemade Herb Stuffing is an easy way to skip the boxed mix and make a classic stuffing from scratch. Dried bread cubes soak up buttery onions and celery, chicken stock and savory herbs before baking until tender in the center with lightly crisp edges on top. Serve it alongside roasted chicken, turkey or pork for an easy, flavorful side dish.
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Homemade Herb Stuffing
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x
Description
Easy Homemade Herb Stuffing with toasted bread, celery, onions, chicken stock and savory herbs baked until tender with crisp edges.
Ingredients
- 10 cups dried bread cubes
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 celery stalks, finely diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, warmed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the bread into cubes and add to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Add the fresh parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery. Season with poultry seasoning, dried sage, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add two cups of the chicken stock to the vegetable mixture. Warm through.
- Pour about 1/2 of the mixture over the dried bread cubes. Stir.
- Gradually, add more of the mixture until the bread cubes are moistened, but not soggy. If needed, add more chicken stock.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs.
- Once the bread mixture has cooled slightly, mix in the eggs.
- Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly without pressing the mixture firmly into the pan.
- If desired, drizzle the top with 2 tablespoons melted butter for a richer, more golden finish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the stuffing is hot throughout and the top is lightly golden with crisp edges.
- Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- The exact amount of chicken stock needed will depend on the type of bread and how dry it is.
- Add the stock mixture gradually rather than pouring it all in at once.
- For a softer stuffing, keep the dish covered for a little longer.
- For a crispier top, uncover during the final 20 to 25 minutes of baking.
- Drizzling the top with melted butter before baking is optional.
- If using salted chicken stock, adjust the added salt as needed.
- Stuffing should reach 165°F (74°C) in the center before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
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WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
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