Stove Top Stuffing

Name: Stove Top Stuffing Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8-10 cups bread, cubed (dried)*; 2 tablespoons butter, divided (regular or vegan); 1 teaspoon garlic, minced; 1/2 cup celery, minced; 1/3 cup yellow onion, minced; 1 teaspoon celery salt; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 3 tablespoons ground sage; 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves; 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed; 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; 1 teaspoon dried marjoram; 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves; 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (or turkey broth)

This Stove Top Stuffing recipe uses simple ingredients that will yield superior flavor and the best texture. After your first bite you’ll probably ask yourself why you’ve been settling for boxed stuffing all these years when this is delicious and frees up oven space. Follow our step-by-step guide to get this homemade version on your holiday table!

Stove top stuffing in a braiser with a wooden spoon.

The Best Stove Top Stuffing

This classic Thanksgiving Recipe is great anytime of year, but especially among the other holiday classics of green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and of course, the Thanksgiving turkey. The ingredient list might seem long, but you probably have a lot of these staple seasonings in your cabinet already, making this a quick one to whip up. Let’s get to it!

What You Will Need

bread – Don’t throw out that stale bread! It’s perfect for soaking up all the yummy flavors in this recipe. Sometimes you can score pre-dried out bread cubes from the grocery store, but they’re hard to come by.
butter – Just a bit to sauté the veggies. Unsalted butter or salted will both work great.
garlic, celery, and yellow onion – Classic veggies that add just the right amount of crunch and earthy flavors.
celery salt – Crushed celery seed is the secret addition that makes this unexpected salt pop with flavor.
garlic powder – Helps to add a depth of flavor to the fresh garlic flavors.
ground sage – A simple herb with complex flavors of pepper, mint, and lemon.
dried parsley leaves, dried rosemary, and dried thyme – Classic herbs that immediately remind us of the holidays.
kosher salt & ground black pepper – Just a bit of the classics to enhance all the other flavors.
dried tarragon, marjoram, and oregano – This trio brings flavors of licorice, pine, and mint.
chicken or turkey broth – An essential ingredient that lends the perfect texture the the bread, veggie, and seasoning mixture. You could use vegetable broth, but it will change the flavor of the dish.

How To Make Stove Top Stuffing

The first step is to prep your dried out bread. If you don’t have any on hand, simply cube up what you have and place it in the oven at 250 degrees F to help it dry out as much as possible. Check it intermittently to ensure it’s dried out to your liking.

Recipe Tip:

The more bread variety, the better! Keep your taste buds on their toes with a plethora of different flavors and textures.

A tray of cubed bread and a bowl of cubed bread.

Next prep your onion and veggies. A food processor will speed things up, but you can always use your trusty cutting board and knife.

A food processor with minced onion and a food processor with minced celery.

Now for the cooking. Bring a cast iron skillet or a large pot to medium-high heat with butter. Once it has melted, add the garlic and move it around the pan for about 30 seconds before adding the celery and onion. Cook everything for about three minutes or until the veggies are softened.

A braiser with butter and minced garlic. A braiser with butter, minced garlic, and chopped onion and celery.

Ensuring that your skillet or braiser is at medium-high heat, add in your cubed bread, the dry mix of seasonings, and toss to ensure all those flavors get combined into the whole mixture.

Cubed bread and seasonings added to the braiser.

Now add your broth in increments. Start by adding half a cup and then stir. Then add another half cup and stir again. Finally, add the last 1/3 cup, cover the skillet, and remove it from the heat. Now let it stand for 5-10 minutes to let all those flavors soak in.

Chicken broth being added to the braiser.

Once it’s ready, grab a fork and give it a taste test and adjust the seasonings to your liking. If it feels too dry, feel free to add in another splash of broth and toss.

All of the stove top ingredients mixed together in the braiser.

Recipe FAQs

How to dry out bread for stuffing?

Good question. There’s two ways to do this. The first is for the proactive folks who have the forethought to cut theirs the night before and let it sit out over night on a sheet pan to get nice and stale/dried out. For those of us who have a lot on their plates and forgot to do this, scroll down to the recipe card for a great way to use the oven to dry out bread.

What type of bread should I use for stuffing?

Variety is the spice of life, my friends. We used a mixture of whole wheat bread, white, and sourdough, which added a depth of flavor and texture to every bite.

How long does it take to make homemade stuffing?

Without counting the time to dry out the bread, this recipe takes about 30 minutes.

Is stuffing gluten free?

It can be if you use gluten-free bread!

How do I store leftover stuffing?

Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Made this simple recipe for thanksgiving dinner and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!

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