Quick Look: Homemade Stove Top Stuffing from Scratch
- Ready In: 30 minutes!
- Serves: 12
- Main Ingredients: dried bread cubes, butter, onion, celery, chicken broth, and all the dried herbs!
- Dietary Info: dairy-free and gluten-free friendly
- Inspiration: all the flavor of a traditional stuffing casserole made on the stove top with a shorter cook time.
- Best For: Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday gathering.
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Why Your Holidays Need Stove Top Stuffing
- Variety of bread used for a greater depth of flavor!
- Made on the stove top to save on valuable oven space when making a holiday meal.
- Adjust the amount of broth used to create your preferred stuffing texture.
- Leftovers can easily be stored to enjoy the next day!
- Great for entertaining with an herb butter turkey at any holiday table or special occasion.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Bread – keep that stale bread, purchase pre-dried bread cubes from the grocery store, set out cubed bread to dry overnight or quickly dry it out in the oven (these notes included in the recipe card).
- Butter – use a plant-based butter to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Celery + Onion – traditional stuffing veggies that add just the right amount of crunch.
- Chicken Broth – feel free to adjust the amount added to achieve your desired stuffing texture (less broth equals a more firm, crisp texture and more broth results in a much softer texture).
How To Make Stove Top Stuffing
Step 1 – Dry out the cubed bread in the oven, if it isn’t already dry.
Step 2 – Mince the onion and celery, a food processor works well for this.
Step 3 – Sauté the celery, onion, and garlic in melted butter.
Step 4 – Add the dried bread cubes and dried seasonings to the pan; mix to combine.
Step 5 – Gradually add broth about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing as you go.
Step 6 – Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
- Texture: The finished stuffing should be softened throughout, but some of the bread cubes will still have a slightly firmer texture. This gives the stuffing a nice variety of textures instead of becoming completely soft.
- Prep Ahead: cut the bread into cubes the night before, place them on a sheet pan, and set it out at room temperature to dry out overnight. I do this every time I make any stuffing recipe!
Homemade Stove Top Stuffing FAQs
How to dry out bread for homemade stove top stuffing?
There are two ways to do this. The first way is to let the cubed bread sit out overnight on a sheet pan to get stale/dried out. The second way is to place the sheet pan of cubed bread in the oven at 250°F until it is firm and dry.
What type of bread should I use for stuffing?
Highly recommend using a variety of whole wheat bread, white, and sourdough, which adds a wonderful depth of flavor and texture to every bite. Gluten-free bread can also be used.
How do I store leftover stuffing?
Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave.
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This Homemade Stove Top Stuffing is made from scratch with a combination of dried breads, sautéed onion, celery, garlic, butter, and savory herbs. Everything comes together in one pan, with broth added gradually to reach your desired texture. The result is flavorful stuffing with softened bread cubes. It's a great Thanksgiving side dish that saves valuable oven space!
Equipment
- Braiser or a cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups bread, cubed (dried)*
- 2 tablespoons butter, sub plant-based butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ cup celery, minced
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, minced
- 3 tablespoons ground sage
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1⅓ cups chicken broth, sub turkey broth
Instructions
- Bread: Ensure the cubed bread is dried out – if you don't have dry bread, then place on a baking sheet. Place in oven, middle rack, at your oven's lowest temp (probably around 250℉) and let dry out as much as possible (checking periodically).
- Sauté: Bring a large braiser or cast iron skillet (I used a 3.5 qt braiser) to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let melt. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and move around pan until fragrant – approx. 30 seconds. Add celery and onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until onions have softened a bit.
- Bread + Broth: Keeping the braiser at medium-high heat, add in the bread, 3 tablespoons ground sage, 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves, 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Toss to combine. Mix in ½ cup chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add another ½ cup chicken broth and stir to combine. Finally, add another ⅓ cup chicken broth, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
- Taste + Adjust: Remove cover and fluff with fork. Taste and add any additional seasoning, as desired. Also, if you feel like it needs additional splashes of broth, feel free to add and toss.
- Serve: Enjoy right away!
Notes
- Dried Out Bread: using dried out bread is key to making good stuffing. I generally cut mine up the night before and place it on a baking sheet and leave out on the counter to dry. Some stores do sell pre-dried out bread cubes for just this purpose – if you are lucky enough to find them. But you can dry out bread cubes pretty quick in the oven on the lowest temp – or at least dry them out enough for this recipe!
- Bread Type: I think stuffing turns out the best when you use a variety of different types of breads – of course this recipe still works if you use one type of bread, but if you have a couple different kinds (whole wheat, white, sourdough, etc), it adds to the depth of flavor.
- Celery + Onion: for stuffing recipes, I love pulsing celery and onion in the food processor so they are nice and fine – super quick.
- Cook/Prep Time: the time required to dry out bread cubes is not included in the total cook time.
- Gluten-Free: feel free to use gluten-free bread.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Gravy: looking for a good gravy recipe to go on top of your stuffing – try our Homemade Turkey Gravy, Make Ahead Turkey Gravy, Chicken Gravy from Drippings or Easy Pork Gravy!
Calories 458kcal
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1250mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 6mg
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