Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing.
This is the best stuffing recipe ever!

Seriously, it’s our favorite stuffing and the only one I make now. The edges are golden and crunchy, the inside is soft. It’s wildly flavorful and buttery and filled with herbs and most importantly, a delicious neutral flavor that truly goes with any meal.

Stuffing is by FAR my favorite side dish. In fact, Thanksgiving is alllll about the side dishes for me. Each one gets better than the last. And yes, technically this would be considered dressing since I’m serving it outside the bird.
However!
You can use this to stuff the bird if you wish. I’ve done it both ways, because we have a few family members who loved stuffing from inside the turkey.
I also think it’s a fairly regional thing? No one here calls stuffing “dressing” – really ever! It’s always stuffing, and that’s what I grew up with.

But that’s neither here nor there. I wanted to share my favorite best stuffing recipe with you today because we’re all about the classics this year. I want my Thanksgiving plate to taste like it did all those wonderful, comforting cozy years ago.
P.S. yes this is one of very few recipes you will find where I use celery. I still loathe it, but find it an important building block of flavor in stuffing!

My mom has always made delicious stuffing. It’s completely traditional and classic because as I’ve said every year, my family absolutely loses it if there is an unconventional dish on the table. I mean, remember the one year I tried to bring butternut squash lasagna?
Did not go over well.
But really, my mom’s stuffing is so good. This recipe is a modern twist on hers – very similar ingredients, but more fresh herbs. Also, still lots of butter. LOTS. It’s worth it! It’s Thanksgiving, and butter gives you that toasty, rich flavor with the crispy crunchy edges.

This recipe feeds about eight people, but I’ll be the first to tell you that in my house, stuffing always goes first. It’s one thing that people usually take seconds of, and it’s the one dish they also want to take home for leftovers! So because of that, I never mind making a lot.

If you’re scaling down your celebration this year, I’m happy to tell you that this recipe can be cut in half easily! And if you’re feeling more people, you can easily double this too. Honestly, I always double this for the reasons above. I liiiiive for stuffing.

If you have leftover stuffing…
I suggest using it for a breakfast hash skillet with eggs. I’ve also successfully thrown it in a waffle maker to create a stuffing waffle. Now that is incredible.
You can use it on a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, stuff in inside of bell peppers or simply freeze it to bring it our on a chilly night in winter. It’s the best dinner time treat!

Now I know that I’m all about the classic stuffing this year. But if you’re craving more variety, I have quite the selection to choose from. Last year I showed you how to make this but grilled the bread, which adds a really great twist.
I’ve also done slow cooker stuffing before too, in case you don’t want to really bother with it!
And, this double bread stuffing recipe that so many of you use every year and love!
Which stuffing is your favorite to make?!

Best Stuffing Recipe!

Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 18 to 24 ounces bread cubes, (1.5 loaves of bread, or about 12 to 14 cups) preferably toasted or stale
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3 cups diced sweet onion, roughly 2 large onions
- 2 cups diced celery
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 large eggs
- a mixture of fresh herbs for sprinkling
Instructions
- Note about the bread cubes! You have options here. Stale or toasty bread works best. The first option is that you can cut 1 ½ pounds of bread into cubes, place it in a large baking dish, loosely tent with foil and let it sit overnight. You can also cut the cubes and put them in oven, toasting them at 350 degrees F until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so. Finally, you can buy the toasted bread cubes in bags from the store. It’s your choice! You can also choose the size of your cubes. They can be small or larger for a more rustic stuffing.
- My mom has always used a mixture of stale and fresh bread. Also, I like to use different kinds of bread (usually two), like a sourdough and italian, and mix the cubes. It provides great texture.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x13 baking dish (you can also use a larger baking dish or a larger foil roasting pan too!) with melted butter, olive oil or spray with nonstick spray. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl (this may be easier for you to stir!) or the baking dish that you will bake it in. You can also separate this into two baking dishes if it's easier.
- Heat the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - at least ½ to 1 teaspoon each. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage, parsley and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of stock.
- Pour the onion celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups stock and 2 eggs.
- Pour that mixture into the bread cubes and stir and fold the bread cubes until thoroughly combined. Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.
- I have successfully made this a day ahead of time and reheated it - it’s just as good! emove the pan from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating it. You can also use this mixture to stuff the bird if you wish!
- To serve 4: Cut this recipe in half exactly and bake it in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish. I bake for the same amount of time.
- To serve 12 to 18: Double this recipe exactly. Bake in a large baking dish, like a 10x15 roasting pan, or baking in two 9x13 baking dishes. I bake for roughly the same amount of time, or about 15 minutes longer.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!

Look at that buttery golden crunch!


1,511 Comments on “Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing.”
I have used this stuffing recipe for at least the last three Thanksgivings… Absolutely love it! Look forward to making it every year, and it really is the highlight of the whole Thanksgiving dinner! And with any leftovers, I use it as a topping for making a turkey pot pie the day after… delicious!
just a little helpful fix to a recipe we’re pumped to try – step 5 refers to bread crumbs instead of bread cubes. my anxiety told me it was probably a typo… then to triple check to make sure I didn’t miss an ingredient 😄
(just checked a 4th time before I submitted this)
might change it to bread cubes. just trying to save a fellow anxietian.
Agreed, I’ve made this one for years and it always drives me crazy😂
I mean, I know what it is but still question it.
You should add eggs to ingredients list!
Love this stuffing recipe. I just hate how I cannot judge whether it is mixed, and moist enough. I’m 84 and when all my family is over I must have sufficient to feed them, so I need huge amounts of the dried bread.
Hard to stir around!
Me too granny, me too. My dogs were happy though, they got to try a few cubes 😂
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great recipe, horrible directions.
I thought so too. I had to read, re-read, question what i read then I just said screw it and tossed it all together. its in the oven now so we will see.
The directions seemed pretty simple and direct to me. With which part did you have trouble?
I made this last year and love its simplicity. The only thing I added was a little sausage.
Made this for Thanksgiving today and it was a HUGE hit! Came out great. I added carrots and mushrooms to the onion/celery mixture, as well as sausage. Perfectly moist and extremely easy recipe, will be using this again in the future! :)
This came out amazing!!
Everything that could be said has been said. Five stars!
This stuffing was INCREDIBLE. I chopped the night before so it came together so easily on thanksgiving day. My husband who has never liked stuffing wouldn’t stop taking about this stuffing. Will be making annually!!!
Everyone loved this for Thanksgiving!!! The different bread varieties and cuts were brilliant! Thank you for sharing such a big hit!!
Almost Perfect recipe. Family loved it. My main add was breakfast sausage. You can cook this before the veggies and set it aside or after the veggies, doesn’t matter. That’s my favorite stuffing. Gotta have breakfast sausage!
I didn’t fully think through the schedule and baked it this evening but our meal isn’t until the day after tomorrow. Should I freeze it? Or just will refrigerating be okay?
Can you omit the eggs?
I actually just came on to post that I made this for Thanksgiving – but omitted the eggs so it was more like my family’s traditional stuffing – and it was perfect!! So, yes, you can absoultely omit the eggs. Still pour some extra broth on to the dish before putting in oven, just leave the eggs out of it.
I didn’t have parsely so I added some thyme, just so it would still have three different herbs. Worked great!
I actually just came on to post that I made this for Thanksgiving – but omitted the eggs so it was more like my family’s traditional stuffing – and it was perfect!! So, yes, you can absoultely omit the eggs. Still pour some extra broth on to the dish before putting in oven, just leave the eggs out of it.
I didn’t have parsely so I added some thyme, just so it would still have three different herbs. Worked great!
Pingback: Stuffing #2 | joann's test kitchen
Highlight of Thanksgiving! Everyone said this was the best item on the menu.
I used fresh herbs (but no garlic) and this is the best recipe for 2 years straight! I followed the advice and used stale french bread, small hard cubes and fresh french bread. It is delish!
I made this with my homemade sourdough bread and it was the best stuffing I’ve ever had! People were saying that they usually don’t like stuffing but mine tasted so good, they couldn’t stop eating it!
I made this with homemade French bread and it was the best dressing I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. The only thing I changed was I added apples and jimmy Dean ground sausage. Definitely a keeper!
This is the same recipe I got from my grandmother 40 years ago! When we were married, my husband swore he did not like dressing at all. When he tasted mine, he loved it! It is now the number one thing he wants on the Thanksgiving table. I appreciate this recipe as it has amounts whereas the one I have just says to “add stock and eggs til moist”.
Have made this the last few years. Huge hit with the family only added a touch of smoked paprika and liquid smoke. Amazing, thank you so much.
I made your recipe for Thanksgiving this year and was told a coupe of time it was the best stuffing they have ever had!! It was so yummy and so fun to make!! The recipe was easy to follow!! Thank you so much for sharing this!! I saved it and will make it again for sure!!
Completely agree with all posts that it was easy, fun and delicious! Glad I found this and will be adding it for future use. The moisture was terrific and the flavor was not overwhelming. Thx!
Can I use the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix instead of bread? Thanks
love this recipe. Does it come out good stuffed in the bird?
Delicious !!! thanks to your ideas I quadrupled this recipe and made it for about 40 people with second helps in mind, which they couldn’t resist!!😋
Delicious !!! thanks to your ideas I quadrupled this recipe and made it for about 40 people and with second helpings in mind, which they couldn’t resist!!😋
Question.?. Can I use dried herbs and how much?
Top notch recipe. I went a little rogue and used up a leek I had, and added carrots cause yum! Followed the rest exactly. Perfect stuffing recipe.
I followed the recipe exactly, using the lower end of the bread volume at 12 cups. The edges browned way too early because there wasn’t enough liquid, and only the very center wasn’t dry. I’d use at least another half cup of stock, maybe even a whole cup. Flavors were good, though!
Absolutely delicious recipe. First time made a stuffing and it was a hit! Thank you!
I made this stuffing for our dinner. I used half in the turkey, and the other half I baked in a casserole dish. It was truly fabulous in both versions. It had to be one of the more flavorful and moist stuffings I have made. Highly recommend this recipe.
Delicious
Out of this world
I joined my boyfriends family for the first time this Thanksgiving and brought this stuffing – I’ve now been put on permanent stuffing duty in years ahead… thanks for a wonderful and impressive recipe !
The best stuffing I’ve ever had! It was so moist and delicious! Perfect amount of herbs too. Note that I made this vegan by subbing margarine for the butter, vegetable stock for chicken stock, and vegan egg replacement for the eggs. It worked perfectly and tasted amazing! No one would’ve known it was vegan!
The exact kind of comment I was hoping to find! I wasn’t sure a vegan egg replacement would work with this recipe and now I know it can. Did you use a mix or a flax egg? I cannot wait to make this stuffing for Christmas!
Stuffing is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes, and this was by far the best stuffing I’ve ever had!! I highly recommend it. It was very simple to make and amazing to eat. Thanks for the recipe!
Making for Christmas this year! After removing it from the fridge an hour before reheating, what is the best temp/time to do so? Thanks!
This was tasty but dry…should I keep it covered the whole time? Not sure if that would help
Made for Thanksgiving 2025 and this was the best stuffing I’ve made – or had – in many years. Standard ingredients as other recipes but I believe the heavy hand on herbs (sage, parsley and rosemary) makes the difference. Thank you!
Can I use dry herbs, I didn’t buy fresh
Best ever
I just made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was so delicious! We all had seconds, it was that good! Loved the mix of fresh herbs and different textures of the bread. So good!
Confused about the bread amount, I used fresh bread, is it 1.5 lbs or 1.5 loafs, or is that the same amount ? After drying in the oven, it was 9.5 oz, the recipe says 18oz to 24oz, is this dried weight ?
Doing this for 30!! Love how versatile it is and taste so good !!
This is my third time making this and it’s a real banger. I measure fresh herbs with my heart and probably put in more of everything all around. I had a lot of stuffing for the turkey cavity (22 cups of bread) so we baked the rest as you directed but not before adding sautéed mushrooms and some chorizo which blew my mind. thanks for this recipe!