Thanksgiving Stuffing
Updated Sep 26, 2025
Thanksgiving stuffing recipe made with sourdough bread, carrots, onions, celery, and traditional spices, including sage. It's baked outside the turkey!
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Try my sourdough Thanksgiving stuffing!
Stuffing is one of those dishes that always makes it to my holiday table, and this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe with sourdough bread is my favorite way to make it. The tangy bread soaks up all the flavor from the sautéed vegetables, herbs, and broth, and it bakes up with a soft inside and a golden, crispy top.
I like to make this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe outside the turkey so it’s easier to serve and stays vegetarian-friendly, which means everyone at the table can enjoy it. It’s simple, and I’d pick this over dinner rolls any day.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Thanksgiving Stuffing Ingredients
- Bread: I use sourdough and recommend buying a good artisan loaf for this recipe. You can also use a crusty baguette or French bread.
- Vegetables: White or yellow onion, green onions, and celery. Read my tips on how to dice an onion, how to dice celery, and how to slice green onions. Instead of an onion, you can you can also use leeks. Slice them in half lengthwise and rinse them for a few seconds, spreading the layers to get rid of hidden dirt. Get more tips on how to slice leeks.
- Vegetable broth: I like to make my own vegetable stock, but you can use store-bought. Choose a low-sodium option so you can better control the amount of salt in the recipe. You can also use chicken stock for a non-vegetarian stuffing recipe.
- Fats: Butter and olive oil help cook the vegetables and keep the stuffing from sticking to your casserole dish.
- Soy sauce: I add a splash of low-sodium soy sauce for extra flavor, but it’s optional.
- Herbs and seasonings: Thyme, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. You can use rosemary or oregano instead of thyme.
How to Make Thanksgiving Stuffing
Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread about 1 pound, cubed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for pan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 4 green onions sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter an 8 x 11-inch dish. Spread bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add onion, celery, green onions, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the toasted bread cubes.
- Add parsley and sage to the bowl, then slowly stir in the vegetable stock, letting it absorb as you mix the stuffing. Once most of the liquid absorbs, stir in the soy sauce.
- Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with the green onions and serve.
Equipment
Notes
-
- Use stale, day-old bread. It needs to be completely dried out before you add it to the stuffing mix so it can soak up the flavors. If the bread is a few days old, you can skip the toasting step.
- Cut your veggies into small, uniform pieces. This way, they’ll cook evenly and finish at the same time.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350º for 10–15 minutes until warmed through. I don’t recommend freezing this stuffing, because the texture changes when it thaws.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Sneak in more veggies. Try mushrooms, carrots, or bell peppers. Just soften them with the rest of the veggies before you add them to the stuffing mixture.
- Bake with dried cranberries or walnuts. Add them to the stuffing before baking so they can soften and plump up in the oven.
Recipe Tips
- Use stale, day-old bread. It needs to be completely dried out before you add it to the stuffing mix so it can soak up the flavors. If the bread is a few days old, you can skip the toasting step.
- Cut your veggies into small, uniform pieces. This way, they’ll cook evenly and finish at the same time.
- Let the stuffing sit before serving. I find that letting it sit for about 10 minutes before serving lets all the flavors develop and come together even more.
Serving Ideas
- Mains: Dry Brined Turkey Breast, Rosemary Roasted Whole Chicken, Grilled Flank Steak
- Salads: Kale Salad with Pears and Candied Walnuts, Fall Harvest Salad, Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- Sides: Parmesan Crusted Smashed Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts
FAQs
Your stuffing is done when it’s heated throughout and the bread cubes are crispy on top. You can also insert a meat thermometer, making sure the stuffing reads 165ºF before you take it out of the oven.
You can prep the stuffing ingredients the day before. Toast your sourdough, chop your veggies, and sauté them. The day of, all you’ll have to do is mix everything together and bake.
Yes, if you want to cook the stuffing inside the turkey, follow the same instructions, but cook it inside the bird instead of a casserole dish.
Comments
In the recipe description it says to bake for 30 minutes but the recipe header says 15 min prep and 50 min cook time – can you please clarify how long to bake? Thank you!
Hi there! You bake the bread cubes for 20 minutes until golden brown for the first step of the recipe. After mixing all of the ingredients together, you then bake the prepared stuffing for 30 minutes in a baking dish. So there are 50 minutes of total cook time. Hope that provides clarity!
Tried it today and it turned out great. Way better than using a ready made box
So glad you like it, Happy Holidays!
I made the stuffing for Thanksgiving and wow, it was such a hit! The soy sauce was such a nice touch to this dish too. I also added chopped carrots for an extra veggie. My father is picky with stuffing and he went in for seconds! Thank you so much for this recipe. I look forward to making it again!!
That is incredible! Sounds perfect. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!