Stove Top Stuffing

This Stove Top Stuffing is made with oven toasted bread cubes, butter, fresh veggies, warm chicken broth and dried seasonings! This recipe won’t take up precious oven space because it’s made on the stove top with just one pot. This side dish is at my family’s Thanksgiving table every single year. Simple to make and it tastes better than any store-bought mix. 

Stove Top Stuffing Recipe

Homemade stuffing is one of the first things I go to when it comes time for Thanksgiving dinner. But it has to be perfect like this easy to make Stove Top Stuffing. 

Stuffing needs to hold its shape but still be moist and not dry, and it should never be mushy and able to serve in a perfect cut out square like a casserole. At least in my humble opinion…

This stuffing is made on the stove top with oven toasted bread cubes, onion, celery, dried seasonings, butter, and warm chicken broth. The best part is that it frees up oven space because it  cooks on the stove top!

Ingredients Needed

• Crusty Bread – This is not just a loaf of white bread. Go to the bakery section of the grocery store and find a nice oval or round shaped loaf of crusty bread, meaning that the outside is hard when you touch it. French bread is not really considered ‘crusty bread’ because it has a softer outer layer but it would work in this recipe, because you’re toasting it, if that’s all you can find. 
• Finely Chopped Celery
• Finely Chopped White Onion
• Butter – I use salted and that’s what I recommend using. If using unsalted butter then you may want to add some additional salt (if needed). 
• Poultry Seasoning, Thyme, Sage – These are all the dried seasonings that you’ll need. No fresh herbs here, which makes this recipe inexpensive and easier to make. 
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste. Any of the will work great. 
• Chicken Broth – I recommend using full salted, regular chicken broth for this stuffing. But of course, if there are dietary restrictions or you just want to cut the sodium, reduced-sodium chicken broth can be substituted. 

How to Make Homemade Stuffing on the Stove Top

Learn how to make homemade stuffing for Thanksgiving on the stove top with toasted bread cubes and one pot! Be sure and read to the bottom of the page where there is a detailed recipe card, a printable option, and a pin it button so you can save this recipe later. 

• Prep : Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Finely chop the onion and celery, and measure out the dried seasonings so they’re ready to go. 
• Toast The Bread : Cut the bread into small cubes, about 1/2-inch to 1-inch in size, and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake them for 12 minutes in the oven, stirring up the bread cubes halfway through the cook time. 
• Heat Chicken Broth : Pour the can of chicken broth into a microwave-safe container or glass measuring cup, and heat for 4 minutes or until it’s very hot.
• Stove Top : To a stock pot or large pot, add the butter, finely diced celery and carrots, garlic, and dried seasoning. Sauté this for a few minutes, about 4-5 minutes, or until they are softened and very fragrant. Add in the oven toasted bread cubes and stir. Slowly, like really slowly, pour the broth in while stirring and combining everything together. Use as much, or as little broth, until it’s at the right consistency for you. 
• Set Time : Take the pot off the heat, cover with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes. 

Stove Top Stuffing FAQ’s

• Can I Make Stuffing Ahead of Time?

  • If you’re wanting to do some of the prep work before the big day, you can toast the bread cubes the day before. 
  • Toast the bread cubes, as called for in the recipe, and then let them sit out at room temperature overnight. No need to cover the bread because we don’t want to lose the crispy and browned exterior. 
  • I don’t recommend making the full recipe before serving. Stuffing is best when it’s fresh and warm, rather than cold and reheated for serving. The bread is crispier, tastes fresher, and I just think the overall flavor and texture of the stuffing is best when it’s served immediately. 

• Serving Suggestions

  • This stove top stuffing is always at our table for Thanksgiving. It’s a great side dish to this Crockpot Cranberry Turkey or Crockpot Brown Sugar Ham. 
  • It can also easily be served as a side to family dinner alongside some Slow Cooker Sweet Carrots. 
  • A sparkling drink is always a good idea when serving a holiday dinner. I always make my Cranberry Cider Sparkling Punch. 

• Substitution Ideas

  • There aren’t many things that you can do to change up this recipe. Here are a couple approved substitutions. 
    • Onion : Use any onion you prefer. I recommend using either a white onion or yellow onion. But a Vidalia sweet onion can also be used if that’s what you prefer. 
    • Fresh Herbs : If you’re wanting to use fresh herbs instead of dry seasonings, use double the amount of chopped fresh herbs or more. You need more fresh herbs to get the same flavor punch as dried, so at least use double but maybe more. 
    • Broth : Chicken stock, vegetable broth or stock can be used in place of the chicken broth if wanted. I prefer using the full salted chicken broth but reduced-sodium chicken broth can be used with great results too. 

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Store leftovers inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days. 
  • Leftovers are good reheated in the microwave. The stuffing will take on a more softer texture the longer it sits in the fridge. 

• What Kind of Bread is Best For Homemade Stuffing?

  • Make sure that you are using crusty bread when making stuffing on the stove top.
  • A loaf of sliced white bread or a loaf of French bread just won’t cut it for this recipe. 
  • Go to the bakery section at the grocery store and pick a oval or circular shaped bread that has a hard, crusty exterior on it. I buy a 2-pack of the Country French Loaf at Costco for this recipe. You only need one loaf for the stuffing, but with the extra I always make these Hot Chicken Salad French Bread Sandwiches. You could even replace the chicken with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!
  • La Brea brand always has good options or the Italian loaf is also a great option too. 
  • I like to use plain white crusty bread but you could also use multi-grain crusty bread or sourdough. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Warm Chicken Broth : This is so important! Warm the chicken broth inside the microwave for several minutes before adding it into the stuffing mixture. The broth can warm while you sauté the veggies and butter mix. 
• Slowly Add Broth : Do not dump in all the broth at once. The stuffing will end up really mushy and not mixed well at all. Instead, slowly pour the broth a little at a time, while stirring and mixing constantly with a wooden spoon, into the pot of bread cubes. 
• Finely Chopped Onion + Celery : I don’t care for large chunks of onion or celery in anything, but especially stuffing, so make sure to chop them really small. Unless you want larger chunks, then go ahead, but they will need a longer cook time to soften. This also helps them to soften in just a few minutes while sautéing in the pot. 
• Tip : Once you add the bread cubes and broth, this stuffing does not cook anymore. Make sure the onion and celery are at the softness level that you want them at. 
• Toasted Bread Cubes : This is easy to do so please don’t skip it! The bread needs to be toasted and browned so it can hold up to the wet broth. Stuffing is supposed to be soft, which this is, but because the bread is oven toasted first, it won’t make the stuffing soggy. 

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes You’ll Love

• Cranberry Fluff – One of my most-loved Thanksgiving sides. Fresh cranberries, pineapple, marshmallows, and homemade whipped cream. So creamy and light!
• No Mushroom Green Bean Casserole – If you’ve hot mushroom haters (like my family) then you have to make this! No mushrooms and no canned soup. It uses canned green beans which makes it so easy and fail-proof. 
• One Hour Rolls – So buttery, soft, and easy to make. I have never been great at yeast bread baking but even I can make these without fail. 
• Buttery Cracker Sweet Potato Casserole – Don’t hate me for this one, but this recipe uses canned sweet potatoes! Trust me. So simple to prepare, no stove top space needed to boil potatoes, and it’s topped with a sweet and crumbly Ritz cracker topping that takes it over the top. 
• Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes – So creamy, rich, and smooth!
• Sweet Corn Casserole – Don’t forget this classic side dish. Creamed corn, Jif cornbread mix, sour cream, and butter make this casserole a crowd favorite.