# How to Make Stuffing – Step-by-Step Guide

> Dry cubed bread, sauté onion and celery in butter, toss with herbs, broth and egg just before baking, then bake in a dish until the center reaches 165 °F.

Source: https://www.howtodoos.com/how-to-make-stuffing/ · By Jessica Williams · Updated 2026-11-13

To make stuffing, cut day-old bread into cubes and let them dry, cook onion and celery in butter until soft, then toss everything with herbs, warm broth and a beaten egg right before it goes in the oven. Bake it in a buttered dish until the top is crisp and a thermometer in the center reads 165 °F. Baking it in a dish rather than inside the turkey is both the safer and the more reliable way to get a crisp, evenly cooked result.

![How to Make Stuffing — steps at a glance](https://www.howtodoos.com/images/posts/img/how-to-make-stuffing-steps.webp)

The safety rules in this guide come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service fact sheet on [stuffing and food safety](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/es/node/3758), the FDA's [food safety tips for healthy holidays](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/food-safety-tips-healthy-holidays) and University of Illinois Extension's [Stuffing Safely](https://extension.illinois.edu/turkey/stuffing-safely) page. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026, so you have time to prep the bread ahead and still mix the stuffing on the day.

## What you need

For about 10–12 servings in a 9x13-inch dish (the USDA suggests allowing at least ½ cup of stuffing per person when you bake it in a casserole):

- **1 lb (450 g) sturdy bread** — white sandwich loaf, French bread, sourdough or cornbread, about 12–14 cups of ¾-inch cubes
- **½ cup (1 stick) butter**, plus a little for the dish
- **1 large onion**, diced
- **3 celery ribs**, diced
- **2 cloves garlic**, minced (optional)
- **1 tbsp chopped fresh sage** and **1 tsp fresh thyme** (or 1 tsp dried sage and ½ tsp dried thyme)
- **¼ cup chopped fresh parsley**
- **2–3 cups chicken, turkey or vegetable broth**, warmed
- **2 large eggs**, beaten
- Salt and black pepper
- Optional: ½–1 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled before it goes in
- Equipment: a large bowl, a skillet, a 9x13-inch baking dish, foil and an instant-read food thermometer

If you want a side that pairs well, our guides to [making gravy](https://www.howtodoos.com/how-to-make-gravy-movie/) and [making mashed potatoes](https://www.howtodoos.com/how-to-make-mashed-potatoes/) use the same timeline.

## Steps

### Step 1: Cube and dry the bread

Cut the bread into ¾-inch cubes. Spread them on two baking sheets and leave them out overnight, or dry them in a 300 °F oven for 15–25 minutes, stirring once, until they feel dry on the outside but not browned. Dry bread soaks up broth without collapsing into mush, which is the main difference between fluffy stuffing and a soggy one.

You can do this step one or two days ahead. Illinois Extension notes that [chopping vegetables and preparing the bread can be done in advance](https://extension.illinois.edu/turkey/stuffing-safely); store the cooled cubes in a sealed bag at room temperature.

### Step 2: Cook the vegetables

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, sage and thyme for the last minute so they release their aroma without burning.

If you're adding sausage, brown it in the skillet first, break it into crumbs and cook it through before the vegetables go in. The USDA advises that any [raw meat, poultry or shellfish be precooked](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/es/node/3758) before it is added to stuffing.

### Step 3: Heat the oven and prepare the dish

Heat the oven to 350 °F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. If your oven will be full of turkey, stuffing can share the oven at 325 °F; it just takes a little longer.

### Step 4: Combine just before baking

Put the dried bread in your largest bowl. Add the cooked vegetables (with all the butter from the pan), the parsley and about ½ tsp black pepper. Whisk the eggs into 2 cups of the warm broth, pour it over the bread and fold gently with a large spoon until every cube is moist. Add more broth a splash at a time if you see dry patches — the mix should be moist but not swimming.

Only do this right before baking. The USDA and FDA both say to [keep wet and dry ingredients separate](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/food-safety-tips-healthy-holidays) until just before cooking, and FSIS adds that uncooked stuffing should not be refrigerated — if you must make it ahead, freeze it or cook it immediately.

### Step 5: Bake covered, then uncovered

Spread the stuffing in the dish without packing it down. Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20–30 minutes until the top is golden and crisp at the edges.

### Step 6: Check the temperature

Push an instant-read thermometer into the center of the dish. The stuffing is safely done at **165 °F** — the minimum temperature [FSIS, FDA and Illinois Extension all give](https://extension.illinois.edu/turkey/stuffing-safely). If it's short, return it to the oven and check again in 5–10 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.

## If you cook stuffing inside the turkey

Baking stuffing separately is what USDA recommends "for optimal safety and uniform doneness", but if you stuff the bird:

- Stuff it **just before** it goes in the oven, never the night before.
- Spoon the moist stuffing in **loosely** — about ¾ cup per pound of turkey, per FSIS — so heat can reach the center. Bake any extra in a dish.
- Check the center of the stuffing as well as the thigh, wing and breast; **all must reach 165 °F**. The meat can be done before the stuffing is.
- Let the bird stand 20 minutes, then take all the stuffing out before you [carve the turkey](https://www.howtodoos.com/how-to-carve-a-turkey/).

For roasting times, see our guide to [cooking a turkey](https://www.howtodoos.com/how-to-cook-turkey/).

## Tips

- **Mix your breads.** Half white bread and half cornbread or sourdough gives a mix of soft and crisp textures.
- **Season the broth, not the bread.** Taste the warm broth and add salt there before pouring; store-bought broth varies a lot in saltiness.
- **For extra-crisp tops**, dot the surface with a few small pieces of butter before the uncovered bake.
- **Making it vegetarian?** Use vegetable broth and add sautéed mushrooms for depth.
- **Stuffing or dressing?** It's the same dish — FSIS notes it is called stuffing, filling or dressing in different regions of the U.S.

## Troubleshooting

- **Soggy or gummy:** the bread wasn't dry enough or there was too much broth. Next time dry the cubes longer; for now, bake uncovered for an extra 10–15 minutes.
- **Dry and crumbly:** drizzle a few tablespoons of warm broth over the top, cover with foil and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- **Top browning before the center is hot:** cover loosely with foil and keep baking until the center reaches 165 °F.
- **Bland:** fresh herbs and enough salt make the biggest difference; a little extra sautéed onion also helps.

## Storing and reheating leftovers

Refrigerate leftover stuffing within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers and use it within 3–4 days, or freeze it for longer storage. Reheat to 165 °F in the microwave or in an oven set no lower than 325 °F; FSIS advises against reheating stuffing in a slow cooker. Never refrigerate a whole cooked turkey with the stuffing still inside — scoop it out first.

## FAQ

### How long do you bake stuffing at 350 °F?

A 9x13-inch dish usually needs about 25 minutes covered and 20–30 minutes uncovered. Go by temperature rather than time: it's done when the center reads 165 °F on a food thermometer.

### Can you make stuffing the night before?

You can prepare the parts ahead — cube and dry the bread, chop and cook the vegetables and refrigerate them separately — but don't combine them until you're ready to bake. FSIS says not to refrigerate uncooked, mixed stuffing; freeze it instead or bake it right away.

### Is it safe to cook stuffing inside the turkey?

It can be, if you stuff loosely just before roasting and the center of the stuffing reaches 165 °F. USDA and FDA recommend baking it in a separate dish because the stuffing in the cavity often lags behind the meat.

### How much stuffing do I need per person?

Plan on at least ½ cup per person when baked in a dish. A 1 lb loaf of bread makes enough for about 10–12 people.

### What's the difference between stuffing and dressing?

Mostly the name. Some cooks use "stuffing" for the version cooked inside the bird and "dressing" for the one baked in a dish, but FSIS notes the names stuffing, filling and dressing simply vary by region.

## Conclusion

Good stuffing comes down to dry bread, well-softened vegetables, enough warm broth to moisten without drowning, and a thermometer check at 165 °F. Prep the bread and vegetables ahead, combine everything right before baking, and bake it in a dish for crisp edges and no food-safety guesswork on Thanksgiving Day.