This delicious Crock Pot Stuffing frees up your oven as you cook up your Thanksgiving feast! This classic traditional stuffing is made with fresh herbs, it’s buttery, custardy, and never soggy.
Delicious stuffing is a must on our Thanksgiving table every year! It’s a favorite classic side dish that everyone loves when it’s done right. For me, stuffing should be buttery, custardy, light, and have crispy edges. If it ticks all of these boxes, then it’s perfect!
This Crock Pot Stuffing or Crock Pot Dressing is adapted from my perfect Herb Stuffing Recipe, and it will ensure that your stuffing comes out perfect every single time. Making stuffing in the Crockpot frees up some oven space (you really need to make your turkey and pie!), and it’s a great make-ahead method. Plus, it’s easy and delicious!
Serve it next to your Turkey, with some Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Green Bean Casserole, and a side of Sweet Potato Casserole with crunchy pecans! Don’t forget the dessert, and make this amazing Pumpkin Pecan Pie and serve it with some fresh whipped cream.
Best Bread for Stuffing
Truth is, you can use any type of bread to make stuffing. But my favorite bread to use is plain white sandwich bread, I like how it absorbs the moisture and butter due to its small hole structure that gives it its custardy bread pudding-like center. I would also avoid chewy loaves of bread like sourdough.
The bread that you’re using MUST be dry. If it’s not dry, then you will end up with mushy and soggy stuffing. To dry the bread, it can be either air dried or done in the oven.
To dry bread in the oven, just tear or cube it and lightly toast in the oven just to dry it out (not give it color!). I do 210°F (100°C) for 90 minutes, flipping every 30 minutes.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you need to make this delicious Slow Cooker Stuffing:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Bread: I use regular white sandwich bread that I cut into cubes and dry in the oven. You may also buy dried bread from the store, but you’ll need to add an extra cup of stock in this case.
- Aromatics: Finely diced onion and minced garlic are so delicious in this flavorful stuffing!
- Celery: Adds a very nice, crispy bite to this stuffing and balances out the heavier ingredients. Do not skip it!
- Herbs: Fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage add a wonderful vibrant herbed flavor to this stuffing. I like to use all 4 of them, but if you don’t have one or another you can just skip it.
- Stock: Chicken or vegetable stock or broth is used to add moisture (and even more flavor) to the stuffing.
- Eggs: Used as a binder to hold the stuffing together, and turn it into custardy goodness!
How To Make Stuffing in the Crockpot
- In a medium skillet (or in the Crockpot if you have one that you can saute in), over medium heat, melt the butter, and saute the onion and celery until tender (not brown). Add the garlic, and cook for a minute or until it’s fragrant then remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted bread with the butter-veg mixture, and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add a cup of stock, and mix everything with a spatula or your hands.
- Combine beaten eggs with the remaining stock or broth, and add it gradually to the bread. Keep mixing and make sure that the bread is soaked all the way through but not mushy.
- Transfer to a 5-6 quart Crockpot, cover with the lid and slow cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the center of the stuffing.
Tip!
All slow cookers are different, so make sure that you keep an eye on the stuffing as it cooks. Start checking at 3 hours, and add more time if needed.
Storing Tips
If you have leftovers, they freeze very well for up to 6 months. To reheat, just pop it in the oven at 350°F/180°C for 20 minutes with a splash of water to keep it from drying out.
For more Thanksgiving recipes, check out my Thanksgiving recipe collection.
FAQs
You can use 2 teaspoons of homemade poultry seasoning. You may also find it in the supermarket, but it usually sells out around Thanksgiving, so make your own! It’s so simple.
Yes! Use one pound of Italian mild sausage, remove it from the casings and saute it along with the aromatics. Add it to the rest of the ingredients, and continue cooking as per the recipe. You can also find my Oven Sausage Stuffing recipe here.
The only ingredient that you need to swap out is the bread, use gluten-free sandwich. The rest of the ingredients do not contain any gluten, but if you decide to use sausage then double check the ingredient list and make sure it does not contain any gluten.
Yes, you can use bagged cornbread stuffing here or homemade cornbread that is cut into cubes and then dried.
Now get your Crockpot ready and make this stuffing! Don’t forget to pin this recipe so other people can enjoy this easy version of stuffing too!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Crock Pot Stuffing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound firm white sandwich, French, or Italian bread cut into ½-¾ inch cubes, about 10 cups
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth divided
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- To lightly toast the bread, place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 210°F (100°C) for 90 minutes, flipping every 30 minutes. This can be done a few days ahead.1 pound firm white sandwich, French, or Italian bread
- In a medium skillet (or in the Crockpot if you have one that you can saute in), over medium heat, melt the butter, and saute the onion and celery until tender (not brown). Add the garlic, and cook for a minute or until it's fragrant then remove from heat.6 tablespoons butter, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 cloves garlic
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted bread with the butter-veg mixture, and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper.⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh sage, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add a cup of stock, and mix everything with a spatula or your hands.2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or broth
- Combine beaten eggs with the remaining stock or broth, and add it gradually to the bread. Keep mixing and make sure that the bread is soaked all the way through but not mushy.2 eggs
- Transfer to a greased 5-6 quart Crockpot, cover with the lid and slow cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the center of the stuffing.
Notes:
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Barb says
So other than toasting the bread there is no instructions on doing this ahead. Help please. At what point do you stop to finish on the day you want to serve
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I usually make the whole recipe, put it in the crockpot, and then pop it in the fridge. I pull it out when I’m ready to cook it. Thanks, Barb, I hope you enjoy!